- How do I know which stage of LEED ND to use? ND: Plan or ND: Built Project?
- Does my project need to earn ND: Plan, Certified Plan to pursue ND: Built Project?
- Which non-LEED certification programs can contribute to GIBp Certified Green Building?
- How can I find out if my LEED project is located within a LEED ND project boundary?
- How are LEED ND and SITES related?
How do I know which stage of LEED ND to use? ND: Plan or ND: Built Project?
Registration for LEED v4 ND Plan is available for neighborhood-scale projects in any phase of planning and design. No more than 75% of the project’s total floor area may be constructed when submitting for Certified Plan review. A project may be registered under LEED v4 ND: Built Project at any time, but must be substantially complete before submitting for Built Project review. We consider a project substantially complete if the certificates of occupancy for buildings and acceptance of infrastructure have been issued by public authorities with jurisdiction over the project. Refer to Guide to Certification: Neighborhood Development for additional details.
Does my project need to earn ND: Plan, Certified Plan to pursue ND: Built Project?
No. Project teams may enter the LEED ND process in any stage, depending on the project status.
Which non-LEED certification programs can contribute to GIBp Certified Green Building?
USGBC/GBCI does not maintain a list of equivalent rating systems. We are not able to track changes made to other rating systems, so we cannot be certain that equivalency is sustained. Your team may present an equivalency analysis in a formal inquiry (a CIR) through your registered LEED ND project, or you may present the analysis in the application.
Non-LEED green building certifications must be comprehensive in a manner similar to LEED, encompassing multiple categories of evaluation (e.g. location, water, energy, materials, etc.), documentation for evaluation methodology and stated certification outcomes. Additionally, certification entities of any green building rating system used to demonstrate prerequisite and/or credit compliance must have a documented quality system that aligns with the elements of ISO/IEC Guide 65 or 17065, as bulleted within the LEED NDv4 Reference Guide Correction published on October 2, 2017. Programs that align with the elements of ISO/IEC Guide 65 or 17065, but that are not accredited by the standard may still be eligible.
When submitting for review (certification review or CIR review) ensure that a narrative is provided to describe how the program is sufficiently comprehensive (i.e. how categories evaluated, documentation methodologies and outcomes are essentially equivalent to the LEED rating system) and to confirm whether the certification entity is ISO/IEC Guide 65 or 17065 accredited, or meets equivalent standards (if not accredited, provide confirmation that each element bulleted within the Reference Guide correction linked above is met). Note that LEED for Homes or LEED Design + Construction rating systems may be considered when evaluating equivalency.
How can I find out if my LEED project is located within a LEED ND project boundary?
It is up to the project team to determine whether their project is located within the project boundary of a qualifying, certified LEED-ND project. As LEED-ND certification is a significant effort and accomplishment for projects and communities, typically the project team working on an individual building within a LEED-ND certified project would be made award of this achievement by local developers, land owners, and/or community news articles. Project teams may also find the LEED project directory useful for identifying specific LEED certified projects that chose to make their certification status publicly available.
How are LEED ND and SITES related?
The SITES and LEED rating systems are complementary and can be used independently or in tandem. If you would like your project to benefit from certifying to both SITES and LEED, you can take advantage of the synergies between them. The Synergies between SITES and LEED ND document lists the credits that can be substituted between SITES and LEED in several ways. Additionally, SITES credits approved for use as Innovation approaches are identified within this document.