New Construction

The LEED^® Canada NC rating system applies to new construction and major renovations of commercial and institutional buildings, i.e., buildings regulated by Part 3 of the National Building Code. It also applies to retail, mid- and high-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs), public assembly buildings, manufacturing plants, and other types of buildings.

Applicants with space that is not fitted out at the time of certification (e.g., intended for future lease) may wish to consider LEED Canada for Core & Shell Development. Alternatively, those projects with at least 50% of the building fit-up for certification may use the leased tenant space guidance for NC projects found in the LEED Canada Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction 2009.

LEED Canada NC 2009

The CaGBC is happy to announce that registration for LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations (NC) 2009 and LEED Canada for Core and Shell Development (CS) 2009 opened June 21, 2010. These new rating systems offer many advantages, including:

Consolidation of documentation: all the Application Guides and relevant CIRs have been incorporated.
Updated reference standards: the new rating systems refer to more current reference standards.
New and updated pathways: several alternative credit compliance pathways have been introduced, and thresholds have been adjusted to better reflect the state of the industry.
Re-weighted credits: the number of points that may be earned for each credit has been re-evaluated using a more scientific approach, resulting in greater emphasis on preventing climate change.
Familiarity: the majority of credits have not substantially changed.
Faster certification: the audit round of the certification process has been eliminated, and streamlined compliance pathways are available for some credits.

Projects registering as of June 21 2010 will be registered under the 2009 versions, while projects registered prior to this date may switch to the new rating system.

Rating System and Reference Guide

LEED Canada NC 2009 and LEED Canada CS 2009 Rating System - released June 21, 2010 - outlines credit requirements and provides a credit checklist.

LEED Canada Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction 2009 (online purchase - if you have already purchased the Reference Guide in electronic format it is available in the My Documents section of My CaGBC) - a detailed outline of the credits that may be utilized for LEED Canada NC 2009 registered projects. Strategies and additional resources are included to help in meeting the requirements of each credit and prerequisite.

Workshops

LEED Canada NC 2009: Technical Review - don’t you wish you knew more about the most popular LEED rating system? Learn about the current version.

Project Resources

One of the benefits of CaGBC membership is access to supplementary LEED Canada documents and tools. In order to view these documents, you must be a Member and you must be logged in.

LEED Canada NC and CS 2009 Letter Templates version A (xls) - support the required declarations for each of the prerequisites and credits under LEED Canada NC 2009 and LEED Canada CS 2009.

Portland Cement calculator (xls) - provided in support of Materials and Resources credit 4 (Recycled Content).

CaGBC Durable Building Tables (xls) - provided in support of Regional Priority credit 1 (Durable Building).

LEED Canada NC and CS 2009 Project Checklist (xls) - helps project teams track their credits against requirements for certification.

LEED Canada 2009 Supplementary Energy Modelling Guidelines (pdf) - supplements and/or clarifies the energy modelling guidance provided for LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations 2009 and LEED Canada for Core and Shell Development 2009 EA Prerequisite 2 and EA Credit 1, Option 1 – Whole Building Energy Simulation.

Guidance for Regional Priority Credit - under development, expected Q2 2012. Applicants are welcome to use the general guidance provided for LEED Canada EB:O&M 2009 until a version for LEED Canada NC 2009 and LEED Canada CS 2009 is made available.

LEED Canada 2009 Interpretation Guide for District Energy Systems - under development, expected Q1 2012. Applicants are welcome to use the current District Energy System Interpretation Guide (March 2008) until such time as the new version is released.

Additional Information

CaGBC’s Experienced Modellers List (pdf)

Approved Energy Simulation Software (pdf)

FAQ on the launch of LEED Canada NC 2009 and LEED Canada CS 2009 (pdf)

Comparison of LEED Canada NC 2009 to LEED Canada-NC 1.0 (pdf)

FAQ: Chain of Custody for Certified Wood products within LEED Canada (pdf)

LEED Brand User Guidelines (pdf) - learn how to use the LEED brand when promoting your organization.