New opportunities in LEED v4.1 O+M

Two new alternative paths are available to LEED v4.1 O+M projects through pilot alternative compliance paths (ACPs):

• EApc163—Energy Star and ASHRAE Standard 100 ACP
• WEpc162—Calculated Indoor Water Use ACP

EApc163 provides an Energy Performance approach using an ENERGY STAR rating for source energy. Projects with an ENERGY STAR score of 50 meet the prerequisite, and up to 16 points are awarded for ENERGY STAR scores from 55 to 99. The remaining 16 points are awarded through a percent reduction over GHG emissions targets. The targets are determined based on the median site Energy Use Intensity (EUI) targets provided in ASHRAE Standard 100-2018: Energy Efficiency in Existing Building. WEpc162 is also available, allowing projects to achieve a portion of the points for WE Water Performance using a calculated reduction based on fixture flush and flow rates.

We encourage you to explore these new pilot ACPs on your LEED v4.1 projects. Be sure to register for the pilot ACPs to use them and provide feedback through the available forums to assist in their continued development. For a full listing of new ACPs, updated ACPs and recently closed ACPs, check out the USGBC February update.

Additionally, LEED v4.1 O+M addenda were released in February providing a number of wording changes for clarification. The full listing of these addenda is provided on the USGBC website, and required to be used on newly registered LEED v4.1 O+M projects.