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LEED v4.1

Existing Schools

Innovation
Innovation

LEED CREDIT

Schools-EBOM-v4.1 INc1: Innovation 1 point

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Credit language

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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

LEED Accredited Professional
At least one principal participant of the project team must be a LEED Accredited Professional (AP) with a specialty in Operations and Maintenance. AND
Innovation Strategy
Achieve significant, measurable environmental performance using a strategy not addressed in the rating system, including prerequisites, base points, and strategies contributing to the scores within the five performance categories. Identify the following:
  • the intent of the proposed innovation strategy;
  • proposed requirements for compliance;
  • submittals to demonstrate compliance and proposed metric(s) for tracking (if applicable); and
  • the design approach or strategies used to meet the requirements.
Examples of strategies may be found in the Innovation Catalog. OR
Pilot Credit
Register for, achieve, and submit a feedback survey for one eligible pilot credit from USGBC’s LEED Pilot Credit Library. See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Frequently asked questions

Wait, exemplary performance is no longer allowed?

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Wait, a LEED AP O+M is required?

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Is there a list of Innovation strategies available to v4.1 projects?

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My LEED credential is about to expire. What should I do?

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I’m a LEED AP with specialty and I’m also a WELL AP. Does this affect how I report my continuing education hours?

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I missed my credential maintenance reporting deadline. Do I have to take the LEED AP exam again?

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See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

10/5/2018
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

If a project pursues a pilot alternative compliance path (ACP), can it be exempted from the following pilot credit requirement for the Innovation credit?

“To achieve all five innovation points, a project team must achieve at least one pilot credit, at least one innovation credit and no more than two exemplary performance credits.”

Ruling:

If projects achieve a pilot ACP, they are exempted from the requirement to achieve at least one pilot credit. To achieve all five points in the Innovation credit under this approach, projects may select one of the following point combinations:
• 4 innovation and 1 exemplary performance
• 3 innovation and 2 exemplary performance

***Updated 7.10.2020 to clarify that projects must achieve a pilot ACP to be exempted***
*** Updated 3.29.2023 to include applicability for v4.1 projects***

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

LEEDuser expert

Ashwini Arun

WSP
Senior Sustainability Manager

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

LEED Accredited Professional
At least one principal participant of the project team must be a LEED Accredited Professional (AP) with a specialty in Operations and Maintenance. AND
Innovation Strategy
Achieve significant, measurable environmental performance using a strategy not addressed in the rating system, including prerequisites, base points, and strategies contributing to the scores within the five performance categories. Identify the following:
  • the intent of the proposed innovation strategy;
  • proposed requirements for compliance;
  • submittals to demonstrate compliance and proposed metric(s) for tracking (if applicable); and
  • the design approach or strategies used to meet the requirements.
Examples of strategies may be found in the Innovation Catalog. OR
Pilot Credit
Register for, achieve, and submit a feedback survey for one eligible pilot credit from USGBC’s LEED Pilot Credit Library.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.

Wait, exemplary performance is no longer allowed?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Wait, a LEED AP O+M is required?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Is there a list of Innovation strategies available to v4.1 projects?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

My LEED credential is about to expire. What should I do?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

I’m a LEED AP with specialty and I’m also a WELL AP. Does this affect how I report my continuing education hours?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

I missed my credential maintenance reporting deadline. Do I have to take the LEED AP exam again?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

10/5/2018
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

If a project pursues a pilot alternative compliance path (ACP), can it be exempted from the following pilot credit requirement for the Innovation credit?

“To achieve all five innovation points, a project team must achieve at least one pilot credit, at least one innovation credit and no more than two exemplary performance credits.”

Ruling:

If projects achieve a pilot ACP, they are exempted from the requirement to achieve at least one pilot credit. To achieve all five points in the Innovation credit under this approach, projects may select one of the following point combinations:
• 4 innovation and 1 exemplary performance
• 3 innovation and 2 exemplary performance

***Updated 7.10.2020 to clarify that projects must achieve a pilot ACP to be exempted***
*** Updated 3.29.2023 to include applicability for v4.1 projects***

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes

LEEDuser expert

Ashwini Arun

WSP
Senior Sustainability Manager

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Schools-EBOM-v4.1 INc1