Recertification Guideance for credits implemented every 5 years

Antoni, to start with and not to put too finer point of it, V4 will NOT 'affect your re-certification level negatively'...that's just bad press being bandied about. Ok, now I've got that off into email land...we'll follow up with the credit question. Right now you should be registering all your potential re-certifications for recert immediately. This will 'hold' them in V3 for a TOTAL of 5 years or until your re-certification period ends...no matter what version of LEED EB is in the marketplace (and of course registration is free so why not do that right now). It also gives you the opportunity to upgrade to v4 IF YOU WISH!.
Now to the '5 year rule'. In a lot of the current cases our suggestion to our clients is that they re-certify at the 4 and half year level so that original credit documentation created in the initial certification still stands...provided that no significant changes have been made (that would impact the credit) during the period. This will hold for prerequisites like IEQp1. Now rest assured GBCI reviewers will be all over these original documents to make certain that you have no made changes that do nullify the original paperwork so be prepared to justify this.
Good Luck!

Hi Barry. I'm in a similar predicament.
An old project was certified under EB:O&M late June of 2011 and they intend to re-certify under v3. I was informed that those who wish to avail of v3 should register before June 2015. The caveat is there is an addition to the building that will be operational by June 2014.
I read in the Certification Policy Manual of Jan 2012 that after the performance period ends, the review should be done within 60 days.

My queries:
1) When should the project register for re-certification? Would you recommend that this be done before June 2015?
2) Is there a time period within which the preliminary review must be done after project registration? or is the date of preliminary review solely dependent on the end of the performance period?
3) For the additional area, should there be a transition period within which the systems need to stabilize (mechanical and electrical, as well as occupancy) before the performance period data collection should be done? Or can the performance period begin as soon as the additional area is operational?

Hoping for your advise.
Thank you and regards,
Pabs

Pabs. I can see that you really want to make this complicated...ha, ha!. Lets go back to basics first. In the original certification you finished the performance period a long time before you got the building 'certified'. For the sake or argument that was probably end of April 2011 (look it up to make sure). Now advance 5 years on a calender to April 2016. This is the absolute drop dead final date for the re-certification performance period. So to answer 1. Yes, register right now for re-certification as this will 'hold' V3 till April 2016. For 2. The preliminary review can take place after the performance period end. (In reality DON'T cut it that fine...allow 90 days inside the April 2016). for answer 3. There is no such thing as 'performance period collection should be done'...you're already in it as the 5 year re-certification period IS the performance period and should already be collecting data on all the credits that you originally got and be looking to open new credits ready for recert in April 2016. Without doubt MRc3, MRc9 and IEQc 1.5 MUST be collected for the full recert period REGARDLESS of if you did these in the original certification and in your case with the new addition then you should be all over these credits. (Note the percentage floor area addition may mean that you need to complete BD&C in the addition and not EB O&M, read the MPR's on this and the standard language of the USGBC about choosing which rating system to use on additions). Kindest Regards to you.

Thanks Barry!
The additional space is in fact going for certification under NC, so we're looking into having just once re-cert for the entire project. Do let me know if this is not feasible.
For 1 and 2, points taken. For 3, I've recently just gotten hold of the recert manual and will go over it.
Cheers,
Pabs

Pabs, Re-cert of the complete project should be the way forward....try and wait long enough to really have the Energy Star score maximize the great building techniques of the new construction...otherwise on MRc3, 9 and IEQ c1.5...there will need to be a discussion with GBCI to see if you can double dip all the material credits from LEED NC into LEED EB (I doubt it but it's worth a try). Obviously if you make additions to the central plant/HVAC system...those credits will need updating, but you can at least fold the cost into the NC project. Great move.

Hello again Barry,

Just one more thing to clarify:

1) For the portion going for LEED NC, does this need to go for EB:O&M first before re-certification? It will be operated by the same facilities management group maintaining the original structure that was awarded LEED EB:O&M.

From your notes, this portion can go for outright re-certification along with the re-certification of the entire project so the scope of the re-certification will cover the original portion (LEED-EB:O&M certified) AND the smaller new portion (going for LEED NC certification). Just needed re-confirmation before we register.

2) Do we need to wait until the new portion (going for LEED NC) is certified before we register for re-certification? The earliest date of anticipated certification of the new portion is sometime 2015.

regards,
Pabs