I've been working for the past year on a suite of 3 NC projects for a client, all to be registered with LEED 2009 in the next month or so, and I've just been asked if there will be a limit to the validity of the registration if any of the three projects is significantly delayed--the client is discussing an option to delay construction of the second phase to Q4 2014 and third phase to Q4 2015. I can't find any mention in the NC documents or anywhere else that gives a sunset date but I was alarmed to note that the v 2.1 projects have a sunset date of December 2011, which indicates that registration didn't secure their continuing on the v.2.1 system until completion. However Item 4.7 in the June 2011 Certification Policy Manual clearly says that "closure of registration shall not immediately impact the status of registered projects....Projects that are registered under a rating system that is subject to closure will be allowed to proceed through the LEED Certification process in accordance with the requirements of such rating system; provided that they adhere to the policies....etc". So perhaps I'm simply ignorant about a special case regarding v.2.1 projects? A switch to LEED 2012 as written wouldn't be possible for these non-US projects. Thanks for any comments.
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Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11477 thumbs up
April 16, 2012 - 4:06 pm
Melissa, I'd have to dig up the reference to check this, but GBCI has a policy document on sunset dates for rating systems. I am pretty sure that the policy is six years from the final registration dates of the rating system. So if LEED 2009 registrations ended this Dec. 31, the system would sunset Dec. 31, 2018.I'm sure that GBCI has some leeway in implememting this, however, and I have heard rumblings that LEED 2009 registration should remain open for a while, given major changes coming with LEED 2012.
Bill Swanson
Sr. Electrical EngineerIntegrated Design Solutions
LEEDuser Expert
734 thumbs up
April 16, 2012 - 4:10 pm
Check page 29
https://www.leedonline.com/irj/go/km/docs/documents/usgbc/leed/config/te...
Sunset date for v2.2 is June 27, 2015.
Melissa Merryweather
DirectorGreen Consult-Asia
245 thumbs up
April 16, 2012 - 9:06 pm
Thanks for both comments. Both Phase 2 and Phase 3 of these projects might be compromised; as a 2.5 million square foot project construction times are long and our end dates optimistic. Right now they're completing a lengthy and costly re-design mainly to create better alignment with LEED 2009. I received a reply yesterday from GBCI stating that no sunset date had been set (the policy doesn't give a date either) but end of 2018 does seem to be in line with the other dates. If I could reasonably update these projects to LEED 2012 I would. But with v2012 final version still months off I can't just halt the design process again with so much still up in the air (and I think my opportunity was already spent). Also, we're way behind the US in terms of market transformation. My clients had a strong goal to get LEED and has budgeted a very large amount for improvements to reach Gold Certification level; I've analyzed the current version of v2012 and the same project would not get Silver. Its very possible the owners would simply walk away in this case--its not been an easy process with many of the consultants baulking along the way and there is a high need to trust the system. I'm thinking that I should at least try to make a specific plea to the GBCI to keep us on, given the size of the project, length of time already implementing v2009 and and impossibility of keeping it inside any one system given the rate of introducing new systems. I know the comments are closed for v2012, but I'll try this through normal feedback channels.
Barry Giles
Founder & CEO, LEED Fellow, BREEAM FellowBuildingWise LLC
LEEDuser Expert
338 thumbs up
April 16, 2012 - 10:58 pm
Melissa, Don't panic...provided the contracts are registered with GBCI, work is progressing, you keep them informed as to the progress on a regular basis, (especially about the date when the design credits will be uploaded) then from previous experience GBCI will not 'drop you in it'. Once the design credits are agreed with GBCI, you are LOCKED in that rating system for the duration. Yes of course if the job drags on 5-10 years then quite rightly the GBCI will get a little upset, but we have found that provided that you keep them informed they will work with you.
Melissa Merryweather
DirectorGreen Consult-Asia
245 thumbs up
April 16, 2012 - 11:36 pm
Thanks everyone for your excellent feedback. I will make it my policy to keep GBCI informed as we go forward.