From Dec. 28, 2014 till Jan. 5, 2015 both LEED Online v3 (used by LEED 2009 projects) and the new LEED Online (used by LEED v4, Homes, and Campuses) will be down for maintenance.

Then, on Jan. 5, 2015, LEED 2009 projects using BD+C, ID+C and EB:O+M rating systems will be find themselves on the new LEED Online platform, and new LEED 2009 projects will register and use it going forward.

USGBC has more detail and is offering several Webex events to answer questions.

We discussed the changes with Taryn Holowka, senior vice president at USGBC for marketing, communications and advocacy.

Q&A with USGBC

LEEDuser: What is prompting this move?

Taryn Holowka, USGBC: From the very beginning, the new version of LEED Online was intended to accommodate all LEED projects (LEED 2009 and newer) and certification models. We also built it to be flexible enough to support any new LEED programs that are developed. USGBC has dedicated a significant amount of resources over the last 12 months to enhancing the LEED customer experience—from launching LEED Coach, revamping how we handle incoming customer service queries and dedicating ourselves to making things easier for and more accessible to the customer, this upgraded LEED Online platform falls right in line with these efforts.

LEEDuser: As much as LEED 2009 teams don’t love LEED Online, they might be afraid that a change in the platform will result in lost data and general confusion. How are you ensuring that there won’t be problems? For example, how much testing has been done?

Taryn: The testing has been extensive. In fact, we’ve been testing, building and tweaking for over a year to ensure that we are delivering a complete and improved experience. For the last year, the new system has supported and collected feedback from Homes, campus and LEED v4 projects.

LEEDuser: Do you have a backup?

Taryn: The old information is not going away, we are simply updating the way team members interact with it.

LEEDuser: Is there any way to opt out of this change? Perhaps a project is getting ready to finalize their documentation and they’d rather not have to deal with a change.

Taryn: No, however projects should note that their forms and data will not change and in fact their documentation will be easier for the team to review before submission in the new platform. Additionally, submission and review timelines will not be effected. Those who have already submitted for review can still expect a response on their scheduled date.

LEEDuser: Are there any new technology (i.e. browser, operating system, etc.) requirements?

This version of LEED Online sees significant improvements in browser compatibility. We support all new versions of Internet Explorer (no more compatibility mode), Safari and Firefox. To help, there is a link on the login page (under the "log in" button) that says "check system requirements." This will run a check to make sure everything is compatible and let users know what (if anything) needs adjusting.

LEEDuser: The new LEED Online did not include task assignments like the old LEED Online does. Some projects really like this tool. Will they have it in the new platform?

Taryn: Based on feedback we’ve received from teams using the new platform over the last year, we’ve retained the credit assignment function in the new version of LEED Online as an optional feature. Project teams can assign specific credits to specific users. While the entire team will have full access to the project information by default, Project admins will have the ability to give specific team members read only access with write access only for those assigned to the credit. All team members, however will be able to see all areas of the project. In addition, we now have an activity log that lists who did what in the system. Early next year, we are going to enhance the team administration even further to allow project admins to have even finer control over their projects and team.

LEEDuser: Will this make it easier for projects to upgrade to v4?

Taryn: Yes, with the new flexibility, team structure and functionality, the transition for 2009 projects will be a smoother process using the new platform.

Your questions

What are your questions about the new LEED Online, and this upgrade? Are you looking forward to it? Please comment below.