For LEED-NC V2.2, the prerequisite of EA Credit 1, since June 26, 2007, has been to surpass ASHRAE Energy Standard 90.1-2004 by 14%. For office buildings under 20,000 SF, Option 2 allowed the use of the ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide (AEDG) for Small Office Buildings 2004. Using this AEDG would give the project 4 points, provided all applicable criteria were met for the climate zone in which the building was located. In 2006, ASHRAE published the AEDG for Small Retail Buildings. Since LEED-NC V2.2 was published in 2005, and the AEDG for Small Retail Buildings was not published until 2006, it obviously could not have been included in the Reference Guide as published. We have searched both the Errata and the CIRs, and have found nothing in the Errata and only three CIRs (10/23/06, 12/18/07, 02/22/08) that refer to this AEDG, none of which is similar to our situation, and two of which were turned down for fairly obvious reasons. It has been our understanding that USGBC, under their concepts and mission of keeping abreast of new developments relative to energy savings, allowed the use of these AEDGs as they became available. However, the USGBC website currently seems to state that the AEDG for Small Retail Buildings is not applicable for LEED NC V2.2, and that this AEDG will only be applicable in LEED 2009. Not only does this not seem to be in synchronization with the concept of keeping up with current ASHRAE developments and AEDGs, but also seems to unfairly penalize small retail projects under LEED-NC V2.2. Our project is a true retail establishment, i.e., an addition to an existing automobile dealership. It qualifies under the ASHRAE AEDG for Small Retail Buildings, as it is less than 20,000 SF. The building has been designed and constructed to meet all the pertinent requirements in the AEDG for Small Retail Buildings, and thus to receive 4 energy points. We are therefore requesting that we be allowed to qualify for EA Credit 1 under Option 2, using the AEDG for Small Retail Buildings. This owner has done everything they can do to make this addition a green and sustainable building, but cannot meet the 14% requirement without using this AEDG since an automobile sales showroom does not qualify as a Small Office Building., and we cannot surpass ASHRAE 90.1-2004 by 14% with Options 1 or 3. Thank you for your consideration.