In LEED v5, the ‘Enhanced Energy Efficiency’ category receives a total score of 10 points, compared to LEED v4 and v4.1, which allocated 18 points. This discrepancy raises questions about the alignment with LEED v5’s stated focus on decarbonization. The goal of reducing operational energy as much as possible is critical, as it accounts for 60-75% of a building’s greenhouse gas emissions over its lifespan.

From a logical standpoint, the most important aspect should be allocated the maximum points compared to other criteria. However, LEED v5 distributes too few green points for energy efficiency. This strategy may inadvertently create a reversed effect: instead of striving for maximum energy savings in building design (which is a significant challenge and time-consuming), designers might concentrate on other simpler green criteria to achieve the desired LEED certification level and fulfill their contractual obligations. With only 10 points available for energy efficiency, it falls far short of the 40 points required for the minimum LEED level.

Undoubtedly, the LEED framework has traditionally capped its scoring system at a maximum of 110 points. However, with the introduction of LEED v5, the authors deliberately retained the structure from previous versions. LEED v5 aims to address critical design challenges that LEED v4 hadn’t previously tackled. Unfortunately, this shift in focus has resulted in a reduction of the maximum points allocated for enhanced energy efficiency.

Now, the question arises: How can we encourage designers to prioritize energy-efficient features while adhering to the fundamental LEED structure? This requires innovative thinking beyond conventional approaches.