A popular topic of discussion recently among green building professionals has been the LEED price increase that the USGBC announced earlier this month for the registration and certification of LEED projects. This is the first LEED price increase since 2010. What does this mean for your project? Odds are, you wont be too badly effected – the increase is nominal.
According to the USGBC, the price increase is meant to support:
- Continued development of LEED;
- Development of tools, guidance and education programs;
- Increased engagement with stakeholders including enhanced communication tools and protocols to better support owners of LEED projects.
What you need to know:
- The new pricing schedule will be implemented on December 1st, 2016
- You can lock in current rates for projects registered by Dec 1st and following up with on-time certification payments (by March 1st, 2017)
- Need more time? It seems that some leeway may be given at the discretion of the USGBC. Doesn’t hurt to contact them or ask your building team if the registration of your project can be expedited.
Key changes:
- USD300 increase for registration
- New minimum thresholds introduced for fee categories
- All currently registered or certified projects will have access to Arc as of December 1st.
- All new projects will have access to Arc upon registration.
- Optimized pricing considerations for large-scale projects, portfolios and campus and volume program participants.
The increase in registration fees will impact all new projects but for specifics on how this new schedule will impact your budget you can check the old pricing schedule.
The major value added tied in with this price increase is the implementation of Arc. The platform (announced in October 2016) is meant to integrate current and future standards, guidelines, protocols and systems that frame and support LEED projects. Arc is meant to simplify the comparison of performance metrics and allow for real-time monitoring of progress.
Arc will allow you to evaluate your building or project against other comparable certified buildings OR against its own past performance. It allows for the measurement of incremental improvement
The cost of certification is typically a minor contributor to the cost of building – especially for major projects. Don’t be overly concerned about this price increase and definitely don’t let it stop you from considering sustainable design options or certification.
If you have questions, please contact your design/construction team or the USGBC. They’re very quick to respond!
