More LEED Changes by the USGBC
The USGBC announced on September 2, 2009 a change in its occupancy requirement for LEED for Existing Buildings: Operation and Maintenance. The occupancy rate required for certification has been lowered from 75% to 50%. The USGBC indicates that this change is in response to current market realities that have disqualified an unprecedented number of properties from pursuing LEED certification.
Bottom line: The requirements for green building certification are constantly changing and building owners and tenants must be aware of how they might be affected by the changes. In this case, it is possible that the lower occupancy requirement will change the building’s performance data. This, in turn, could have an impact on performance specifications in contract and lease documents.
