Ontario Construction News staff writer
Canadian LEED v4 project registrations have surpassed the 1,000 mark, says the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and Green Building Certification Canada Inc. Canada (GBCA-CA).
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green rating system has been implemented in more than 160 countries internationally, with more than 2.6 million sq. ft. of space certifying each day, the organizations say in a news release.
“High performance, continuous improvement, and holistic solutions have been hallmarks of LEED since day one,” Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC and GBCI CA, said in a statement. “We listened to the market, and these principles are reflected in the newest version of LEED. In LEED v4.1 we are shifting to performance management and recertification to ensure buildings live up to their potential from an environmental, financial, and health perspective.
“And through LEED Zero, we are focusing on innovation to produce the most advanced buildings in carbon, energy, waste, and water. At this critical time, LEED continues to lead the industry in Canada and the world in voluntarily reducing carbon emissions and waste, conserving energy and water, while improving occupants’ health.”
The statement says Canada has consistently ranked among the top countries in LEED adoption. As of this fall, Canada has achieved over 4,350 LEED certifications overall and is a world leader in the adoption of the latest LEED version.
Of Canadian LEED v4 projects, almost half are commercial and institutional new construction, with Ontario leading the way regionally with 27 per cent of projects, followed by British Columbia at 17 per cent and Alberta at 15 per cent.
New homes account for a quarter of LEED v4 projects, with Quebec’s very early adoption of LEED v4 for home construction resulting in a full 74 per cent of home projects coming from that province.
Existing buildings are a growing segment of LEED v4 registrations as streamlined documentation requirements tied to building performance drive uptake across more markets and building classes. In fact, existing buildings account for a quarter of total LEED v4 projects, and large commercial owners are leveraging LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance (O+M) to help them meet their sustainability goals and speed up the recertification process.
The statement says CaGBC is offering a one-hour, on-demand course LEED v4.1 – An overview of LEED’s newest rating system, free until Dec. 31. To register, visit cagbc.org/registration. To learn more about the latest updates to LEED, visit cagbc.org/LEED.