The U.S. Green Building Council announced June 30, 2015, the availability of a new path forward for California project developers seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification.
Starting July 1, nonresidential projects in California subject to the mandatory 2013 California Green Building Standards Code requirements will be able to use an alternative documentation path for LEED. CALGreen is the nation’s first statewide mandatory green building code, covering nearly all residential and nonresidential construction in California. This new path will make beyond-code green building leadership even more accessible as the state continues to set more aggressive targets for energy and water efficiency.
The alternative documentation path outlines a set of documents that projects may provide in lieu of standard LEED documentation in order to demonstrate LEED compliance. The alternative documentation path will be available for use with measures related to indoor water use reduction, refrigerant management, the storage and collection of recyclables, construction waste management and the use of low-emitting paints and adhesives.
