USGBC Announces New Round of LEED Registration Closing and Sunset Dates

Much like the industry that it's a part of, LEED is constantly improving and evolving to keep up with the technology and innovations in the field.  As new rating systems come into play, older versions are phased out in order to excel in innovation. It is essential for rating systems to eventually reach a sunset date, or close for registration and certification, in order to challenge projects to meet increasingly higher levels of achievement as LEED programs are updated by the U.S. Green Building Council.

At any given point, LEED rating systems are either:

• Open for registration and certification, or
• Closed for registration, but open for certification, or
• Closed for registration and certification (Sunset)

It is very important to make sure you are aware of how long you have to register or certify your project for LEED under the specific version of the rating system you wish to use. You can verify eligibility dates by visiting Guide to LEED Certification for LEED v4 certification and the LEED Certification Policy Manual for all other versions.

Recently, USGBC announced updated sunset and registration close dates for v2 and 2009 rating systems that are still in use:

• The sunset date for projects registered under LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance v2.0 has been extended so projects now have until August 31, 2014 to either upgrade to a newer rating system version or to submit the project for certification.
• The registration close date for all LEED 2009 rating systems has been extended to June 27, 2015.

USGBC commented that these dates are not necessarily set in stone, however if they do change it is typically in favor of project teams.

If your project is currently registered under LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0, the current options to achieve certification are:

1. Submit for certification under your current rating system and version, OR
2. Upgrade at to a newer version of the LEED rating system. EBv2.0 projects may be upgraded to either:
• LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance v2009 - 50% discount on current registration fees. To upgrade your project to EBOM v2009, follow these instructions.
• LEED for Building Operations and Maintenance v4 for a fee of $100. To upgrade to O&M v4, please contact gbci.org.

Please note: If your project is still seeking certification, one of these options must be completed by August 31, 2014

Other important things to keep in mind:

• After August 31, 2014, EB v2.0 projects can no longer be upgraded and must instead be registered anew, subject to all applicable fees.
• The sunset of LEED for Existing Buildings v2.0 only applies to projects registered under LEED-EB v2.0.
• EB v2.0 projects may only be accessed through LEED Online v2. Projects registered under all other versions of the LEED rating system (including LEED-EBOM v2008 and LEED EBOM v2009) are not affected. 

Want to learn more about certifying a LEED green building project? Become an Accredited LEED Professional. Green Education Services offers a full line-up of LEED Exam Prep courses to ensure you pass the challenging LEED exams.  

Already Accredited? Be sure to maintain your LEED Certification by completing 15 or 30 hours of continuing education courses per 2-year reporting period. Visit LEED Continuing Education for more information on our CMP live webinars and on-demand training.

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