Commercial pre-rinse spray valves can use up to 1.3 gallons per minute, down from 2009’s baseline of 1.6.įor the first time, LEED v4 also addresses process equipment (such as cooling towers and evaporative condensers) and appliances such as ice machines and clothes washers. Instead, all must now conform to the 1.6 gallons per flush limit. For example, commercial toilets no longer have a 3.5-gallon-per-flush exemption for blow-out fixtures, the rapid-flushing jet stream toilets used in heavy-duty installations like stadiums. “The improved stringency of ASHRAE’s standard is the biggest increase the system has ever gone through.”Ĭommercial Interiors projects under both LEED 2009 and v4 must use 20% less water than a specified baseline, but that baseline has become tighter in several places. “The energy efficiency threshold for projects will be higher, and that’s probably the biggest change that will impact the design and potential cost of projects,” says Corey Enck, director of LEED rating system development for USGBC. This means the new system’s requirements are roughly 19% more rigorous than the 2007 version of 90.1, which was featured in LEED 2009. LEED v4 references the 2010 version of ASHRAE 90.1 in its Minimum Energy Performance prerequisite. Three areas in particular promise increases in both effort and rewards. However, if your organization is looking to blaze a new trail, consider v4 – you might find its stronger requirements and extra attention to comfort worth the work. Project teams can continue to certify under LEED 2009 until June 2015, so if your tenant space is already on track to earn certification under the previous system, don’t panic. The requirements of the new version promise to be more difficult to attain, but can result in a healthier, more efficient building than certifying to the previous version. Like the rest of the LEED family, Commercial Interiors was beefed up in fall 2013 with the release of LEED v4 – and some of the changes inside could affect how you conduct your next interiors project if you’re considering green certification. Focusing on improvements inside the envelope, LEED for Commercial Interiors has been the LEED system of choice since its inception for tenants who don’t own the buildings they occupy or owners who can’t touch the exterior.