The U.S. Green Building Councilwill begin the LEED v4 beta testing period in November. In addition, the fifth public-comment period for proposed changes to LEED standards has been launched. Comments on the proposed LEED v4 standards can be made on the USGBC website until December 10. The new green standard is scheduled to launch in 2013.
LEED v4 will provide nearly 20% of all points for energy-efficiency exceeding the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 standards, a move that would do more to help curb carbon emissions than any LEED rating system in its 12-year history, the USGBC says. The LEED v4 draft includes a provision that will give a building that uses fewer, better materials up to nine LEED points in an effort to give incentives to product manufacturers to voluntarily report about their product makeup and to reduce negative impacts from raw material extraction through the manufacturing process.
The next version of LEED also includes more options for projects outside of the US, and has been expanded to more market sectors including data centers, warehouses, and distribution centers.
This June, the USGBC postponed the release of LEED v4 after criticism from designers and other building professionals that the new standards needed refinement, and fears that tools to implement LEED v4 would not be available in time for the release.
(http://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/10/04/usgbc-opens-proposed-leed-update-to-public-comment/)
