LEED certification for existing buildings and spaces

LEED works for all project types from office spaces and restaurants to data centers and schools.

Whitman Walker Health | LEED Silver | Photo: ©Eric Laignel Photography

LEED for Operations and Maintenance

LEED for Operations and Maintenance (O+M) offers existing buildings an opportunity to pay close attention to building operations, by supporting whole buildings and interior spaces that have been fully operational and occupied for at least one year. The project may be undergoing improvement work or little to no construction.

LEED O+M has options to fit every project.

Existing Buildings. Existing whole buildings.

LEED O+M applies to most project types such as schools, retail, data centers, and hospitality.

Buildings that earn LEED O+M certification meet the rating system’s comprehensive leadership standard across various metrics, including energy and water efficiency and management, indoor environmental quality, and other factors that promote health and well-being for both people and ecosystems.

By emphasizing both performance-oriented sustainable strategies and outcomes, LEED helps create high-performing buildings. Keep in mind that it can take up to 80 years to offset the impacts of demolishing an existing building and constructing a new one, even if the new structure is highly energy efficient. Many older buildings around the world are currently inefficient and depleting resources. By focusing on building operations through the LEED O+M rating system, investing in existing buildings can yield significant benefits returns.

How certification works

For projects in progress

There are a number of tools and resources available to support you when working on your LEED project including:

For new projects

Choose the rating system. For new construction of whole buildings, start by exploring the O+M offerings to find the option that best fits your project. View the LEED v5, LEED v4.1 or LEED v4 rating systems. For residential projects (both single-family and multifamily), review the options specific to that sector. There are also certification pathways for multiple buildings and options for federal building projects.
Check the requirements and options. Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) are the basic requirements that let you know if your project can pursue LEED. LEED credits allow project teams to customize how they pursue LEED. By fulfilling credits, project teams earn points that, once added together, determine a project’s certification level. Access the LEED credit library.
Deadlines. At any given time, a LEED rating system is either open for registration and certification, closed for registration but open for certification or has sunset (closed for both registration and certification). View the deadlines to make sure you know the status of your desired rating system/version.
Fees. View the fees table to find the LEED registration and certification costs.
Build your team. Goals and roles are key elements to consider when starting any project and it's no different in LEED. LEED projects benefit from early collaboration that identifies ways to maximize the project’s value, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and follow-through. Find LEED professionals in USGBC’s people directory.
Register your project in or and follow the steps in the Guide to Certification for your project type.

Post-certification

Once your project has earned LEED certification, there are some steps you can take to promote and maintain your certification.

Spread the word and start by updating your project profile in the usgbc.org LEED project directory.
As a LEED-certified project, you have access to Arc, a platform that allows you to meet LEED energy and water data tracking requirements and manage performance across five areas: energy, water, waste, transportation and human experience. .
Protect your investment with LEED recertification. This new guidance presents a simple and data-driven pathway, reassuring projects that they are meeting ever-changing goals and staying on the cutting edge. .

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