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LEED v3 Minimum Program Requirements

Each rating system is made of 3 elements and requirements that are necessary for a project to earn certification. They are:

  • Minimum Program Requirements, Prerequisites & Credits

In order for a project to be eligible for LEED certification, it must meet certain minimum program requirements. There are 3 reasons for this:

1.    To give clear guidance to customers
2.    To protect the integrity of the LEED program
3.    Reduce challenges that may arise during certification

LEED projects MUST comply with each applicable MPR, as described below.

Minimum Program RequirementMPR Notes
Environmental LawsNC, CS, CI & Schools:
1. Must comply with federal, state and local environmental laws
2. Must be satisfied from schematic design through certificate of occupancy / ready for use
O&M:
must be satisfied from performance period through expiration date of LEED Certification
Complete, Permanent ProjectFor all LEED Rating Systems:
-Must be on a permanent location on land that already exists
NC, CS, Schools:
1. Must include at least one building in its entirety
2. Construction prerequisites and credits cannot be submitted for review until substantial completion of construction
CI:
1. Must include a complete interior space separate from other spaces with respect to: ownership, management, lease, & party walls
2. Construction prerequisites and credits cannot be submitted for review until completion of construction
O&M:
-Must include one existing building in its entirety
Reasonable Site BoundaryFor all LEED Rating Systems:
1. LEED project boundary includes all land that was or will be disturbed for the LEED project that is owned by the LEED project party
2. Manipulation of boundaries (gerrymandering) is not allowed
Minimum Floor Area RequirementsNC, CS, Schools, O&M:
-Minimum gross floor area: 1,000 sq. ft.
CI:
-Minimum gross floor area: 250 sq. ft.
Minimum Occupancy RatesFor all LEED Rating Systems:
-Must have 1 or more Full Time Equivalent Occupants
O&M (additionally):
-Building systems must be operating for a period of at least 12 months prior to submission for a review
Sharing Energy & Water Usage DataFor all LEED Rating Systems:
-Project must grant the USGBC and GBCI access to whole-building energy & water usage data for a period of at least 5 years
Minimum Building Area to Site RatioFor all LEED Rating Systems:
-The LEED project's total gross cloor area must be at least 2% of the gross land area within the LEED project boundary

Remember, if a project fails to meet even one of the MPRs listed above, it cannot be eligible for LEED certification.


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4 Comments On This Post

  1. What is the difference between MPRs and Pre-Requisites?

    Reply
    • MPR’s are the minimum program requirements for all the rating systems listed at the top of the notes section above. They are broader requirements that must be satisfied before even thinking about getting your project certified. The prerequisites vary in each rating system and are related to the various environmental categories (sustainable sites, water efficiency, etc.)

      Hope this helps

      Reply
  2. Does the following MPR for CI “Must include a complete interior space separate from other spaces with respect to: ownership, management, lease, & party walls” mean that renovated spaces within tenant space, e,g, not the entire tenant space, cannot be certified under LEED CIv2009?

    Reply
    • Hi Sophie, that sounds correct to me, but you may want to double check with the USGBC or another LEED professional on that one. The way I see it, because the renovated space is within the tenant space, the renovated space alone cannot qualify for LEED CI v3.

      Reply

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