Need to Know: LEED v4.1 and Water Management

LEED v4.1 is the latest iteration of global LEED green building standards. LEED certifies buildings for the integration of sustainable design, construction, operation, and performance. According to its latest operations & maintenance manual, LEED includes “more than 93,000 registered and certified projects and a total of 19.3 billion sq ft of space used worldwide.”

LEED certification allows commercial real estate executives and building owners to get a leg up on the market and stand out to potential tenants. In fact, 61% of corporate leaders believe that, in the coming years, sustainability is key to market differentiation and financial performance. CRE is a tight market, and tenants are looking for innovative, healthy, technologically sound spaces to lease.

So, what exactly is the LEED v4.1 standard, and what do CRE executives need to know about it now?

What is LEED v4.1?

LEED v4.1 is the latest and greatest edition of the organization’s specifications. According to LEED and the U.S. Green Building Council, v4.1 “represents a series of upgrades that will improve our standards, encourage leadership, and make our platform more user friendly, more accessible — and most importantly — more collaborative than ever before. This is not a full version change, but rather an incremental update to the LEED rating systems. LEED v4.1 will be our most inclusive and transparent platform to date.”

What’s new in LEED v4.1?

For business leaders applying for LEED certification, some of the benefits of sticking to the latest global standards include:

• Economic benefits. Investing in sustainable building has long-term economic benefits due to high efficiency and lower costs. LEED-certified buildings have thus far saved $1.2 billion in energy costs, and building owners report higher occupancy rates at rents up to 11% higher than those of non-certified buildings.

• Health benefits. LEED certification is focused on keeping buildings — and their occupants — healthy inside and out. They ban smoking and reduce toxic exposure. Employers in LEED-certified buildings report higher rates of recruitment, retention, and productivity.

• Environmental benefits. Buildings account for almost 40% of global energy-related CO2 and are critical in tackling climate change. LEED-certified buildings reduce carbon emissions and energy waste, conserve water, prioritize safer materials, and decrease exposure to toxins.

How does LEED v4.1 affect water management?

Water is a major component of LEED standards and of the health — and costs — of every building.

Nearly 20% of LEED’s certification points relate to water, and those standards help lead to an 11% reduction in water consumption, with LEED-certified buildings enjoying $149.5 million in water savings.

So, how does it work?

LEED v4.1’s water performance score rates your building’s total water consumption against the total water consumption of comparable high-performing buildings. To begin reducing and streamlining water use, LEED recommends implementing the following requirements:

• Install permanent water meters and sub-meters where needed

• Measure monthly total potable water use for twelve consecutive months

• Obtain a minimum water performance score of 40

According to LEED v4.1 Guidance, LEED representatives will take the following steps to confirm certification:

• Perform regular meter checks

• Measure water use

• Input data into the LEED system

• Determine water performance score

• Prepare documentation for certification review

Smart water management supports LEED v4.1

LEED looks at a lot of data across water systems, and CRE owners and managers need a way to track progress and make improvements in real time.

Note these LEED requirements and their corresponding point values to prioritize tracking for:

• Rainwater management (possible 3 points)

• Reduced indoor water use (possible 6 points)

• No- and low-cost potable water resource preservation (1 point)

• Optimized cooling tower water use (possible 3 points)

• Innovation in new construction (1 point)

• Exemplary performance (2 points)

An efficient way to rack up points toward LEED certification is an automated software system that monitors, regulates, and notifies you of your water’s health. Each of LEED’s water management requirements can be measured via connected sensors and monitored with a smart platform. Your building managers can track what’s happening in real time and receive notifications, or even predictive warnings, about water quality or water system issues.

Aquanomix’s clients use our innovative cloud-based platform to make massive improvements to their water systems and water management processes. With smart water management, your building can save millions of gallons of water, minimize capital depreciation, improve building health and life safety, and boost system efficiency by up to 35%.

Learn more about Symphony smart water management, see some of our client success stories, and contact us today at aquanomix.com.