MINIMUM PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

LAST UPDATED:
January 2011

LEED 2009 Minimum Program Requirements

Apply to LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations, LEED 2009 for Core & Shell development, LEED 2009 for Schools, LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors, and LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, LEED for Retail New Construction, LEED for Retail Commercial Interiors, LEED for Healthcare Do not apply to LEED for Homes, LEED for Neighborhood Development, or any LEED rating system adopted prior to 2009

Version January 2011

The only change made in this version is the indication that the MPRs apply to recently launched rating systems. These rating systems include: LEED for Retail New Construction, LEED for Retail Commercial Interiors, and LEED for Healthcare

INTRODUCTION
This document identifies the MPRs, or minimum characteristics that a project must possess in order to be eligible for LEED Certification. These requirements define the types of buildings that the LEED Green Building Rating Systems were designed to evaluate, and taken together serve three goals: to give clear guidance to customers, to protect the integrity of the LEED program, and to reduce complications that occur during the LEED certification process. The requirements in this document will apply to all those, and only those projects seeking to demonstrate conformance with the rating systems listed above. Definitions, exceptions, and more extensive guidance relating to these MPRs are available in a separate document titled: LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Terms that are italicized and underlined here are defined in the Supplemental Guidance document (they are marked as such only the first time that they appear). At this time U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. has authorized the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) to confer LEED Certification. GBCI has agreed to consider requests for exceptions to MPRs that are not already defined in the LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance document on a case-by-case basis for special circumstances. In addition to complying with the MPRs, a project must also demonstrate compliance with all rating system requirements in order to achieve LEED Certification.

1. MUST CO M OMPLY W WITH EN NVIRON NMENTA LAWS AL S

New Construc ction, Core & Shell, Schools Commer e s, rcial Inter riors, Retai New Co il onstruction, Retail Commerc Interior Healthc cial rs, care
The LEED project building or space, all ot L ther real pro operty within the LEED p project bound dary, and all project work must comp with applicable federal, state, and local k ply buildin ng-related env vironmental la aws and regu ulations in place where the project is loc e cated. This condition must be satisfie from the date of LE c ed EED project r registration o the or commencement of schematic d design, whichever comes f first, up and until the date that e es e cy official indicat tion that it is f and fit the building receive a certificate of occupanc or similar o ready for use.

Exist ting Buildin ngs: O&M

The LE EED project b building, all o other real prop perty within th LEED proj he ject boundary any y, project work, and all normal b t building operations occurring within the LEED p project buildin and the LE ng EED project b boundary mus comply wit applicable federal, state and st th e, local building-relate environme b ed ental laws an regulations in place wh nd s here the project is located This condition must be satisfied from the comme d. e m encement of t LEED pro the ojects initial LEED-EB: O O&M perform mance period through the expiration d date of the LEED cation. Certific

All Rating Systems

A laps in a projec complianc with a build se cts ce ding-related e environmenta law or regu al ulation that re esults from a unforesee and unavo an en oidable circu umstance sha not neces all ssarily result in non-compliance with th MPR. Such lapses shall be excuse so long as they his ed s mediated as s soon as feasibly possible. are rem

2. MUST BE A COM M E MPLETE PERM E, MANENT BUILDI ING

OR SPACE
All Rating Systems
All LEED projects m must be designed for, con nstructed on, and operate on a permanent ed on y d. ojects shall not consist of mobile struc ctures, locatio on already existing land LEED pro equipm ment, or vehic cles. No build ding or space that is desig e gned to move at any point in its e t lifetime may pursue LEED Certif e e fication.

New Construct tion, Core & Shell, Sc chools, Re etail New Construction, w Healt thcare
LEED projects mu include th new, ground-up desig and cons ust he gn struction, or major ation, of at lea one comm ast mercial, institutional, or hig gh-rise reside ential building in its g renova entiret ty.

Comm mercial Int teriors, Retail Commercial Int teriors,

The LEED project scope must include a c L t complete inte erior space d distinct from other spaces within the same build s e ding with re egards to at least one of the follo owing charac cteristics: own nership, mana agement, leas or party w separation se, wall n.

ting Buildin ngs: O&M Exist

LEED projects mus include at least one ex st xisting commercial, institutional, or high-rise residential building in its entirety.

3. MUST US A RE M SE EASONA ABLE SIT BOUNDARY TE

New Construc ction, Core and Shell, Schoo e ols, Existi ing Buildings: O&M, Retail N New Const truction, Healthcare 1. The LEED project boun ndary must in nclude all con ntiguous land that is assoc ciated
supports norm building operations f the LEED project bui mal for D ilding, with and s including all land that wa or will be disturbed for the purpose of undertakin the as ng ect. LEED proje The LEED project boundary may not include land that is owne by a party other t d ed which owns th LEED proj he ject unless th land is as hat ssociated with and h than that w supports no ormal building operations f the LEED project building. g for LEED proje ects located o a campus must have pr on roject bounda aries such tha if all at the building on campu become LE gs us EED certified then 100% of the gross land d, s area on th campus would be in he ncluded within a LEED boundary. If this requiremen is in conflict with MPR #7, Must Comply with Minim nt t mum Building Area g to Site Area Ratio, then MPR #7 will t a take preceden nce. Any given p parcel of real property may only be attr y ributed to a si ingle LEED p project building. dering of a LE EED project boundary is pr rohibited: the boundary ma not ay Gerrymand unreasonab exclude s bly sections of land to creat boundaries in unreaso te s onable shapes for the sole purp pose of compl lying with prerequisites or credits.

2.

3.

4. 5.

Comm mercial Int teriors, Ret Comm tail mercial Inter riors
If any land was or w be disturb for the pu will bed urpose of undertaking the L LEED project then t, ncluded within the LEED project bounda n ary. that land must be in

4. MUST CO M OMPLY W WITH MINIMUM FLOOR AREA M R REQ QUIREM MENTS

New Construc ction, Core and Shell, Schoo e ols, Existi ing Buildings: O&M, Retail N New Const truction, Healthcare
The LEED project must include a minimum of 1,000 squ e uare feet (93 square mete ers) of f gross floor area.

Comm mercial Int teriors, Retail Commercial Int teriors

The LEED project must include a minimum of 250 squa feet (22 square mete e m are ers) of f gross floor area.

5. MUST COM MPLY WI MINIM ITH MUM OC CCUPANC RATE CY ES

New Construc ction, Core & Shell, Schools Commer e s, rcial Inter riors, Retai New Co il onstruction, Retail Commerc Interior Healthc cial rs, care
Full Ti ime Equivalen Occupancy nt y The LEED project must serve 1 or more Full Time Equivalent (F L t e e FTE) occupa ant(s), calcula ated as an an nnual average in order to u LEED in its entirety. If the project s e use f serves less th han 1 annua alized FTE, o optional cred dits from the Indoor Envi ironmental Q Quality catego may not be earned (the prerequisite must still be earned). ory e es e

Exist ting Buildin ngs: O&M

Full Ti ime Equivalen Occupancy nt y The LEED project must serve 1 or more Full Time Equivalent (F L t e e FTE) occupa ant(s), calcula ated as an an nnual average in order to u LEED in its entirety. If the project s e use f serves less th han 1 annua alized FTE, o optional cred dits from the Indoor Envi ironmental Q Quality catego may not be earned (the prerequisite must still be earned). ory e es e um cy Minimu Occupanc Rate The LEED project must be in a state of ty ypical physic occupancy and all bu cal y, uilding ms cessary to ser the curren occupants, for a rve nt , system must be operating at a capacity nec period that includes all performa s ance periods a well as at least the 12 c as continuous m months diately preced ding the first s submission fo a review. or immed

M OMMIT T SHAR TO RING W WHOLE-B BUILDING 6. MUST CO ENE ERGY AND WAT TER USA AGE DA ATA
All Rating Systems
All cer rtified projects must commit to sharing w USGBC a s with and/or GBCI all available a actual whole-project energ and water usage data f a period o at least 5 y gy for of years. This p period starts on the date that the LEE project be ED egins typical p physical occu upancy if cert tifying uction, Core & Shell, Schools, or Comm mercial Interiors, or the dat that te under New Constru uilding is awa arded certifica ation if certify ying under Ex xisting Buildings: Operatio & ons the bu Mainte enance. Shar ring this data includes supplying inform a mation on a regular basis in a s free, accessible, an secure onli tool or, if n a nd ine necessary, ta aking any action to authoriz the ze collect tion of inform mation directly from service or utility pro y e oviders. This commitment must carry forward if the building or sp f pace changes ownership o lessee. s or

7. MUST CO M OMPLY W WITH A MINIMU BUIL UM LDING ARE TO S EA SITE ARE RATIO EA
All Rating Systems
The gr ross floor are of the LEE project building must be no less tha 2% of the gross ea ED an land area within the LEED projec boundary. e ct