Update on LEED Project Performance: Energy, Emissions, Commuting, and Occupant Experience

Author
Chris Pyke
Published on
Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Arc measures and scores the operational performance of spaces and buildings around the world. Arc scores power LEED v4.1 O+M certification, LEED Recertification, and LEED Zero. 

To date, Arc users have activated 3 billion square feet of space across more than 87 countries. These projects reported more than 90 million metric tonnes of CO2e during the trailing 12 months.

Many of these projects have earned LEED certification, and this creates the opportunity to analyze the relationship between LEED certification level and key performance metrics. The table below provides data through the end of March 2020 for 4,508 LEED-certified projects in the Arc database. The number of projects with complete data for each metric and each certification level varies.   

Table 1. Summary of key performance indicators for LEED-certified projects in the Arc database through the end of March 2020.

Overall, the data show significant and sometimes dramatic improvements in performance between LEED Certified and LEED Platinum projects. Highlights include:

- 57% reduction in GHG emissions per occupant

- 50% reduction in commuting-related GHG emissions

- 11% improvement in occupant satisfaction

These metrics reflect the greater stringency of LEED requirements as projects progress from the Certified to Platinum level. At this time, it is not possible to compare these absolute values or trends to non-LEED spaces or buildings. Consequently, LEED Certified is used as a baseline for comparison, even though this already reflects requirements beyond most local codes and standards. 

These metrics also illustrate the type of information Arc can provide for any project or portfolio. Explore ArcSkoru.com to learn more. Reach out to us with questions at contact@arcskoru.com