Photo courtesy IMAGE ECOterre

In June, LEED Canada-EBOM was introduced at CaGBC's National Green Building Summit in Montreal. The system was launched earlier this week.

Existing buildings can now earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED Canada) certification with a Canadian focus. This week, Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) launched its new rating system—LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED Canada-EBOM)—to specifically address Canadian environmental issues. Until now, existing buildings could only earn LEED certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) program.

LEED-EBOM provides ongoing certification for the performance, operations, and maintenance of existing buildings. The rating system considers the whole building, looking at both common areas and those with tenants. For example, it covers:
• building exteriors;
• site maintenance programs;
• optimized use of water and energy;
• purchasing of sustainable products and food;
• waste management and recycling programs; and
• continued indoor environmental air quality.

To maintain LEED certification, buildings must be re-certified every five years at minimum.

Although based on its U.S. counterpart, LEED Canada-EBOM has a number of differences. Therefore, buildings already certified under the USGBC system must still undergo full certification to join Canada's version.

LEED-EBOM can also apply to new renovations, provided they affect no more than 50 per cent of a building's floor area and do not require relocation of more than half the building occupants. Renovations that exceed these limits in both areas will fall under LEED Canada for New Construction and Major Renovations (LEED-NC).