(USGBC: Washington) -- As part of LEED v3, the latest version of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) program for green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance; buildings seeking LEED certification will begin submitting operational performance data on a recurring basis as a precondition to certification.

“Today there is all too often a disconnect, or performance gap, between the energy modeling done during the design phase and what actually happens during daily operation after the building is constructed,” says Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED at USGBC. “We’re convinced that ongoing monitoring and reporting of data is the single best way to drive higher building performance because it will bring to light external issues such as occupant behavior or unanticipated building usage patterns, all key factors that influence performance.”

USGBC will be able to use the performance information collected to inform future versions of LEED.

“Building performance will guide LEED’s evolution. This data will show us what strategies work—and which don’t—so we can evolve the credits and prerequisites informed by lessons learned,” says Brendan Owens, USGBC’s vice president of LEED technical development.

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