LEED AP O+M cheat sheet

LEED O+M applies to existing buildings that are fully operational and occupied; certification is available for whole buildings and for spaces in buildings where the project team controls at least 75% of the gross floor area.

The rating system is organized into nine credit categories: Integrative Process, Location and Transportation, Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality, Innovation, and Regional Priority.

Certification thresholds are based on points earned out of 110: Certified 40-49, Silver 50-59, Gold 60-79, Platinum 80 or more.

Integrative Process credit requires early analysis of energy and water systems interactions before design or operations decisions are locked in; documentation is a narrative of the analysis performed, not a modeled result.

Location and Transportation credits reward alternative transportation access measured through transit proximity, bicycle facilities, and parking footprint reduction relative to baseline occupancy.

Regional Priority credits are specific to the project's zip code and are selected from a list of six priority credits designated by the regional USGBC chapter; each earned RP credit is worth one bonus point.

Innovation credits are earned through exemplary performance above credit thresholds or through pilot credits from the USGBC pilot credit library.

Prerequisites must be met for every category used; failing any prerequisite prevents certification regardless of total points earned.

Arc is the USGBC digital platform used to upload and score performance data for LEED O+M; projects enter data, receive a score, and submit for certification review through Arc.

The performance period for initial certification is a consecutive 12-month period of measured data; the period must end no more than 12 months before the certification submittal date.

Energy, water, waste, transportation, and human experience data are entered into Arc; Arc scores are converted to LEED points using the Arc-to-LEED mapping table for each credit.

Recertification occurs every three years; the recertification performance period is the most recent 12 consecutive months of data available at submittal.

Prerequisites in Energy and Atmosphere (minimum energy performance and building-level energy metering) and Water Efficiency (indoor and outdoor water use reduction) must be met in every certification cycle.

Documentation for prerequisites includes utility bills or meter data covering the full performance period; estimated or modeled data is not accepted in place of measured consumption.

Arc requires a minimum of 12 months of data for energy and water; waste and transportation data can be entered monthly and aggregated over the performance period.

Project teams must maintain records supporting submitted data for at least the certification term and make them available on request during review.

Energy performance is measured as source energy use intensity (EUI) in kBtu per square foot per year; Arc compares the project's measured source EUI to a national median for the same building type and occupancy.

Benchmarking requires whole-building energy data; projects must enter 12 months of utility data into Arc or ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and report total energy consumption by fuel type.

The ASHRAE Level I energy audit is a walk-through assessment that identifies low-cost operational improvements; Level II is a detailed survey with energy analysis of specific measures; Level III is an investment-grade analysis with cost and savings projections.

Commissioning (Cx) for O+M is ongoing commissioning: a commissioning plan, current facilities requirements, and a systems manual must be maintained, and a commissioning authority must review building systems at least annually.

Building-level energy metering is a prerequisite: the project must have a whole-building meter or utility bill data for all energy sources serving the project.

Advanced energy metering credit requires meters that record at intervals of one hour or less, store at least 36 months of data, and are remotely accessible.

ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher is the typical benchmark for exemplary energy performance in eligible building types; buildings not eligible for ENERGY STAR use source EUI comparison instead.

Refrigerant management credit requires a refrigerant inventory and calculation of ozone depletion and global warming potential; CFC-based refrigerants must be phased out.

Indoor water use reduction is calculated by comparing the project's measured or fixture-based water consumption to the LEED baseline, which uses EPAct 1992 fixture flow rates and the building's occupancy.

Outdoor water use reduction compares measured irrigation demand to a baseline calculated from the EPA WaterSense or ANSI/ASABE reference evapotranspiration and landscape area.

The prerequisite for indoor water use requires a 20% reduction from baseline; outdoor water use prerequisite requires a 30% reduction or no permanent irrigation system.

Water metering credit requires permanent water meters that measure total potable water consumption of the building and grounds at intervals of one hour or less, with remote data storage of at least 36 months.

Cooling tower water use credit limits cycles of concentration based on makeup water quality; projects must conduct a one-time potable water analysis measuring calcium, magnesium, silica, chloride, and conductivity.

Water use is entered into Arc as total gallons per performance period; Arc normalizes by occupant and gross floor area to produce a water score.

Alternative water sources include harvested rainwater, greywater, and reclaimed municipal water; use of these sources can earn credit under the water efficiency category.

Leak detection and sub-metering of major water end uses (irrigation, cooling tower, domestic hot water) support the water metering credit and the prerequisite documentation.

Ongoing purchasing credit rewards purchase of products meeting sustainability criteria in categories such as paper, cleaning products, furniture, and electronics; the project must document purchase value and percentage meeting criteria.

The purchasing prerequisite requires a policy that addresses purchases of ongoing consumables and durable goods, and tracking of purchases against that policy.

Waste management is calculated as waste diversion rate: (material recycled or reused) divided by (total waste generated), expressed as a percentage over the performance period.

The waste prerequisite requires a waste stream audit or a documented waste management policy with a minimum diversion target; ongoing consumables waste must be tracked.

Construction and demolition waste is not part of O+M ongoing waste credits; O+M credits focus on ongoing operational waste generated during the performance period.

Total waste generated includes landfill, recycling, composting, and reuse streams; weights must be measured, not estimated, for credit documentation.

Purchasing of electronics and appliances meeting ENERGY STAR or EPEAT criteria contributes to the ongoing purchasing credit.

Materials and resources credits are entered into Arc as purchasing and waste data over the performance period and converted to a score using the Arc scoring model.

The indoor air quality prerequisite requires an IAQ management plan that addresses outdoor air intake, ventilation, and pollutant sources; the plan must be implemented and updated during the performance period.

The environmental tobacco smoke prerequisite prohibits smoking inside the building and within 25 feet of entries, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows; designated smoking areas must be signed.

Green cleaning requires a cleaning policy that addresses use of sustainable cleaning products, equipment, and procedures; the policy must be implemented and verified.

The green cleaning products credit requires that at least 75% of cleaning products by cost meet third-party criteria such as Green Seal or UL ECOLOGO.

Occupant comfort survey is required for the occupant comfort credit; the survey must be conducted at least once during the performance period and results must be documented.

The occupant comfort credit requires corrective action for any comfort issue identified by the survey; the response must be documented and communicated to occupants.

Thermal comfort is assessed against ASHRAE Standard 55; ventilation is assessed against ASHRAE Standard 62.1.

The IAQ performance credit uses measured or modeled indoor air quality parameters including CO2, PM2.5, and TVOC; monitoring results are entered into Arc under the human experience category.

The site management prerequisite requires a site management policy that addresses maintenance of the site, including snow and ice removal, fertilizer and pesticide use, and exterior cleaning.

The site management credit rewards use of integrated pest management, reduction of fertilizer use, and maintenance practices that protect site vegetation and stormwater.

Light pollution reduction is calculated using the BUG (backlight, uplight, glare) rating system; exterior fixtures must meet the uplight and glare ratings for the project's lighting zone.

The light pollution credit requires that the maximum candela value of all exterior luminaires does not exceed the limits in the IES/IDA Model Lighting Ordinance for the project's zone.

Transportation performance is measured through the transportation survey entered into Arc, which captures commuting mode share, distance traveled, and vehicle miles traveled per occupant.

The transportation credit rewards alternative transportation use: the project documents the percentage of occupants using transit, carpooling, bicycling, or walking during the performance period.

The transportation survey must achieve a minimum response rate to be valid; a low response rate can invalidate the credit submission.

Site management and light pollution credits are documented with policies, plans, and fixture schedules rather than with measured performance data.

LEED AP O+M eligibility requires a current LEED Green Associate credential; candidates must also have documented experience on a LEED project within the last three years.

The LEED AP O+M exam is delivered at Prometric test centers or through online proctoring; the exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions administered in two hours.

The passing score for LEED AP O+M is 170 out of 200 scaled points; results are reported as pass or fail with a scaled score.

The exam fee for LEED AP O+M is separate from the Green Associate exam fee; USGBC members and full-time students receive discounted rates.

Candidates must agree to the USGBC credentialing agreement and code of conduct, which prohibits misrepresentation of credentials and requires accurate documentation of project experience.

The GBCI code of conduct requires credential holders to report any violation of the LEED professional conduct policy and to maintain continuing education requirements.

LEED AP O+M credential holders must earn 30 continuing education hours every two years, including a minimum of 6 hours specific to the O+M rating system.

Exam questions are weighted by domain; the Energy and Atmosphere domain carries the largest share of scored items.

The Integrative Process credit in O+M requires discovery activities during the performance period that identify synergies between energy and water systems, and documentation of those activities.

Integrative process documentation is a narrative describing the analysis performed, the participants involved, and the outcomes that informed operations decisions.

The credit does not require a specific modeling tool; it requires evidence that the analysis occurred before decisions were finalized.

Integrative process is a credit, not a prerequisite, in the O+M rating system; it is worth one point.

The integrative process narrative must be submitted through Arc along with supporting documentation such as meeting minutes or analysis reports.

Projects pursuing the integrative process credit should document the timing of the analysis relative to operational changes to demonstrate that the analysis informed decisions.

The credit is available in both initial certification and recertification cycles; the analysis must be performed during the applicable performance period.

Integrative process points count toward the total 110-point scale and are not a prerequisite for any other credit.