What you need to know about the 2025 LEED rating system

For the first time in over a decade, the rating system for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification has a new update. The LEED v5 certification provides sustainable building standards for architects and building owners to follow, measure, and evaluate eco-friendly elements during the design and construction process. This includes electrical design elements such as solar panels, EV charging stations, VFD controllers, HVAC systems, and lighting motion sensors that use energy and cost-saving technology for residential and commercial spaces.

The U.S. Green Building Council has opened registration for the LEED v5 rating system in the following categories: Building Design and Construction (BD+C), Interior Design and Construction (ID+C), and Operations and Maintenance (O+M). According to usgbc.org, three buildings in Miami, Florida; Paraná, Brazil; and Omaha, Nebraska have already been certified under LEED v5 O+M.

The previous certification standard for building projects — LEED v4.1 or LEED v4 — will still be open to registration until Q1 of 2026, with certifications allowed until 2032. So, what’s changed? What’s stayed the same? Read on to find out.

What’s changed?

Updated scoring structure

The 2025 LEED v5 rating system awards up to 110 points across these key impact areas:

1. Decarbonization (55 points): Zero emissions, all-electric design, renewable energy, and reduced embodied carbon for Platinum certification
2. Quality of Life (27.5 points): Health, equity, and focus on occupant well-being
3. Ecological Conservation (27.5 points): Ecosystem protection and restoration

(Source: Soletair Power)

New prerequisite assessments

• Climate Resilience Assessment analyzes hazard risks, service life, emissions, and exposure levels.
• Human Impact Assessment utilizes demographic, infrastructure, and health data to plan design.
• Carbon Assessment focuses on analyzing baseline carbon footprints with an emphasis on life-cycle assessments or LCAs.

(Source: Entegrity)

Previous scoring structure

The LEED v4.1 rating system awards up to 110 points across these key credit categories:

1. IP – Integrative Process rewards a collaborative approach to building projects and encourages architects, builders, and energy modelers to identify opportunities and synergies in the pre-construction phase of the design process. (1 point)
2. LT – Location & Transportation promotes starting building projects on previously developed or vacant properties. This protects sensitive land and farmland, and rewards residences built in concentrated, walkable communities with access to public transportation, bike networks, and amenities — lowering reliance on cars and the associated carbon emissions. (16 points)
3. SS – Sustainable Sites strives to lessen the impact on the environment through minimizing vegetation disturbance and stormwater management. Sustainable pavement and roofing materials can be utilized to decrease heat islands, and downward-facing outdoor lighting can help manage light pollution. (10 points)
4. WE – Water Efficiency is aimed at powering water consumption both inside and outside of the facility by installing specialized toilets, faucets, and showers, energy-saving appliances, and designing water-saving, climate-appropriate landscaping. This removes the reliance on a permanent irrigation system. Collecting rainwater and water recycling systems can also qualify for significant points. (11 points)
5. EA – Energy & Atmosphere, the category with the most points in the LEED^®system,  analyzes energy consumption in built-in energy systems, HVAC and water heating systems, insulation, and more. (33 points)
6. MR – Materials & Resources encourages sustainable material selection and waste reduction, which includes promoting a life-cycle approach of construction materials, from extraction to disposal. (13 points)
7. IEQ – Indoor Environmental Quality focuses on indoor air quality to cultivate healthy, comfortable, and safe indoor environments. (16 points)
8. IN – Innovation rewards project teams for putting innovative sustainable building strategies into motion. (6 points)
9. RP – Regional Priority offers extra points for acknowledging environmental priorities based on a project’s location. (4 points)

(Sources: NRMCA.org – National Ready Mixed Concrete Association and ecohome.net)

(Source: Soletair Power)

What’s stayed the same?

(Source: Clenergize)

Get certified

Visit usgbc.org/credentials to prepare for the LEED exam and register your building project to navigate the latest industry standards and requirements.