LEED v4.1 Building Design and Construction (incl. BD+C: Data Centers)

Overview

This USGBC page introduces the Data Centers adaptation of the LEED v4.1 BD+C rating system. The adaptation applies only to whole buildings designed for high-density computing, and only when data centre use exceeds 60% of the building. At least 60% of gross floor area must be complete at certification (except Core and Shell). These scope thresholds decide whether a project uses BD+C: Data Centers or BD+C: NC.

The energy prerequisites are data-centre specific: design PUE must be calculated and energy savings demonstrated that include the power and cooling infrastructure, with IT load modelled identically in baseline and proposed cases. From the public credit library, for v4 at least 2% of the 5% minimum savings must come from power and cooling infrastructure. Colocation data centres may use Core & Shell thresholds in some v4.1 credits.

Consultancy summaries say projects registered after 1 March 2024 face a 10% (NC) / 8% (CS) minimum improvement under v4; the record flags this as "verify" and it should be confirmed against the official text. The page is not a scoring summary; credit points and weightings are absent from this record. Related standards are ASHRAE 90.1 and ASHRAE 90.4. These thresholds shift with registration date, so the correct version must be checked.

Key points

1. BD+C: Data Centers applies to whole-building data centres with more than 60% of floor area in data centre use.
2. At least 60% of gross floor area must be complete at certification (except Core and Shell).
3. v4 Data Centers EA prerequisite: calculate PUE; at least 2% of the 5% minimum savings from power and cooling infrastructure.
4. Reported change: projects registered after 1 Mar 2024 face 10% (NC) / 8% (CS) minimum improvement (verify).
5. Colocation data centres may use Core & Shell thresholds in some v4.1 credits.

Using it in design

• Build a "LEED Data Centers" checklist in the sustainability module that requires an annualised design PUE from the app's energy model.
• Report percentage savings against an ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G baseline with identical IT load.
• Flag projects where data centre use is below 60% and steer them to BD+C: NC.

Who should read it

Data centre owners targeting LEED certification and sustainability consultants.

Related standards

• LEED v4.1 BD+C: Data Centers
• ASHRAE 90.1
• ASHRAE 90.4

Publication details

Authors

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

Publisher

U.S. Green Building Council

Year

2019

Document number

LEED v4.1 BD+C

Document language

English

Source type

Industry body

Access

Free to read

Licence

Copyright retained; citation only — the publisher’s terms apply to the original document

Citation