Whether a LEED Green Associate or LEED AP, maintaining your accreditation requires continuing education through the Credential Maintenance Program. Wondering what counts and what doesn't? We'll cover the four options - education, volunteerism, authorship and project experience - and all the related details to make sure you stay fully up to date.

1. A Simple Guide to
LEED
Continuing Education

3. Too maintain LEED accreditation, you need to stay
up-to-date on green building best practices through
the Credential Maintenance Program (CMP).
Photo: Flickr via Victor1558

4. LEED CMP Rules
LEED Green
Associate (GA)
• 15 CE hours every
2 years
• 3 hours must be
LEED-specific
LEED AP
• 30 CE hours every
2 years
• 6 hours must be
LEED-specific

5. Credential Maintenance Program
• There are five categories:
1. Sustainable Sites
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy & Atmosphere
4. Materials & Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality

6. Credential Maintenance Program
• LEED-Specific Continuing Education must
by approved by GBCI or USGBC, and
relate to current rating systems’
“processes, procedures, or concepts,”
including specific credits or pre-requisites,
credit intent, strategies and updates to
LEED.

7. How do you earn CE credits?

8. GBCI specifies 4 opportunities.

9. 1. Education
2. Volunteerism
3. Authorship
4. Project Experience

10. Education
• Attending or leading courses from
registered providers, self-reported courses
and presentations, Greenbuild, & college
and university courses.
• Courses must be reviewed by GBCI &
from a registered provider.

11. Education
• Attending or leading courses from
registered providers, self-reported courses
and presentations, Greenbuild, & college
and university courses.
• Courses must be reviewed by GBCI &
from a registered provider.
1 CE hour per
education hour;
Instructors receive 2
CE hours for course
development

12. Education
• There is no limit on hours earned, but
credits for program instruction are only
counted once no matter how many times
you teach the course.

13. Education
Examples
• GBCI-Approved Course Catalog
• USGBC Principles of LEED Series
• All-in-One CMP Packages
• Green-Buildings.com Webinars
• GreenBiz Events
• Building Green Events

14. Volunteering
• Committee & volunteer work for USGBC,
local USGBC chapters, GBCI, or other
organizations that support the LEED
system.
Photo: Habitat for Humanity

15. Volunteering
• Committee & volunteer work for USGBC,
local USGBC chapters, GBCI, or other
organizations that support the LEED
system.
1 CE hour per
participation hour.

16. Volunteering
• These hours cannot exceed more than
50% of the total required CE hours.
• LEED-specific volunteer hours are
determined on a case by case basis.

17. Volunteering
Examples
• USGBC Volunteer Opps
• Local USGBC Chapter Volunteer Opps
• GBCI Volunteer Opps
• Habitat for Humanity

18. Authorship
• Publishing digital or print articles or books
that are related to LEED or green building.

19. Authorship
• Publishing digital or print articles or books
that are related to LEED or green building.
3 CE hours per article
& 10 CE hours per
published book.

20. Authorship
• No limit for this type of CE.
• LEED-specific authorship hours are
determined on a case by case basis.

21. Authorship
Example
• Write original articles for Poplar Network

22. LEED Project Participation
• Paid or unpaid work on a
project that is registered for
LEED certification.

23. LEED Project Participation
• Paid or unpaid work on a
project that is registered for
LEED certification.
1 CE hour per LEED
credit earned; 2 CE
hours per project for
being project
administrator

24. LEED Project Participation
• No limitation on the number of these CE
hours.
• LEED Project Experience hours don’t
require pre-approval.

25. LEED Project Participation
Examples
• GreenStep LEED Professional Project
Experience Program

26. Don’t forget to report your hours
in order to get credit!

27. Otherwise you won’t
be able to brag about
your LEED skills with
other innovative LEED
professionals like
Claire Moloney, from
Ridgefield, CT.

28. Reporting Your CE Hours
• Self-report to GBCI by signing in online
and logging your activity details in the
“Report CMP Activity” section.
• For authorship, complete the appropriate
GBCI form and upload the text and link of
your submission.