LEED v5 Energy Credits Explained - March 12, 2026 with Marcus Sheffer & Tyler Thumma

[Editor’s note: The webinar description is posted here first. Scroll down for notes and a link to slides.]

LEED v5 is here. What’s different about the energy credits? How much more stringent is ASHRAE 90.1-2019? How will all this affect your LEED certification goals?

Marcus Sheffer is a LEED Fellow with 30+ years of experience in energy modeling for high-performance buildings, known for making complex energy decisions understandable for design teams. Tyler Thumma is 7group’s lead energy modeler, handling the firm’s most complex HVAC and technical modeling challenges.

Marcus and Tyler are digging into LEED v4 vs. LEED v5 vs. LBC Core comparisons now and will share what they’re learning and take your questions.

We’ll cover:

  • Key differences between v4 and v5 energy requirements
  • How ASHRAE 90.1 stringency has increased and what that means for your projects
  • What changed in the energy credits and prerequisites
  • Answers to your specific questions (bring them!)

Whether you’re an architects, engineer, LEED consultant, or project manager, if you need to scope, price, or deliver LEED v5 certification, this webinar is a must-attend.

Format: 15-20 minute presentation of key changes and FAQs, followed by live Q&A. Time allowing, we will shift to broader Q&A opportunities. What other LEED v5 or LBC questions do you have? Hang out with our expert community, compare notes, and get answers.

When: Mar 12, 2026 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Where: Register on zoom

Thank you Marcus and Tyler for a great webinar!

Key takeaways:

  • v4/v4.1 Optimize Energy Performance (18 points) separated into EAc1: Electrification (5 points), EAc2: Reduce Peak Thermal Loads (5 points), and EAc3: Enhanced Energy Efficiency (10 points)

  • Focus on decarbonization

  • Electrification (through efficient sources) incentivized through EAc1 points and EAc3 future source energy metric

  • v5 Enhanced Energy Efficiency thresholds incrementally more stringent than v4/v4.1

  • Stringency varies by building type, climate zone, and fuel sources

  • Combine building energy efficiency, electrification, load reduction, and on-site renewables for maximum energy points

For more info:

View/download slides: LEED v5 Energy Credits slides

Webinar recording: LEED v5 Energy Credits Explained with Marcus Sheffer and Tyler Thumma

LEED v5 Energy Credits slides - energy only.pdf (2.2 MB)