When it comes to buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program, newer generally means greener.

In fact, a federal building in Youngstown, Ohio, that had received LEED certification and is adorned with the LEED plaque would no longer qualify under the program's latest standards, according to this recent article in The New York Times.

LEED certification requirements have become more rigorous for commercial buildings since the inception of the program, particularly for energy- and water-use requirements. "The [LEED] plaque should be installed with removable screws. Once the plaque is glued on, there's no incentive to do better," Henry Gifford, an energy consultant in New York City, told The Times.

Another big shift in LEED has to do with differences in how much energy and water some certified buildings actually use compared with what they were designed to use. The USGBC is taking steps to address that issue.

Under the latest version of LEED, building owners are now required to report actual energy and water use information to the USGBC. The USGBC recently announced it will begin collecting this data for all certified buildings, regardless of when they were built. However, since participation in that effort is only voluntary, just how much data is reported, and whether it will actually lead to efficiency improvements in older LEED-certified buildings, has yet to be determined.—Kristi Wiedemann | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

Essential information: Read "Taking the 'LEED' on Green Home Building" for details on the LEED for Homes program.