In LEED for New Construction, major renovations can include which of the following?

• A. Minor cosmetic upgrades
• B. Site landscaping only
• C. Internal office relocations without systems changes
• D. Major HVAC or large envelope renovations

Answer: (D)

Big changes that affect how a building uses energy or keeps occupants comfortable are treated as major renovations in LEED NC. Replacing or upgrading major HVAC components, or doing a substantial overhaul of the building envelope (walls, roof, windows), directly changes energy performance and occupant comfort. Because of that, these activities are categorized as major renovations and typically require updated design documentation, potential energy modeling updates, and commissioning as part of LEED compliance. The other options involve changes that don’t meaningfully affect performance: cosmetic upgrades don’t impact energy or envelope, site landscaping isn’t a building systems renovation, and internal office moves without system changes don’t alter energy performance.