The U.S. Green Building Council rolled out its latest guidelines for green buildings in April 2025 as LEED v5. While the overall objective of setting a framework for efficient, green buildings remains the same, the methodology, point allocation, and requirements have some substantial differences. For us at Cx Associates, one of the changes that most affects our work is the expanded role of software in monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx).
What's changing
MBCx uses review of building automation system data, or electrical system monitoring and
metered data, to identify faults, operational inefficiencies, energy-saving opportunities, or failed equipment. Under LEED v4.1, this could be accomplished through manual review of data every quarter. LEED v5 makes software an explicit part of the MBCx credit: rather than relying solely on periodic manual review, projects must use a software platform to analyze building performance data, visualize energy use at an hourly or finer resolution, and help identify faults, inefficiencies, and equipment or control problems. Quarterly summaries and reporting remain part of the process, but the underlying monitoring and analysis are now software-supported.
This is more than swapping a quarterly spreadsheet review for a dashboard. Building and running a fully functional software solution is a fundamentally different undertaking than the manual review it replaces. Done well, software greatly improves the odds of catching system deficiencies early — but it requires thoughtful development that knows what to look for and when to raise an alarm, plus human judgment to sort through what the software flags. At Cx Associates, we're applying decades of manual-review experience and deep building engineering knowledge to build our software solution.
Engineering-led EMIS
Our EMIS service is designed and implemented by building engineers. We've worked with building owners and operators for decades — from construction through retro-commissioning to full system recommissioning — identifying issues during construction, immediately after construction, and after decades of use. That experience means we know what to look for: the specific variables and signatures that actually indicate a problem, and how to establish a proper baseline.
Getting the baseline right matters more than most people realize. Without enough data collected across the full range of a building's operating conditions, the models underpinning fault detection won't fit well, and you end up chasing ghosts or missing real issues entirely. Our software is tailored to each building's needs and the priorities of its owners and operators, so energy efficiency persists over time while operators' day-to-day work gets easier.
For a closer look at how our approach uses granular building data to maintain and improve performance, read our earlier post: A Case for EMIS: Why Granular Building Data Is Worth the Effort.
The takeaway
As LEED v5 raises the bar for monitoring-based commissioning, the question isn't just whether a software platform meets the requirements — it's how well that platform reflects the needs of the building and its operators. Cx Associates doesn't offer checkbox software for LEED v5; we offer a solution built on our building engineering experience and tailored to your building. If you're navigating MBCx requirements, or simply want a smarter, more reliable way to keep your building performing as designed, a custom EMIS system might be the right answer.
