LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction PDF

REFERENCE GUIDE FOR BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION REFERENCE GUIDE FOR BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION v4  i COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2013 by the U.S. Green Building Co...

REFERENCE GUIDE FOR BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION REFERENCE GUIDE FOR BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION v4  i COPYRIGHT Copyright © 2013 by the U.S. Green Building Council. All rights reserved. The U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. (USGBC) devoted significant time and resources to create this LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, 2013 Edition. USGBC authorizes individual use of the Reference Guide. In exchange for this authorization, the user agrees: 1. to retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in the Reference Guide, 2. not to sell or modify the Reference Guide, and 3. not to reproduce, display, or distribute the Reference Guide in any way for any public or commercial purpose, including display on a website or in a networked environment. Unauthorized use of the Reference Guide violates copyright, trademark, and other laws and is prohibited. The text of the federal and state codes, regulations, voluntary standards, etc., reproduced in the Reference Guide is used under license to USGBC or, in some instances, in the public domain. All other text, graphics, layout, and other elements of content in the Reference Guide are owned by USGBC and are protected by copyright under both United States and foreign laws. NOTE: for downloads of the Reference Guide: Redistributing the Reference Guide on the internet or otherwise is STRICTLY prohibited even if offered free of charge. DOWNLOADS OF THE REFERENCE GUIDE MAY NOT BE COPIED OR DISTRIBUTED. THE USER OF THE REFERENCE GUIDE MAY NOT ALTER, REDISTRIBUTE, UPLOAD OR PUBLISH THIS REFERENCE GUIDE IN WHOLE OR IN PART, AND HAS NO RIGHT TO LEND OR SELL THE DOWNLOAD OR COPIES OF THE DOWNLOAD TO OTHER PERSONS. DISCLAIMER None of the parties involved in the funding or creation of the Reference Guide, including the USGBC, its members, its contractors, or the United States government, assume any liability or responsibility to the user or any third parties for the accuracy, completeness, or use of or reliance on any information contained in the Reference Guide, or for any injuries, losses, or damages (including, without limitation, equitable relief ) arising from such use or reliance. Although the information contained in the Reference Guide is believed to be reliable and accurate, all materials set forth within are provided without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of the accuracy or completeness of information contained in the training or the suitability of the information for any particular purpose. As a condition of use, the user covenants not to sue and agrees to waive and release the U.S. Green Building Council, its members, its contractors, and the United States government from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action for any injuries, losses, or damages (including, without limitation, equitable relief ) that the user may now or hereafter have a right to assert against such parties as a result of the use of, or reliance on, the Reference Guide. U.S. Green Building Council 2101 L Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20037 TRADEMARK LEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction 2013 Edition ISBN #978-1-932444-19 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS TheLEED Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, 2013 Edition, has been made possible only through the efforts of many dedicated volunteers, staff members, and others in the USGBC community. The Reference Guide drafting was managed and implemented by USGBC staff and consultants and included review and suggestions by many Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members. We extend our deepest gratitude to all of our LEED committee members who participated in the development of this guide, for their tireless volunteer efforts and constant support of USGBC’s mission: LEED Steering Committee Joel Todd, Chair Joel Ann Todd Bryna Dunn, Vice-Chair Moseley Architects Felipe Faria Green Building Council Brasil Elaine Hsieh KEMA Services Susan Kaplan BuildingWrx Malcolm Lewis Cadmus Group Muscoe Martin M2 Architecture Lisa Matthiessen Integral Group Brenda Morawa Integrated Environmental Solutions Tim Murray Morris Architects Sara O'Mara Choate Construction Company Bruce Poe Modus Architecture Collaborative Alfonso Ponce Deloitte Finance David Sheridan Aqua Cura Lynn Simon Thornton Tomasetti Doug Gatlin (Non-voting) U.S. Green Building Council Scot Horst (Non-voting) U.S. Green Building Council Brendan Owens (Non-voting) U.S. Green Building Council Peter Templeton (Non-voting) U.S. Green Building Council LEED Technical Committee Susan Kaplan, Chair BuildingWrx Maureen McGeary Mahle, Vice-Chair Steven Winter Associates Jennifer Atlee BuildingGreen Steve Baer Five Winds International Ted Bardacke Global Green USA Steve Benz OLIN Neal Billetdeaux SmithGroupJJR David Bracciano Alliance for Water Efficiency Daniel Bruck BRC Acoustics & Audiovisual Design David Carlson Columbia University Jenny Carney YR&G Mark Frankel New Buildings Institute Nathan Gauthier EA Buildings George Brad Guy Catholic University of America Michelle Halle Stern The Green Facilitator Malcolm Lewis Cadmus Group John McFarland Working Buildings LLC Jessica Millman The Agora Group Neil Rosen North Shore LIJ Health System Thomas Scarola Tishman Speyer Chris Schaffner The Green Engineer Marcus Sheffer 7group Sheila Sheridan Sheridan Associates Bob Thompson U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Alfred Vick University of Georgia  iii LEED Market Advisory Committee Lisa Matthiessen, Chair Integral Group Holley Henderson, Vice-Chair H2Ecodesign Liana Berberidou-Kallivoka City of Austin Jeffrey Cole Konstrukt Walter Cuculic Pulte Homes Rand Ekman Cannon Design Richard Kleinman LaSalle Investment Management Craig Kneeland NYSERDA Muscoe Martin M2 Architecture Cindy Quan Goldman Sachs & Co. Matt Raimi Raimi + Associates Jon Ratner Forest City Enterprises Marcus Sheffer 7group Rebecca Stafford University of California, Office of President Gary Thomas CB Richard Ellis Keith Winn Catalyst Partners Implementation Advisory Committee Brenda Morawa, Chair Integrated Environmental Solutions Adam Fransen, Vice-Chair CB Richard Ellis Michelle Malanca Michelle Malanca Sustainability Consulting Brad Pease Paladino and Co. Ken Potts McGough Richard Schneider U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Greg Shank Altura Associates David Sheridan Aqua Cura Natalie Terrill Viridian Energy & Environmental Bill Worthen Urban Fabrick Design Max Zahniser Praxis | Building Solutions Location and Planning TAG Jessica Millman, Chair The Agora Group John Dalzell, Vice-Chair Boston Redevelopment Authority/ City of Boston Eliot Allen Criterion Planners Laurence Aurbach Office of Laurence Aurbach Ted Bardacke Global Green USA Erin Christensen Mithun Andy Clarke League of American Bicyclists Fred Dock City of Pasadena Bruce Donnelly Auricity Victor Dover Dover, Kohl, and Partners Reid Ewing University of Utah Doug Farr Farr & Associates Lois Fisher Fisher Town Design Tim Frank Sierra Club Randy Hansell Earth Advantage Institute Justin Horner Natural Resources Defense Council Ron Kilcoyne Lane Transit District Todd Litman Victoria Transport Policy Institute Dana Little Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council Art Lomenick Parsons Brinckerhoff Steve Mouzon New Urban Guild iv Lynn Richards U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Harrison Rue ICF International Shawn Seamen PN Hoffman Anthony Sease Civitech Laurie Volk Zimmerman/ Volk Associates Patricia White Defenders of Wildlife Sustainable Sites TAG Jenny Carney, Chair YR&G Neal Billetdeaux, Vice-Chair SmithGroupJJR Michele Adams Meliora Environmental Design Joby Carlson University of Arkansas Laura Case Southface Energy Institute Stephen Cook VIKA Richard Heinisch Acuity Brands Lighting Heather Holdridge Lake | Flato Architects Jason King Greenworks, PC Katrina Rosa The EcoLogic Studio Kyle Thomas Natural Systems Engineering Alfred Vick University of Georgia Teresa Watkins St. John's Water Management District Steve Benz OLIN Water Efficiency TAG Neil Rosen, Chair North Shore LIJ Health System Doug Bennett, Vice-Chair Las Vegas Valley Water District / Southern Nevada Water Authority Damann Anderson Hazen & Sawyer Gunnar Baldwin TOTO USA Robert Benazzi Jaros Baum & Bolles Steve Benz OLIN Neal Billetdeaux SmithGroupJJR David Bracciano Alliance for Water Efficiency David Carlson Columbia University Ron Hand E/FECT. Sustainable Design Solutions Bill Hoffman H.W. Hoffman and Associates Winston Huff SSR Engineers Joanna Kind Eastern Research Group Heather Kinkade Forgotten Rain Gary Klein Affiliated International Management John Koeller Koeller and Company Shawn Martin International Code Council Don Mills Clivus Multrum Geoff Nara Civil & Environmental Consultants Karen Poff Austin Energy Shabbir Rawalpindiwala Kohler Robert Rubin NCSU Stephanie Tanner US Environmental Protection Agency David Viola International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials Bill Wall Clivus New England Daniel Yeh University of South Florida Rob Zimmerman Kohler  v Energy and Atmosphere TAG Nathan Gauthier, Chair EA Buildings Jeremy Poling, Vice-Chair Goby John Adams General Services Administration Amanda Bogner The Energy Studio Kevin Bright Harvard University Lane Burt Natural Resources Defense Council Allan Daly Taylor Engineering Charles Dorgan University of Wisconsin-Madison Jay Enck Commissioning & Green Building Solutions Ellen Franconi Rocky Mountain Institute Scott Frank Jaros Baum & Bolles Gail Hampsmire Low Energy Low Cost Tia Heneghan ZIA for Buildings Rusty Hodapp Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board Brad Jones Sebesta Blomberg Dan Katzenberger Engineering, Energy, and the Environment Doug King King Sustainability Chris Ladner Viridian Richard Lord Carrier Corporation Bob Maddox Sterling Planet Rob Moody Organic Think Brenda Morawa BVM Engineering Paul Raymer Heyoka Solutions Erik Ring LPA David Roberts National Renewable Energy Laboratory Michael Rosenberg Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Greg San Martin PG&E Chris Schaffner The Green Engineer Marcus Sheffer 7group Gordon Shymko G.F. Shymko & Associates Jason Steinbock The Weidt Group Jorge Torres Coto MBO Tate Walker Energy Center of Wisconsin Materials and Resources TAG Steve Baer, Chair PE INTERNATIONAL/ Five Winds Strategic Consulting Brad Guy, Vice-Chair Material Reuse Paul Bertram Kingspan Insulated Panels, North America Paul Bierman-Lytle Pangeon/ iMCC Management Consulting Steve Brauneis Rocky Mountain Institute Amy Costello Armstrong World Industries Chris Geiger San Francisco Department of the Environment Barry Giles BuildingWise Avi Golen Construction Waste Management Lee Gros Lee Gros Architect and Artisan Rick Levin Kahler Slater Joep Meijer The Right Environment Xhavin Sinha CH2M HILL Raymond Smith U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Wes Sullens StopWaste.Org of Alameda County Denise Van Valkenburg Eurofins vi Indoor Environmental Quality TAG Daniel Bruck, Chair BRC Acoustics & Audiovisual Design Michelle Halle Stern, Vice-Chair The Green Facilitator Sahar Abbaszadeh The Cadmus Group Terry Brennan Camroden Associates Aida Carbo UL Environment Randal Carter Steelcase Wenhao Chen California Department of Public Health Nancy Clanton Clanton & Associates Dan Dempsey Carrier Larry Dykhuis Herman Miller Dwayne Fuhlhage PROSOCO Stowe Hartridge Beam Scientific Certification Systems Dan Int-Hout Krueger Alexis Kurtz The Sextant Group Matt Latchford Lam Partners David Lubman David Lubman & Associates Richard Master USG Corporation John McFarland WorkingBuildings Bud Offermann Indoor Environmental Engineering Reinhard Oppl Eurofins Product Testing A/S Ozgem Ornektekin New York University Charles Salter Salter Associates Chris Schaffner The Green Engineer Dana Schneider Jones Lang LaSalle Dennis Stanke Trane Commercial Systems Don Stevens Panasonic Home and Environment Company Bob Thompson U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ellen Tohn Tohn Environmental Strategies Prasad Vaidya The Weidt Group Pilot Credit Library Working Group Marc Cohen (Chair) The Cadmus Group Lindsay Baker Mary Davidge Associates Cheryl Baldwin GreenSeal James Bogdan PPG Industries Carlie Bullock-Jones Ecoworks Studio Paul Firth UL Environment Mick Schwedler Trane Steve Taylor Taylor Engineering Richard Young Fisher-Nickel Integrative Process Task Group Lindsay Baker Mary Davidge Associates John Boecker 7group Penny Bonda Ecoimpact Consulting Jenny Carney YR&G Joel Todd Joel Ann Todd Bill Reed Integrative Design Collaborative Heather Rosenberg The Cadmus Group Linda Sorrento National Academy of Environmental Design Keith Winn Catalyst Partners Bill Worthen Urban Fabrik Max Zahniser Praxis | Building Solutions  vii A special thanks to USGBC and GBCI staff for their invaluable efforts in developing this reference guide, especially to the following for their technical expertise: Emily Alvarez, Eric Anderson, Theresa Backhus, Lonny Blumenthal, Amy Boyce, Steve Brauneis, Sarah Buffaloe, Sara Cederberg, Christopher Davis, Robyn Eason, Corey Enck, Sean Fish, Asa Foss, Deon Glaser, Scott Haag, Gail Hampsmire, Jason Hercules, Jackie Hofmaenner, Theresa Hogerheide, Mika Kania, Heather Langford, Christopher Law, Rebecca Lloyd, Emily Loquidis, Chrissy Macken, Chris Marshall, Batya Metalitz, Larissa Oaks, Lauren Riggs, Jarrod Siegel, Micah Silvey, Ken Simpson, Megan Sparks, Rebecca Stahlnecker, and Tim Williamson. A special thanks to Jessica Centella, Selina Holmes, and Dave Marcus for their graphics support and eye for design. A thank you also goes to Scot Horst, Doug Gatlin, and Brendan Owens for their vision and support, and Meghan Bogaerts for her hard work, attention to detail and flair for writing. A very special thanks to Dara Zycherman, staff lead on the development of the LEED v4 Reference Guide suite, for her unwavering commitment to quality and her dedication to the production of the guides. A special thanks to the consultant team which included Arup, CBRE, C.C. Johnson & Malhotra, Criterion Planners, Goby, Paladino & Co., Post Typography, West Main, and YR&G, and the unique artwork created for this publication by RTKL Associates. LEED REFERENCE GUIDE FOR building design AND construction Table of Contents Preface 4 Getting started 8 Minimum program requirements 26 rating system selection guidance 32 integrative process 36 Prerequisite Integrative Project Planning and Design..................................................................... 37 Credit Integrative Process............................................................................................................................43 Location and Transportation 54 LT Overview......................................................................................................................................................... 55 LT Credit LEED for Neighborhood Development Location.........................................................59 LT Credit Sensitive Land Protection........................................................................................................63 LT Credit High-Priority Site........................................................................................................................... 71 LT Credit Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses............................................................................. 77 LT Credit Access to Quality Transit..........................................................................................................89 LT Credit Bicycle Facilities............................................................................................................................99 LT Credit Reduced Parking Footprint...................................................................................................... 111 LT Credit Green Vehicles...............................................................................................................................121 Sustainable Sites 136 SS Overview........................................................................................................................................................137 SS Prerequisite Construction Activity Pollution Prevention.......................................................139 SS Prerequisite Environmental Site Assessment..............................................................................147 SS Credit Site Assessment..........................................................................................................................153 SS Credit Site Development—Protect or Restore Habitat...........................................................163 SS Credit Open Space...................................................................................................................................177 SS Credit Rainwater Management...........................................................................................................183 SS Credit Heat Island Reduction..............................................................................................................197 SS Credit Light Pollution Reduction..................................................................................................... 207 SS Credit Site Master Plan..........................................................................................................................225  SS Credit Tenant Design and Construction Guidelines............................................................... 229 SS Credit Places of Respite........................................................................................................................237 SS Credit Direct Exterior Access............................................................................................................ 243 SS Credit Joint Use of Facilities.............................................................................................................. 249 LEED REFERENCE GUIDE FOR building design AND construction Water efficiency 256 WE Overview....................................................................................................................................................257 WE Prerequisite Outdoor Water Use Reduction............................................................................ 259 WE Prerequisite Indoor Water Use Reduction.................................................................................267 WE Prerequisite Building-Level Water Metering............................................................................ 283 WE Credit Outdoor Water Use Reduction.........................................................................................287 WE Credit Indoor Water Use Reduction.............................................................................................297 WE Credit Cooling Tower Water Use................................................................................................... 305 WE Credit Water Metering...........................................................................................................................311 Energy and Atmosphere 318 EA Overview...................................................................................................................................................... 319 EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification...............................................321 EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance............................................................................. 335 EA Prerequisite Building-Level Energy Metering............................................................................375 EA Prerequisite Fundamental Refrigerant Management..............................................................381 EA Credit Enhanced Commissioning................................................................................................... 387 EA Credit Optimize Energy Performance..........................................................................................405 EA Credit Advanced Energy Metering................................................................................................. 413 EA Credit Demand Response................................................................................................................... 421 EA Credit Renewable Energy Production.......................................................................................... 429 EA Credit Enhanced Refrigerant Management................................................................................ 441 EA Credit Green Power and Carbon Offsets.................................................................................... 453 Materials and Resources 466 MR Overview.................................................................................................................................................... 467 MR Prerequisite Storage and Collection of Recyclables..............................................................473 MR Prerequisite Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning................. 479 MR Prerequisite PBT Source Reduction—Mercury........................................................................ 485 MR Credit Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction.......................................................................... 495 MR Credit Building Product Disclosure and Optimization— Environmental Product Declarations...............................................................................................513 MR Credit Building Product Disclosure and Optimization— Sourcing of Raw Materials...................................................................................................................525 MR Credit Building Product Disclosure and Optimization— Material Ingredients................................................................................................................................. 541 MR Credit PBT Source Reduction—Mercury.................................................................................... 553 MR Credit PBT Source Reduction—Lead, Cadmium, and Copper......................................... 559 MR Credit Furniture and Medical Furnishings..................................................................................567 MR Credit Design for Flexibility...............................................................................................................577 MR Credit Construction and Demolition Waste Management..................................................587 Indoor Environmental Quality 596 EQ Overview.....................................................................................................................................................597 EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance......................................................605 EQ Prerequisite Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control........................................................... 623 EQ Prerequisite Minimum Acoustic Performance.......................................................................... 633 EQ Credit Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies....................................................................... 645 EQ Credit Low-Emitting Materials..........................................................................................................657 EQ Credit Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan................................................677 EQ Credit Indoor Air Quality Assessment......................................................................................... 685 EQ Credit Thermal Comfort...................................................................................................................... 695 EQ Credit Interior Lighting...........................................................................................................................711 EQ Credit Daylight.........................................................................................................................................723 EQ Credit Quality Views............................................................................................................................. 739 EQ Credit Acoustic Performance............................................................................................................757 Innovation 776 IN Overview.......................................................................................................................................................777 IN Credit Innovation.......................................................................................................................................779 IN Credit LEED Accredited Professional.............................................................................................785 Regional Priority 788 RP Overview..................................................................................................................................................... 789 RP Credit Regional Priority.........................................................................................................................791 Appendices 795 Appendix 1. Use Types and Categories............................................................................................... 795 Appendix 2. Default Occupancy Counts............................................................................................ 796 Appendix 3. Retail Process Load Baselines.......................................................................................797  4 PREFACE LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction The Case for Green Building Green buildings are an integral part of the solution to The impetus behind development of the the environmental challenges facing the planet. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Today we use the equivalent of 1.5 Earths to meet the (LEED) rating systems was recognition of those resource needs of everyday life and absorb the resulting problems, coupled with awareness that the design wastes. This measure of our planet’s carrying capacity and construction industry already had the expertise, means that it takes Earth 18 months to regenerate what tools, and technology to transform buildings and is used in only 12 months. If current trends continue, make significant advances toward a sustainable estimates suggest, by the year 2030 we will need the planet. LEED projects throughout the world have equivalent of two planets.1 Turning resources into waste demonstrated the benefits of taking a green design faster than they can be regenerated puts the planet into approach that reduces the environmental harms of ecological overshoot, a clearly unsustainable condition buildings and restores the balance of natural systems. that we all must address. Buildings have a major role to play in The forces driving this situation are numerous. sustainability through their construction, the lifetime Human population has increased exponentially in the of their operation, and patterns of development. past 60 years, from about 2.5 billion in 1950 to more As Earth’s population continues to increase, than 7 billion today. Our linear use of resources, treating construction and renovation of buildings expand outputs as waste, is responsible for the toxins that are even more rapidly. For example, estimates for the U.S. accumulating in the atmosphere, in water, and on the indicate that two-thirds of the structures that will ground. This pattern of extraction, use, and disposal has exist in 2050 will have been built between now and hastened depletion of finite supplies of nonrenewable then.4 What we build today and where we build it are energy, water, and materials and is accelerating the pace profoundly important. of our greatest problem—climate change. Buildings The green building portion of the construction account for a significant portion of greenhouse gas market is rapidly expanding. It represented 2% of emissions; in the U.S., buildings are associated with nonresidential construction starts in 2005, 12% 38% of all emissions of carbon dioxide2; globally, the in 2008, and 28% to 35% in 2010.5 The concept of figure is nearly one-third.3 The problem is anticipated to green buildings provides a vision for resource equity worsen as developing countries attain higher standards between developing and developed nations. As green of living. These forces are bringing us to a tipping point, building practices guide developed nations toward a threshold beyond which Earth cannot rebalance itself a more responsible use of resources, they enable without major disruption to the systems that humans developing nations to attain essential improvements and other species rely on for survival. in quality of life without overtaxing local resources. 1. Global Footprint Network, http://footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/gfn/page/world_footprint/, accessed 9/11/2012 2. Energy Information Administration (2008). Assumptions to the Annual Energy Outlook 3. unep.org/sbci/pdfs/SBCI-BCCSummary.pdf. 4. Ewing, R., K. Bartholomew, S. Winkleman, J. Walters, and D. Chen, Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change (Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute, 2008), p. 8, smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/growingcoolerCH1.pdf. 5. Green Outlook 2011: Green Trends Driving Growth (McGraw-Hill Construction, 2010).  5 About LEED Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is a framework for identifying, implementing, and measuring green building and neighborhood design, construction, operations, and maintenance. LEED is a voluntary, market- driven, consensus-based tool that serves as a guideline and assessment mechanism. LEED rating systems address commercial, institutional, and residential buildings and neighborhood developments. LEED seeks to optimize the use of natural resources, promote regenerative and restorative strategies, maximize PREFACE the positive and minimize the negative environmental and human health consequences of the construction industry, and provide high-quality indoor environments for building occupants. LEED emphasizes integrative design, integration of existing technology, and state-of-the-art strategies to advance expertise in green building and transform professional practice. The technical basis for LEED strikes a balance between requiring today’s best practices and encouraging leadership strategies. LEED sets a challenging yet achievable set of benchmarks that the case for green building define green building for interior spaces, entire structures, and whole neighborhoods. LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations was developed in 1998 for the commercial building industry and has since been updated several times. Over the years, other rating systems have been developed to meet the needs of different market sectors. Since its launch, LEED has evolved to address new markets and building types, advances in practice and technology, and greater understanding of the environmental and human health effects of the built environment. These ongoing improvements, developed by USGBC member-based volunteer committees, subcommittees, and working groups in conjunction with USGBC staff, have been reviewed by the LEED Steering Committee and the USGBC Board of Directors before being submitted to USGBC members for a vote. The process is based on principles of transparency, openness, and inclusiveness. LEED's GOals The LEED rating systems aim to promote a transformation of the construction industry through strategies designed to achieve seven goals: ·· To reverse contribution to global climate change ·· To enhance individual human health and well-being ·· To protect and restore water resources ·· To protect, enhance, and restore biodiversity and ecosystem services ·· To promote sustainable and regenerative material resources cycles ·· To build a greener economy ·· To enhance social equity, environmental justice, community health, and quality of life These goals are the basis for LEED’s prerequisites and credits. In the BD+C rating system, the major prerequisites and credits are categorized as Location and Transportation (LT), Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR), and Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ). The goals also drive the weighting of points toward certification. Each credit in the rating system is allocated points based on the relative importance of its contribution to the goals. The result is a weighted average: credits that most directly address the most important goals are given the greatest weight. Project teams that meet the prerequisites and earn enough credits to achieve certification have demonstrated performance that spans the goals in an integrated way. Certification is awarded at four levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum) to incentivize higher achievement and, in turn, faster progress toward the goals. Benefits of Using LEED LEED is designed to address environmental challenges while responding to the needs of a competitive market. Certification demonstrates leadership, innovation, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility. LEED  6 gives building owners and operators the tools they need to immediately improve both building performance and the bottom line while providing healthful indoor spaces for a building’s occupants. LEED-certified buildings are designed to deliver the following benefits: ·· Lower operating costs and increased asset value ·· Reduced waste sent to landfills ·· Energy and water conservation PREFACE ·· More healthful and productive environments for occupants ·· Reductions in greenhouse gas emissions ·· Qualification for tax rebates, zoning allowances, and other incentives in many cities LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction By participating in LEED, owners, operators, designers, and builders make a meaningful contribution to the green building industry. By documenting and tracking buildings’ resource use, they contribute to a growing body of knowledge that will advance research in this rapidly evolving field. This will allow future projects to build on the successes of today’s designs and bring innovations to the market. LEED Certification Process The process begins when the owner selects the rating system and registers the project (see Rating System Selection). The project is then designed to meet the requirements for all prerequisites and for the credits the team has chosen to pursue. After documentation has been submitted for certification, a project goes through preliminary and final reviews. The preliminary review provides technical advice on credits that require additional work for achievement, and the final review contains the project’s final score and certification level. The decision can be appealed if a team believes additional consideration is warranted. LEED has four levels of certification, depending on the point thresholds achieved: ·· Certified, 40–49 points ·· Silver, 50–59 points ·· Gold, 60–79 points ·· Platinum, 80 points and above  7 the case for green building PREFACE  reference guide overview GUIDE Structure credit Structure GETTING STARTED Each credit category begins with an overview provides a that discusses sustainability and market factors recommended specific to the category. For each prerequisite PrefaCE process for achieving and credit, readers will then find the following certification and sections: Getting Started addresses issues that cut across the entire Intent & Requirements MINIMUM PROGRAM outlines the rating system requirements for rating system. REQUIRMENTS started getting achieving the prerequisite or credit. They were CATEGORY approved through the rating system development OVERVIEWS RATING SYSTEM process and can also be found on the USGBC SELECTION website. emphasize sustainability topics, category overview Behind the Intent LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction market factors, and credit relationships connects credit achievement with larger credits sustainability issues and provides information that are specific to a single credit category on how the credit requirements meet the intent and information stated in the rating system. that is applicable to multiple credits within Step-By-Step Guidance that category. suggests the implementation and documentation category overview steps that can be used by most projects, as well as generally applicable tips and examples. CREDITS credits contain content Further Explanation that is specific to provides guidance for lengthy calculations or the achievement of for special project situations, such as tips for that credit. nonstandard project types or different credit approaches. It includes a Campus section and, sometimes, an International Tips section. Required Documentation lists the items that must be submitted for certification review. Related Credit Tips identifies other credits that may affect a project team’s decisions and strategies for the credit in question; the relationships between credits may imply synergies or trade-offs. Changes from leed 2009 Icons that may appear within each credit is a quick reference of changes from the previous refer the user to following sections: version of LEED. Referenced Standards Getting Started (beginning of book) lists the technical standards related to the credit and offers weblinks to find them. Further Explanation (within same credit) Exemplary Performance identifies the threshold that must be met to earn an exemplary performance point, if available. DEFINITIONS gives the meaning of terms used in the credit.  started getting Getting Started How to use this reference guide This reference guide is designed to elaborate upon and Within each section, information is organized to flow work in conjunction with the rating system. Written from general guidance to more specific tips and finally by expert users of LEED, it serves as a roadmap, to supporting references and other information. describing the steps for meeting and documenting credit Sections have been designed with a parallel structure requirements and offering advice on best practices. to support way finding and minimize repetition. credit categories INTEGRATIVE location and sustainable water energy and PROCESS transportation sites efficiency atmosphere (Lt) (ss) (WE) (EA) materials and indoor innovation REGIONAL resources environmental (IN) PRIORITY (MR) quality (EQ) (RP)  10 more about the further explanation section Further Explanation contains varied subsections depending on the credit; two of the common subsections are elaborated upon here. campus projects Campus refers to the Campus Program for Projects on a Shared Site, which certifies multiple buildings located on one site and under the control of a single entity. Examples include buildings on a corporate or educational campus and structures in a commercial development. Only project teams using the Campus Program need to follow the guidance in the Campus section; the guidance is not applicable to projects that are in a campus setting or are part of a multitenant complex but not pursuing certification using the Campus Program. started getting There are two approaches to certifying multiple buildings under the Campus Program: ·· Group Approach allows buildings that are substantially similar and are in a single location to certify as one project that shares a single certification. ·· Campus Approach allows buildings that share a single location and site attributes to achieve separate LEED certification for each project, building space, or group on the master site. LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction For each approach, the reference guide gives any credit-specific information and notes two possible scenarios: ·· Group Approach °° “All buildings in the group may be documented as one.” The buildings may meet the credit requirements as a single group by, for example, pooling resources or purchasing, and then submitting a single set of documentation. °° “Submit separate documentation for each building.” Each building in the group project must meet the credit requirements individually for the project to earn the credit. ·· Campus Approach °° “Eligible.” This credit may be documented once at the level of the master site, and then individual projects within the master site boundary earn the credit without submitting additional documentation. °° “Ineligible. Each LEED project may pursue the credit individually.” Each project within the campus boundary may earn the credit but each project must document compliance separately. projects outside the us The International Tips section offers advice on determining equivalency to U.S. standards or using non-U.S. standards referenced in the rating system. It is meant to complement, not replace, the other sections of the credit. Helpful advice for projects outside the U.S. may also appear in the Step-by-Step Guidance section of each credit. When no tips are needed or available, the International Tips heading does not appear. Units of measurement are given in both Inch-Pound (IP) and International System of Units (SI). IP refers to the system of measurements based on the inch, pound, and gallon, historically derived from the English system and commonly used in the U.S. SI is the modern metric system used in most other parts of the world and defined by the General Conference on Weights and Measures. Where “local equivalent” is specified, it means an alternative to a LEED referenced standard that is specific to a project’s locality. This standard must be widely used and accepted by industry experts and when applied, must meet the credit’s intent leading to similar or better outcomes. Where “USGBC-approved local equivalent” is specified, it means a local standard deemed equivalent to the listed standard by the U.S. Green Building Council through its process for establishing non-U.S. equivalencies in LEED.  11 Taking an Integrative Approach to Design and Construction The realization of benefits associated with LEED starts with a transformation of the design process itself. Success in LEED and green building design is best accomplished through an integrative design process that prioritizes cost- effectiveness over both the short and long terms and engages all project team members in discovering beneficial interrelationships and synergies between systems and components. By integrating technical and living systems, the team can achieve high levels of building performance, human performance, and environmental benefits. Conventionally, the design and construction disciplines work separately, and their solutions to design and construction challenges are fragmented. These “solutions” often create unintended consequences—some positive, but mostly negative. The corollary is that when areas of practice are integrated, it becomes possible to significantly improve building performance and achieve synergies that yield economic, environmental, and human health benefits.1 started getting In the conventional design process, each discipline’s practitioner is expected to design the subassemblies and system components under his or her control for the most benefit and the least cost. In an integrative process, an entire team—client, designers, builders, and operators—identifies overlapping relationships, services, and redundancies among systems so that interdependencies and benefits (which otherwise would have gone unnoticed) how to use this reference guide can be exploited, thereby increasing performance and reducing costs. To work this way requires that project teams, whose members represent various disciplines, come together so that the knowledge, analyses, and ideas from each discipline can inform and link with the systems and components of all other disciplines. In this way, LEED credits become aspects of a whole rather than separate components, and the entire design and construction team can identify the interrelationships and linked benefits across multiple LEED credits. The coordination of building and site systems should be addressed early, preferably before schematic design. The Integrative Process credit formally introduces this way of working into LEED so that the team members’ expertise in building and site systems can inform the performance, efficiency, and effectiveness of every system. The strategies in the Integrative Process credit are recommended for all LEED projects because they encourage integration during early design stages, when it will be the most effective. The credit introduces an integrative process by focusing on engaging energy- and water-related research and analysis to inform early design decisions through high levels of collaboration among all project team members. Approaching certification using an integrative process gives the project team the greatest chance of success. The process includes three phases: ·· Discovery. The most important phase of the integrative process, discovery can be thought of as an extensive expansion of what is conventionally called predesign. A project is unlikely to meets its environmental goals cost-effectively without this discrete phase. Discovery work should take place before schematic design begins. ·· Design and construction (implementation). This phase begins with what is conventionally called schematic design. It resembles conventional practice but integrates all the work and collective understanding of system interactions reached during the discovery phase. ·· Occupancy, operations, and performance feedback. This third stage focuses on preparing to measure performance and creating feedback mechanisms. Assessing performance against targets is critical for informing building operations and identifying the need for any corrective action. Achieving economic and environmental performance requires that every issue and all team members (clients, designers, engineers, constructors, operators) be brought into the project at the earliest point, before anything is yet designed. The structure to manage this flow of people, information, and analysis is as follows: ·· All project team members, representing all design and construction disciplines, gather information and data relevant to the project. ·· Team members analyze their information. ·· Team members participate in workshops to compare notes and identify opportunities for synergy. This process of research, analysis, and workshops is done in an iterative cycle that refines the design solutions. In the best scenario, the research and workshops continue until the project systems are optimized, all reasonable synergies are identified, and the related strategies associated with all LEED credits are documented and implemented. 1. Integrative Process (IP) ANSI Consensus National Standard Guide© 2.0 for Design and Construction of Sustainable Buildings and Communities (February 2, 2012), p. 4, webstore.ansi.org/RecordDetail.aspx?sku=MTS+2012%3a1.  12 DEVISING A LEED WORK PLAN It is recommended that LEED applicants follow a series of steps to certification. Step 1. Initiate discovery phase Begin initial research and analysis (see Integrative Process Credit). When sufficient information has been gathered, hold a goal-setting workshop to discuss findings. Step 2. Select LEED rating system The LEED system comprises 21 adaptations designed to accommodate the needs of a variety of market sectors (see Rating System Selection Guidance). For many credits, Further Explanation highlights rating system and project type variations to help teams develop a successful approach. started getting Step 3. Check minimum program requirements All projects seeking certification are required to comply with the minimum program requirements (MPRs) for the applicable rating system, found in this reference guide and on the USGBC website. LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction Step 4. Establish project goals Prioritize strategies for certification that align with the project’s context and the values of the project team, owner, or organization. Once these values are articulated, project teams will be able to select appropriate strategies and associated LEED credits to meet the goals. The recommended method for establishing project goals is to convene a goal-setting workshop (see Integrative Process Credit) for the project team members and the owner. Understanding the owner’s goals, budget, schedule, functional programmatic requirements, scope, quality, performance targets, and occupants’ expectations will promote creative problem solving and encourage fruitful interaction. To capture the most opportunities, the workshop should occur before any design work and include wide representation from the design and construction disciplines. Step 5. Define LEED project scope Review the project’s program and initial findings from the goal-setting workshop to identify the project scope. Special considerations include off-site or campus amenities or shared facilities that may be used by project occupants. Next, map the LEED project boundary along property lines. If the project boundary is not obvious because of ownership by multiple entities, partial renovations, or other issues, see the minimum program requirements. Share the final project boundary decision with the entire team, since this site definition affects numerous prerequisites and credits. Finally, investigate any special certification programs that may apply based on the project’s scope, such as the Volume Program or the Campus Program. If the project owner is planning multiple similar buildings in different locations, Volume may be a useful program to streamline certification. If the project includes multiple buildings in a single location, Campus may be appropriate. Step 6. Develop LEED scorecard Use the project goals to identify the credits and options that should be attempted by the team. The Behind the Intent sections offer insight into what each credit is intended to achieve and may help teams align goals with credits that bring value to the owner, environment, and community of the project. This process should focus the team on those credits with the highest value for the project over the long term. Once the high-priority credits have been selected, identify related credits that reinforce the priority strategies and provide synergistic benefits. Finally, establish the target LEED certification level (Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) and identify additional credits needed to achieve it. Make sure that all prerequisites can be met and include a buffer of several points above the minimum in case of changes during design and construction.  13 Step 7. Continue discovery phase Project team members should perform additional research and analysis as the project progresses, refining the analysis, testing alternatives, comparing notes, generating ideas in small meetings, and evaluating costs. Examples of research and analysis for energy- and water-related systems are outlined in the Integrative Process credit. The project team should reassemble occasionally to discuss overlapping benefits and opportunities (e.g., how best to use the waste products from one system to benefit other systems). This approach encourages the discovery of new opportunities, raises new questions, and facilitates testing across disciplines. started getting Step 8. Continue iterative process The above pattern of research and analysis followed by team workshops should continue until the solutions satisfy the project team and owner. Step 9. Assign roles and responsibilities leed work plan Select one team member to take primary responsibility for leading the group through the LEED application and documentation process. This leadership role may change from the design to the construction phase, but both the design and the construction leaders should be involved throughout the process to ensure consistency, clarity, and an integrative approach. Cross-disciplinary team ownership of LEED credit compliance can help foster integrative design while ensuring consistent documentation across credits. On a credit-by-credit basis, assign primary and supporting roles to appropriate team members for credit achievement and documentation. Clarify responsibilities for ensuring that design decisions are accurately represented in drawings and specifications and that construction details match design documentation. Establish regular meeting dates and develop clear communication channels to streamline the process and resolve issues quickly. Step 10. Develop consistent documentation Consistent documentation is critical to achieving LEED certification. Data accumulated throughout the construction process, such as construction materials quantities, should be gathered and assessed at regular intervals to allow the team to track ongoing progress toward credit achievement and ensure that information is not misplaced or omitted. Maintaining Consistency in the Application, below, and the credit category overviews discuss the numeric values and meaning of terms that affect achievement of multiple credits within a credit category. Step 11. Perform quality assurance review and submit for certification A quality assurance review is an essential part of the work program. A thorough quality control check can improve clarity and consistency of the project’s LEED documentation, thereby avoiding errors that require time and expense to correct later in the certification process. The submission should be thoroughly proofread and checked for completeness. In particular, numeric values that appear throughout the submission (e.g., site area) must be consistent across credits.  14 Maintaining Consistency in the Application Certain issues recur across multiple credits and credit categories and must be treated consistently throughout the submission. Special Project Situations Projects with a combination of space types or unusual space types should pay particular attention to how these characteristics influence credit achievement. Common project programs that require additional consideration include the following: Mixed Use Projects with a mix of uses may find it helpful to consult the Project Type Variations and Rating System Variations sections in the reference guide for advice. For example, if an office building certifying under BD+C: New started getting Construction includes a small data center, the team should follow the data center guidelines for certain credits; these guidelines are not limited to BD+C: Data Centers projects. Another common scenario is a hotel project certifying under BD+C: Hospitality; in designing the retail spaces on the hotel’s ground floor, the team could benefit from guidance for BD+C: Retail projects. LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction Multitenant Complex Some projects may be part of a large complex of buildings or a master planned development. Any project can follow the multitenant complex approach if it is part of a master plan development, regardless of whether the project is using the LEED Campus approach. Incomplete Spaces Buildings and spaces that earn LEED certification should be completed by the time they have submitted their final application for LEED certification. Complete means that no further work is needed and the project is ready for occupancy. No more than 40% of the certifying gross floor area of a LEED project may consist of incomplete space unless the project is using the LEED BD+C: Core and Shell rating system. Additionally, projects that include incomplete spaces must use Appendix 2 Default Occupancy Counts to establish occupant counts for incomplete spaces. For incomplete spaces in projects using a rating system other than LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, the project team must provide supplemental documentation. ·· Submit a letter of commitment, signed by the owner, indicating that the remaining incomplete spaces will satisfy the requirements of each prerequisite and credit achieved by this project if and when completed by the owner. This letter may cover the commitment in general terms and need not address each prerequisite or credit individually. ·· For incomplete spaces intended to be finished by tenants (i.e., parties other than the owner), submit a set of nonbinding tenant design and construction guidelines, with a brief explanation of the project circumstances. For prerequisites with established baselines (e.g., WE Prerequisite Indoor Water Use, EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance) and the credits dependent on the calculations in the prerequisites, the proposed design must be equivalent to the baseline for the incomplete spaces. Project teams that wish to claim environmental performance or benefit beyond the baseline for incomplete spaces should refer to the Tenant Lease and Sales Agreement section. Projects with Several Physically Distinct Structures Primary and secondary school projects, hospitals (general medical and surgical), hotels, resorts, and resort properties, as defined for ENERGY STAR building rating purposes, are eligible to include more than one physically distinct structure in a single LEED project certification application without having to use the Campus Program, subject to the following conditions. ·· The buildings to be certified must be a part of the same identity. For example, the buildings are all part of the same elementary school, not a mix of elementary school and high school buildings.  15 ·· The project must be analyzed as a whole (i.e., in aggregate) for all minimum program requirements (MPRs), prerequisites, and credits in the LEED rating system. ·· All the land area and all building floor areas within the LEED project boundary must be included in every prerequisite and credit submitted for certification. ·· There is no specific limit on the number of structures, but the aggregate gross floor area included in a single project must not exceed 1 million square feet (92 905 square meters). Any single structure that is larger than 25,000 square feet (2 320 square meters) must be registered as a separate project or treated as a separate building in a group certification approach. Renovations and Additions Refer to the minimum program requirements for information on how boundaries should be drawn for renovation and addition projects. Additionally, use the following guidance for treating energy systems in any project with mechanical systems. started getting ·· Separate systems. Mechanical systems are completely separate from those in the existing building (emergency generators excepted) and can be modeled separately. ·· Shared central systems located outside the project building or space. Each prerequisite and credit section related to energy modeling offers specific guidance on how to handle this situation; in particular, see the Maintaining Consistency in the Application guidance for EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance. Tenant Sales and Lease Agreement LEED BD+C: Core and Shell is designed to address the speculatively driven development market where project teams routinely do not control all aspects of the building’s construction. The scope of Core and Shell is limited to those elements of the project under the direct control of the owner/developer. At a minimum, the scope includes the core and the shell of the base building but can vary significantly from project to project. Given that Core and Shell is limited in its ability to control the design and construction of tenant interior fit-outs, project teams should pursue credits that address parts of the building within the LEED project scope. Only portions of the building within the LEED project scope should be used in credit calculations. If a project team wishes to pursue additional credits or thresholds beyond the construction scope of the LEED project, a binding tenant sales and lease agreement must be provided as documentation. This must be signed by the future tenant and include terms related to how the technical credit requirements will be carried out by the tenant. An unsigned or sample lease agreement is not acceptable. Please note that lease agreements are not required in order to pursue Core and Shell. They are only used if a project is aiming to earn additional points considered outside of the project design and construction scope that will be fit-out by a future tenant. Previous Development Several credits require the assessment of a piece of land to determine whether it has been previously developed, defined as follows: previously developed altered by paving, construction, and/or land use that would typically have required regulatory permitting to have been initiated (alterations may exist now or in the past). Land that is not previously developed and landscapes altered by current or historical clearing or filling, agricultural or forestry use, or preserved natural area use are considered undeveloped land. The date of previous development permit issuance constitutes the date of previous development, but permit issuance in itself does not constitute previous development. Tricky lands to assess include those with few buildings present. If the land previously had buildings, then it is considered previously developed even if those buildings have since been torn down. Another frequently confusing situation is parkland. Pay careful attention to the type of parkland. Improved parks with graded land and constructed features like playgrounds (e.g., a city park) are considered previously developed. Land maintained in a natural state (e.g., a forest preserve) is not considered previously developed, even if minor features like walking paths are present.  16 Development Footprint A project’s development footprint is all of its impervious surfaces. development footprint the total land area of a project site covered by buildings, streets, parking areas, and other typically impermeable surfaces constructed as part of the project Surfaces paved with permeable pavement (at least 50% permeable) are excluded from the development footprint. Density Density can be calculated separately for residential and nonresidential elements or as a single value. The following definitions apply: density a ratio of building coverage on a given parcel of land to the size of that parcel. Density can be measured using floor area ratio (FAR); dwelling units per acre (DU/acre) or dwelling units per hectare (DU/hectare); square started getting feet of building area per acre of buildable land; or square meters of building area per hectare of buildable land. It does not include structured parking. buildable land the portion of the site where construction can occur, including land voluntarily set aside and not constructed on. When used in density calculations, buildable land excludes public rights-of-way and land LEED Reference Guide for BUILDING Design and Construction excluded from development by codified law. Land voluntarily set aside and not built on, such as open space, is considered buildable because it was available for construction but set aside voluntarily. For example, 5 acres (2 hectares) of park space required by local government code would be considered nonbuildable, but if a developer voluntarily sets aside an additional 3 acres (1.2 hectares) for more park space, those 3 acres (1.2 hectares) must be categorized as buildable land. After determining buildable land, calculate residential or nonresidential density or a combined density. To calculate residential density, divide the number of dwelling units by the amount of residential land. To calculate nonresidential density, use floor area ratio (FAR): floor-area ratio (FAR) the density of nonresidential land use, exclusive of structured parking, measured as the total nonresidential building floor area divided by the total buildable land area available for nonresidential buildings. For example, on a site with 10,000 square feet (930 square meters) of buildable nonresidential land area, a building of 10,000 square feet (930 square meters) of floor area would have a FAR of 1.0. On the same site, a building of 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) would have a FAR of 0.5; a building of 15,000 square feet (1 395 square meters) would have a FAR of 1.5; and a building of 20,000 square feet (1 860 square meters) would have a FAR of 2.0. To calculate the combined density for residential and nonresidential areas, use FAR. Occupancy Many kinds of people use a typical LEED building, and the mix varies by project type. Occupants are sometimes referred to in a general sense; for example, “Provide places of respite that are accessible to patients and visitors.” In other instances, occupants must be counted for calculations. Definitions of occupant types are general guidelines that may be modified or superseded in a particular credit when appropriate (such changes are noted in each credit’s reference guide section). Most credits group users into two categories, regular building occupants and visitors.