This document provides an overview and summary of key aspects of several LEED credits, including their intent, requirements, common issues, and examples. It discusses credits in Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Materials & Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. The summary emphasizes understanding credit intent, alternative compliance paths, integrated design approaches, and resources for interpretations. It cautions that not all projects can achieve all credits and costs should not be unnecessarily increased.

1. 12 November 2009 Intent: The Real LEED® Requirements Scott DeGaro, CCCA, LEED AP BD+C LEED Administrator scott.degaro@bwsc.net www.bargewaggoner.com

2. General Information Credit Intent Review Sustainable Sites Water Efficiency Materials and Resources Indoor Environmental Quality Summary Further Information Agenda

3. General Information

4. LEED Discipline and Credit Breakdown LEED 2009 New Construction and Major Renovation Footnotes: 1 Of 79 credits excluding Innovation and Regional Priority Credits 2 of 100 points excluding Innovation and Regional Priority Credits

5. Credit Intent Review

6. Not all building or project types can achieve all credits Just because credit requirements can’t be met, doesn’t mean that the requirements of the credit shouldn’t be pursued as the “right” thing to do Some credits include alternative compliance paths IEQc4.1: Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives and Sealants IEQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials, Paints and Coatings Pay back for sustainable measures needs to be determined on a project by project basis based on the specific design solution USGBC Chicago Chapter Study of 15 LEED buildings shows a 3.8% construction cost increase for LEED certification Shows lower operating costs in >50% of buildings General Comments

8. Credit 5.2 – Site Development, Maximize Open Space

9. Credit 7.1 – Heat Island Effect, Non-Roof

10. Water Efficiency

11. Prerequisite 1/Credit 3 – Water Use Reduction

13. Indoor Environmental Quality

14. Credit 4.1 – Low-Emitting Materials, Adhesives and Sealants

15. Credit 5 - Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source ControlPrerequisites and Credits

18. Intent Promote biodiversity by providing a high ratio of open space to development Requirements Case 1: Local Zoning and Open Space Requirements Exceed local zoning requirements for vegetated open space by 25% Case 2: No local zoning requirements Provide vegetated open space adjacent to building equal to building footprint Case 3: Zoning but no open space requirements Provide vegetated open space equal to 20% of project area Sustainable Sites – Credit 5.2Site Development, Maximize Open Space

19. Case 2: No local zoning In a campus setting the open space does not need to be adjacent to the building, but needs to be maintained for the life of the building In urban areas Vegetated roofs can contribute towards this credit Pedestrian oriented hardscape can contribute toward this credit given a minimum of 25% open space is vegetated Sustainable Sites – Credit 5.2Specific Applications

21. Increased cooling loads due to 2 to 10 degree temperature increase in urban areas

22. Requirements

23. Option 1 – Use any combination of the following for 50% of site hardscape

24. Provide shade from trees within 5 years, structures that are covered by solar panels or structures that have an SRI of at least 29

25. Use hardscape materials with an SRI of at least 29

26. Use an open-grid pavement system (at least 50% pervious)

30. Increase water efficiency to reduce the burden on municipal water and wastewater systems

31. Requirements

33. The method described to document water-flow restrictors is in general appropriate, however… Kitchen sink faucets are used to fill pots among other things. Expecting tenants to use 1.25 gpm faucet flows to fill pots will cause frustration and lead to tenant attempts to readjust to higher flow rates Earning LEED points should not result in dissatisfaction and frustration which will reflect back on the LEED product It is strongly recommend to keep the kitchen faucets at 2.5 gpm and to use alternate strategies., such as foot pedal operated faucets to reduce water use without causing dissatisfaction Taken from a 2/5/2008 CIR Ruling. In this case, the WE TAG does not feel that this strategy is worthy of an innovation credit for exemplary performance beyond WEc3. Water Efficiency- Prerequisite 1/Credit 3Real World Scenario

34. Issue Commercial construction generates 2 to 2.5 pounds of waste per square foot of construction Intent Divert C&D from disposal in landfills and incineration facilities Requirements Recycle C&D materials Develop and implement a construction waste management plan (CWMP) Soil and land clearing debris does not contribute to this credit Materials & Resources - Credit 2Construction Waste Management

35. Soil and land clearing debris does not contribute to this credit Wood or other materials reprocessed for use as processed fuel sources does not constitute incineration and may contribute to this credit Products reprocessed and used on site that would normally be disposed of (i.e. concrete demo as base material) apply to this credit. Also apply to MRc5 – Regional Materials Products used on site without processing (i.e. door hardware) would NOT apply to this credit. Also apply to MRc5 – Regional Materials Materials & Resources - Credit 2Concepts

36. Issue VOC’s react with sunlight to form smog VOC’s and smog can cause negative effects on health, agriculture and ecosystems Intent Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are irritating and/or harmful to installers and occupants Requirements Sealants and adhesives installed on-site must comply with SCAQMD Rule #1168 for VOC content Aerosol adhesives installed on-site must comply with Green Seal GS-36 Standard for Commercial Adhesives Materials & Resources - Credit 4.1Low-Emitting Materials, Sealants & Adhesives

37. Products claim they are VOC compliant VOC compliant typically means compliant with EPA regulations for Products claim they are VOC free “VOC free” products can still have up to 5 g/L of VOCs Low-VOC products don’t work as well and cost more May have been true in the past, but advances in chemistry are providing products just as durable if not more durable than higher VOC products at competitive costs Materials & Resources - Credit 4.1Myths

38. Also applies to EQc4.2 – Low-Emitting Materials, Paints & Coatings Used when products with a high VOC content must be used on a project Create a baseline and design VOC budget Multiply volume/quantity of materials by threshold or actual VOC content Design VOC budget must be less than baseline budget for compliance Can also be used to show compliance when a product is unintentionally used on a project Materials & Resources - Credit 4.1VOC Budget

39. Intent Minimize occupant exposure to potentially harmful chemicals and particulates Requirement Employ permanent entryway systems at least 10-feet in length at regularly used entrances Sufficiently exhaust spaces where hazardous chemicals may be present Provide containment of regulatory compliant storage area for appropriate disposal of hazardous liquid wastes In mechanically ventilated buildings, provide Minimum Efficiency Rating Value (MERV) 13 rating or higher filters to all supply air in regularly occupied areas Issue Additional sinks, drains, room separations and exhaust systems can increase project cost Filtration media can have negative impacts on HVAC equipment efficiency (i.e. increased static pressure) Indoor Environmental Quality- Credit 5Indoor Chemical Pollutant and Source Control

40. Regularly used entrance Frequency of use rather than number of people using the entrance is the key factor Areas of a building that are not intended to normally or regularly house occupants during a typical work day are not required to meet the requirements (i.e. data center) Entryway systems do not need to be continuous Grate and carpet systems Different coarseness of carpet systems Indoor Environmental Quality- Credit 5 Concepts

41. Warehouse ASHRAE recommends up to MERV-8 filters LEED has no waiver for MERV-13 filter requirements based on building use or ASHRAE recommendation Vehicle Garage or Fire Station with administration space Man doors used as entrances to vehicle areas Overhead doors used as entrances to vehicle areas Indoor Environmental Quality- Credit 5Real-world scenarios

42. Scenario Air supplied with MERV-14 filtration Recirculated air is not filtered Scenario is not acceptable compliance with credit ALL supply air needs to pass through MERV-13 filtration Any source of contamination would be removed more quickly Indoor Environmental Quality- Credit 5Real-world scenarios – Recirculated Air

43. Summary

44. A prerequisite/credit’s intent can tell you: If a credit can/can’t be achieved on a particular project If a credit can be achieved in a different (non-traditional) manner Not all building or project types can achieve all credits Some credits include alternative compliance paths LEED can NOT be left to one person or discipline. It requires an integrated design approach to understand credit intent and credit interactions so that costs are not unnecessarily increased Summary

45. LEED Reference Guide Intent Requirements Issues Reference Standards USGBC Website LEED Project Tools Credit Interpretation Rulings (CIR’s) Public (prior to June 26, 2009) Further Information

46. Questions? Scott DeGaro, CCCA, LEED AP BD+C LEED Administrator scott.degaro@bwsc.net www.bargewaggoner.com

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48. Copyright Information Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon, Inc. (BWSC) is not affiliated with USGBC or GBCI, and does not administer the LEED AP program. USGBC and GBCI do not endorse or recommend the products or services offered by BWSC “The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) administers credentialing programs that measure and improve the performance of buildings and communities as defined by industry systems such as the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™.” “LEED Accredited Professional” and the related acronym, and the Legacy LEED AP logo are trademarks owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and are awarded to individuals under license by the Green Building Certification Institute. “LEED Green Associate” and the LEED Green Associate logo are trademarks owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and are awarded to individuals under license by the Green Building Certification Institute.