LEED Tutorial

This page is an open source resource tutorial for achieving maximum LEED v4 credits under the newest construction specifications as determined by the U.S Green Building Council. It is divided into the following sections:

• What is LEED v4?
• Why Try to Achieve LEED v4 Certification?
• How are Credits Achieved?
• Location and Transportation
• Sustainable Sites
• Water Efficiency
• Energy and Atmosphere
• Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation
• Regional Priorities

In this tutorial we will review the categories one by one with each sub-requirement and how it is achieved.

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WHAT IS LEED v4?

LEED v4 is the newest version of the LEED green building program rating system that is used to certify green building projects. It includes practices that are a fundamental benchmark for a sustainable world. Certification is achieved in the form of credits and is awarded at 4 different levels:

• Certified (40-49 credits)
• Silver (50-59)
• Gold (60-79) and
• Platinum (80-110)

 

WHY TRY TO ACHIEVE LEED v4 CERTIFICATION?

USGBC strives to recognize and reward innovative projects that pursue best practices regarding sustainability in the built environment. The mission of LEED is the beneficial transformation of design, construction, operations and maintenance of buildings. Our organization strongly believes in following these same standards and sharing our ideas and best practices in an open source approach to help others learn and achieve a global sustainability strategy. We want to make our work as easy to duplicate as possible and by sharing this tutorial on how to achieve LEED v4 certification we hope to collaborate with and contribute to a more sustainable world and enhance our work within the global community.

 

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO EVOLVING THIS SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENT WITH US

SUGGESTIONS | CONSULTING | MEMBERSHIP | OTHER OPTIONS

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS LEED CERTIFICATION TUTORIAL

Matheus Manfredini: Civil Engineering Student specializing in Urban Design
Jacky Tustain: Project Manager

 

HOW ARE CREDITS ACHIEVED?

The credits are separated into the following categories with each category containing points:

• Location and Transportation (16)
• Sustainable Sites (10)
• Water Efficiency (11)
• Energy and Atmosphere (33)
• Materials and Resources (13)
• Indoor Environmental Quality (16)
• Innovation (6) and
• Regional Priorities (4)

LOCATION AND TRANSPORTATION

Sensitive Land Protection

This credit is intended to avoid the development of land that is deemed environmentally sensitive and to reduce the building’s environmental impact from location.

There are 2 ways to achieve points in this category:

• Construct on land that has been previously developed OR
• meet the following:
  • A Location that is not a Prime Farmland. (Click here for more details)
  • A location that is entirely outside any floodplain subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. (Click here for more details)
  • A location that is not the Habitat of any U.S. Endangered Species. (Click here for more details) or containing species classified as GH, G1 AND G2 under NatureServe classification.
  • An area that is not on or within 100 feet of a water body and is not on or within 50 feet of wetlands. This can be flexible with minor improvements that include:
    • Bicycle lanes no more than 12 feet wide, containing a maximum of 8 feet impervious surface
    • Brownfield Remediation activities
    • Activities that maintain or restore natural environment or Hydrology
    • One single-story structure per 300 linear feet on average, not exceeding 500 square feet
    • Grade changes to ensure public access
    • Clearings, limited to one per 300 linear feet on average, not exceeding 500 square feet each
    • Removal of the following tree types:
      • Hazardous trees-up to 75% of dead trees
      • Trees less than 6 inches diameter at breast height
      • Up to 20% of trees more than 6 inches diameter at breast height with a condition rating of 40% or higher
      • Trees under 40% condition rating

The tree condition rating must be based on an assessment by an arborist certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) using ISA standard measures, or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.

High Priority Site

This credit is intended to encourage constructions built in areas with development constraints that can promote the health of surrounding areas.

There are 3 ways to points in this category:

The construction should be located in an:

• Infill location in a Historic District (1 point) OR
• Locate the project in a (1 point)

–EPA National Priority List

–Empowerment Zones Location

–Enterprise Community Site

–Federal Renewal Community Site

–Department of the Treasury Community Development Financial Institutions Fund Qualified Low-Income Community

–U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Qualified Census Tract (QCT) or Difficult Development Area (DDA) OR

• Locate on a brownfield where soil or groundwater contamination has been identified, and where the local, state, or national authority (whichever has jurisdiction) requires its remediation. Perform remediation to the satisfaction of that authority.

Surrounding density and diverse uses

This credit is intended to promote construction in areas with existing infrastructure. Additionally to promote and encourage daily physical activity through walkability and transport efficiency.

To achieve points in this category you need to build in an area with the density* as follows:

Combined Density	Separate Residential and nonresidential densities		Points
Square feet per acre of buildable land	Residential Density(DU/acre)	Nonresidential Density(FAR)
22,000	7	0.5	2
35,000	12	0.8	3

AND/OR

Construct or renovate a building or a space within a building such that the building’s main entrance is within a ½-mile walking distance of the main entrance of four to seven (1 point) or eight or more (2 points) existing and publicly available diverse uses (listed in Appendix 1) with the following restrictions:

• A use counts as only one type even if it operate as 2 types
• No more than 2 uses in each type may be counted
• The counted uses must represent at least three of the five categories, exclusive of the building’s primary use.

density*- a measure of the total building floor area or dwelling units on a parcel of land relative to the buildable land of that parcel. Units for measuring density may differ according to credit requirements. This does not include structured parking.

Access to Quality Transit

This credit is intended to promote construction in areas with good links to transportation choices. It is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental harm associated with motor vehicle use.

To achieve points in this category you must locate any functional entry of the project within a ¼-mile walking distance of existing or planned bus, streetcar, or informal transit stops, or within a ½-mile walking distance of existing or planned bus rapid transit stops, light or heavy rail stations, commuter rail stations or ferry terminals. Planned stops and stations may count if they are sited, funded, and under construction by the date of the certificate of occupancy and are complete within 24 months of that date.

• Both weekday and weekend trip minimums must be met.
• Qualifying transit routes must have paired route service (service in opposite directions).
• For each qualifying transit route, only trips in one direction are counted towards the threshold.
• If a qualifying transit route has multiple stops within the required walking distance, only trips from one stop are counted towards the threshold.

Minimum Daily Trips for multiple transit types ( bus, streetcar, rail or ferry.)

Weekday trips	Weekend trips	Points
72	40	1
144	108	3
360	216	5

Minimum daily transit service for projects with commuter rail or ferry service only.

Weekday trips	Weekend trips	Points
24	6	1
40	8	2
60	12	3

Projects served by two or more transit routes such that no one route provides more than 60% of the prescribed levels may earn one additional point, up to the maximum number of points.

If existing transit service is temporarily rerouted outside the required distances for less than two years, the project may meet the requirements, provided the local transit agency has committed to restoring the routes with service at or above the prior level.

Bicycle Facilities

This credit is intended to promote bicycling and reduction of motor vehicle use and to encourage physical activity.

To achieve points in this category you must design or locate the project such that a functional entry and/or bicycle storage is within a 200-yard walking distance or bicycling distance from a bicycle network that connects to at least one of the following:

• at least 10 diverse uses (listed in Appendix 1)
• school or employment area if the project is 50% or more residential
• a bus rapid transit stop
• light or heavy rail station
• commuter rail station or
• ferry terminal

All destinations must be within 3 miles bicycling distance from the project. Planned bicycle trails or lanes may be counted if they are fully funded by the date of the certificate of occupancy and are scheduled for completion within one year of that date.

For Storage and shower rooms you must meet the following requirements:

Commercial Projects:

Provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building.

Provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 5% of all regular building occupants, but no fewer than four storage spaces per building in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces.

Provide at least one on-site shower with changing facility for the first 100 regular building occupants and one additional shower for every 150 regular building occupants thereafter.

Residential Projects:

• Provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors but no fewer than four storage spaces per building.
• Provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 30% of all regular building occupants, but no less than one storage space per residential unit in addition to the short-term bicycle storage spaces.

Mixed-use Projects:

Meet the Case 1 and Case 2 storage requirements for the nonresidential and residential portions of the project, respectively.

AND

• Short-term bicycle storage must be within 100 feet (30 meters) walking distance of any main entrance.
• Long-term bicycle storage must be within 100 feet (30 meters) walking distance of any functional entry.

Bicycle storage capacity may not be double-counted: storage that is fully allocated to the occupants of non-project facilities cannot also serve project occupants.

Reduced Parking Footprint

This credit is intended to minimize environmental harms caused by parking facilities and motor vehicles.

To achieve points in this category you must not exceed the local minimum requirements for parking capacity

AND

Provide parking capacity that is a percentage reduction below the base ratios recommended by the Parking Consultants Council, as shown in the Institute of Transportation Engineers‘ Transportation Planning Handbook, 3rd edition, Tables 18-2 through 18-4.

Projects that have not earned points under LT Credit Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses or LT Credit Access to Quality Transit must achieve a 20% reduction from the base ratios.

Projects earning 1 or more points under either LT Credit Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses or LT Credit Access to Quality Transit must achieve a 40% reduction from the base ratios.

The credit calculations must include all existing and new off-street parking spaces that are leased or owned by the project, including parking that is outside the project boundary but is used by the project. On-street parking in public rights-of-way is excluded from these calculations.

For projects that use pooled parking, calculate compliance using the project’s share of the pooled parking.

Provide preferred parking for carpools for 5% of the total parking spaces after reductions are made from the base ratios. Preferred parking is not required if no off-street parking is provided.

Mixed-use projects should determine the percentage reduction by first aggregating the parking amount of each use (as specified by the base ratios) and then determining the percentage reduction from the aggregated parking amount.

Do not count parking spaces for fleet and inventory vehicles unless these vehicles are regularly used by employees for commuting as well as business purposes.

Green Vehicles

This credit is intended to promote greener ways of transportation that reduce pollution.

To achieve points in this category you must:

• Designate 5% of all parking spaces used by the project as preferred parking for green vehicles
• Clearly identify and enforce for sole use by green vehicles
• Distribute preferred parking spaces proportionally among various parking sections (e.g. between short-term and long-term spaces).

Green vehicles must achieve a minimum green score of 45 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual vehicle rating guide.

A discounted parking rate of at least 20% for green vehicles is an acceptable substitute for preferred parking spaces. The discounted rate must be publicly posted at the entrance of the parking area and permanently available to every qualifying vehicle.

In addition to preferred parking for green vehicles, meet one of the following two options for alternative-fuel fueling stations:

• Install electrical vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in 2% of all parking spaces used by the project. Clearly identify and reserve these spaces for the sole use by plug-in electric vehicles. EVSE parking spaces must be provided in addition to preferred parking spaces for green vehicles.

The EVSE must:

• Provide a Level 2 charging capacity (208 ” 240 volts) or greater.
• Comply with the relevant regional or local standard for electrical connectors, such as SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler or IEC 62196 of the International Electrotechnical Commission for projects outside the U.S.
• Be networked or internet addressable and be capable of participating in a demand-response program or time-of-use pricing to encourage off-peak charging.

OR

Develop and implement a plan for every bus serving the school to meet the following emissions standards within seven years of the building certificate of occupancy:

• nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of 0.50 grams or less per brake horsepower-hour and
• particulate matter emissions of 0.01 grams or less per brake horsepower-hour

Emission standards must be met for each bus and not by an average of the entire fleet serving the school.

Develop and implement a plan for 100% of all other (non-bus) vehicles owned or leased to serve the school to be green vehicles. Green vehicles must achieve a minimum green score of 45 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual vehicle rating guide.

SUSTAINABLE SITES

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention (PREREQUISITE)

This credit is intended to reduce construction pollution by controlling erosion and sediments.

To achieve points in this category you must:

Create and implement an Erosion and Sedimentation Control (ESC) Plan for all construction activities associated with the project.

The ESC Plan shall conform to the:

• erosion and sedimentation requirements of the 2003 EPA Construction General Permit

OR

• Local erosion and sedimentation control standards and codes, whichever is more stringent.

The Plan shall describe the measures implemented to accomplish the following objectives:

• Prevent loss of soil during construction by stormwater runoff and/or wind erosion, including protecting topsoil by stockpiling for reuse.
• Prevent sedimentation of storm sewer or receiving streams.
• Prevent polluting the air with dust and particulate matter.

The Construction General Permit (CGP) outlines the provisions necessary to comply with Phase I and Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. While the CGP only applies to construction sites greater than 1 acre, the requirements are applied to all projects for the purposes of this prerequisite. Information on the EPA CGP is available at: http://www.epa.gov/npdes/construction-general-permit-cgp-frequent-questions.

A lot of local standards have their own strategies and ideas for the development of this project, as long as they are within the General Permit it is wise to use the advice.

Site Assessment

To gather information about the site before construction and make possible sustainable changes.

Complete and document a site survey or assessment that includes the following information:

• Topography. Contour mapping, unique topographic features, slope stability risks.
• Hydrology. Flood hazard areas, delineated wetlands, lakes, streams, shorelines, rainwater collection and reuse opportunities, TR-55 initial water storage capacity of the site.
• Climate. Solar exposure, heat island effect potential, seasonal sun angles, prevailing winds, monthly precipitation and temperature ranges.
• Vegetation. Primary vegetation types, greenfield area, significant tree mapping, threatened or endangered species, unique habitat, invasive plant species.
• Soils. Natural Resources Conservation Service soils delineation, U.S. Department of Agriculture prime farmland, healthy soils, previous development, disturbed soils.
• Human use. Views, adjacent transportation infrastructure, adjacent properties, construction materials with existing recycle or reuse potential.
• Human health effects. Proximity of vulnerable populations, adjacent physical activity opportunities, proximity to major sources of air pollution.

The survey or assessment should demonstrate the relationships between the site features and topics listed above and how these features influenced the project design; give the reasons for not addressing any of those topics.

Site Development

To preserve the existing habitat and biodiversity.

To achieve this credit you must:

Preserve and protect from all development and construction activity 40% of the greenfield area on the site (if such areas exist).

Using native or adapted vegetation, restore 30% (including the building footprint) of all portions of the site identified as previously disturbed. Projects that achieve a density of 1.5 floor-area ratio may include vegetated roof surfaces in this calculation if the plants are native or adapted, provide habitat, and promote biodiversity.

Restore all disturbed or compacted soils that will be revegetated within the project’s development footprint to meet the following requirements:

• Soils (imported and in site) must be reused for functions comparable to their original function.
• Imported topsoils or soil blends designed to serve as topsoil may not include the following:
  • soils defined regionally by the Natural Resources Conservation Service web soil survey as prime farmland, unique farmland, or farmland of statewide or local importance OR
  • soils from other greenfield sites, unless those soils are a byproduct of a construction process.

Restored soil must meet the criteria of reference soils in categories (organic matter, compaction and infiltration rates) and meet the criteria of either category soil biological function and soil chemical characteristics.

Project teams may exclude vegetated landscape areas that are constructed to accommodate rainwater infiltration from the vegetation and soils requirements, provided all such rainwater infiltration areas are treated consistently with SS Credit Rainwater Management.

OR

Provide financial support equivalent to at least $0.40 per square foot (US$4 per square meter) for the total site area (including the building footprint).

Financial support must be provided to a nationally or locally recognized land trust or conservation organization within the same EPA Level III ecoregion or the project’s state (or within 100 miles of the project. For U.S. projects, the land trust must be accredited by the Land Trust Alliance.

Open Space

Provide outdoor space greater than or equal to 30% of the total site area (including building footprint). A minimum of 25% of that outdoor space must be vegetated (turf grass does not count as vegetation) or have overhead vegetated canopy.

The outdoor space must be physically accessible and be one or more of the following:

• a pedestrian-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that accommodate outdoor social activities
• a recreation-oriented paving or turf area with physical site elements that encourage physical activity
• a garden space with a diversity of vegetation types and species that provide opportunities for year-round visual interest
• a garden space dedicated to community gardens or urban food production
• preserved or created habitat that meets the criteria of SS Credit Site Development”Protect or Restore Habitat and also includes elements of human interaction

For projects that achieve a density of 1.5 floor-area ratio (FAR), and are physically accessible, extensive or intensive vegetated roofs can be used toward the minimum 25% vegetation requirement, and qualifying roof-based physically accessible paving areas can be used toward credit compliance.

Wetlands or naturally designed ponds may count as open space if the side slope gradients average 1:4 (vertical: horizontal) or less and are vegetated.

For projects that are part of a multitenant complex only:

Open space can be either adjacent to the building or at another location in the site master plan. The open space may be at another master plan development site as long as it is protected from development. If the open space is not adjacent to the building, provide documentation showing that the requirements have been met and the land is in a natural state or has been returned to a natural state and conserved for the life of the building.

Rainwater Management

To reduce runoff volume and replicate natural hydrology.

To get this credit you must:

In a manner best replicating natural site hydrology processes, manage on site the runoff from the developed site for the 95th percentile of regional or local rainfall events using low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure.

Use daily rainfall data and the methodology in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Technical Guidance on Implementing the Stormwater Runoff Requirements for Federal Projects under Section 438 of the Energy Independence and Security Act to determine the 95th percentile amount.

To get one more credit:

Achieve Path 1 but for the 98th percentile of regional or local rainfall events, using LID and green infrastructure.

OR

The following requirement applies to zero lot line projects in urban areas with a minimum density of 1.5 FAR. In a manner best replicating natural site hydrology processes, manage on site the runoff from the developed site for the 85th percentile of regional or local rainfall events, using LID and green infrastructure.

OR

Manage on site the annual increase in runoff volume from the natural land cover condition to the post developed condition.

Projects that are part of a multi-tenant complex only:

The credit requirements may be met using a coordinated approach affecting the defined project site that is within the master plan boundary. Distributed techniques based on a watershed approach are then required.

Heat Island Reduction

Promote the reduction of heat islands.

To meet this requirement you need to achieve the required coverage specified below on pavements and roofs meeting the amounts of the following table:

Area of non-roof	High-reflectance roof	Vegetated Roof
Sx0.5	Sx0.75	Sx0.75	â°¥	Total Site Paving Area	+	Total Roof Area

Coverage specifications:

Non-roof measures

• Use the existing plant material or install plants that provide shade over paving areas (including playgrounds) on the site within 10 years of planting. Install vegetated planters. Plants must be in place at the time of occupancy permit and cannot include artificial turf.
• Provide shade with structures covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, and wind turbines.
• Provide shade with architectural devices or structures that have a three-year aged solar reflectance (SR) value of at least 0.28. If three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SR of at least 0.33 at installation.
• Provide shade with vegetated structures.
• Use paving materials with a three-year aged solar reflectance (SR) value of at least 0.28. If three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SR of at least 0.33 at installation.
• Use an open-grid pavement system (at least 50% unbound).

High-reflectance roof

• Use roofing materials that have an SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table. Meet the three-year aged SRI value. If three-year aged value information is not available, use materials that meet the initial SRI value.

Slope	Initial SRI	3-year aged SRI
<2:12	82	64
>2:12	39	32

Vegetated roof

• Any kind of vegetated roof.

OR

Place a minimum of 75% of parking spaces under cover. Any roof used to shade or cover parking must have a three-year aged SRI of at least 32 (if three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SRI of at least 39 at installation), be a vegetated roof, or be covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic, and wind turbines.

Light Pollution Reduction

To increase night sky access and promote the development for wildlife and people.

To meet this requirement you must:

• Meet uplight and light trespass requirements, using either the backlight-uplight-glare (BUG) method or the calculation method. Projects may use different options for uplight and light trespass.
• Meet these requirements for all exterior luminaires located inside the project boundary (except those listed under “Exemptions”), based on the following:
  • the photometric characteristics of each luminaire when mounted in the same orientation and tilt as specified in the project design AND
  • the lighting zone of the project property (at the time construction begins). Classify the project under one lighting zone using the lighting zones definitions provided in the Illuminating Engineering Society and International Dark Sky Association (IES/IDA) Model Lighting Ordinance (MLO) User Guide.
• Additionally, meet the internally illuminated signage requirement.

UPLIGHT

BUG METHOD

Do not exceed the following luminaire uplight ratings, based on the specific light source installed in the luminaire, as defined in IES TM-15-11, Addendum A.

MLO Lightning Zone	Luminaire Uplight Rating
LZ0	U0
LZ1	U1
LZ2	U2
LZ3	U3
LZ4	U4

Obs:Zones definitions are in the end of this credit language

OR

CALCULATION METHOD

Do not exceed the following percentages of total lumens emitted above horizontal.

MLO Lighting Zone	Maximum allowed percentage of total luminaire above horizontal
LZ0	0%
LZ1	0%
LZ2	1.5%
LZ3	3%
LZ4	6%

LIGHT TRESPASS

BUG METHOD

Do not exceed the following luminaire backlight and glare ratings (based on the specific light source installed in the luminaire), as defined in IES TM-15-11, Addendum A, based on the mounting location and distance from the lighting boundary.

Allowed backlight ratings:

Luminaire Mounting	LZ0	LZ1	LZ2	LZ3	LZ4
>2 mounting heights from lighting boundary	B1	B3	B4	B4	B5
1 to 2 mounting heights from lighting boundary and properly oriented	B1	B2	B3	B4	B4
0.5 to 1 mounting height to lighting boundary and properly oriented	B0	B1	B2	B3	B3
< 0.5 mounting height to lighting boundary and properly oriented	B0	B0	B0	B1	B2

Allowed Glare Ratings:

Luminaire Mounting	LZ0	LZ1	LZ2	LZ3	LZ4
>2 mounting heights from lightning boundary	G0	G1	G2	G3	G4
1 to 2 mounting heights from lighting boundary and properly oriented	G0	G0	G1	G1	G2
0.5 to 1 mounting height to lighting boundary and properly oriented	G0	G0	G0	G1	G1
< 0.5 mounting height to lighting boundary and properly oriented	G0	G0	G0	G0	G1
All other luminaires	G0	G1	G2	G3	G4

The lighting boundary is located at the property lines of the property, or properties, that the LEED project occupies. The lighting boundary can be modified under the following conditions:

• When the property line abuts a public area that includes, but is not limited to, a walkway, bikeway, plaza, or parking lot, the lighting boundary may be moved to 5 feet beyond the property line.
• When the property line abuts a public street, alley, or transit corridor, the lighting boundary may be moved to the center line of that street, alley, or corridor.
• When there are additional properties owned by the same entity that are contiguous to the property, or properties, that the LEED project is within and have the same or higher MLO lighting zone designation as the LEED project, the lighting boundary may be expanded to include those properties.

Orient all luminaires less than two mounting heights from the lighting boundary such that the backlight points toward the nearest lighting boundary line. Building-mounted luminaires with the backlight oriented toward the building are exempt from the backlight rating requirement.

OR

CALCULATION METHOD

Do not exceed the following vertical illuminances at the lighting boundary (use the definition of lighting boundary in Option 1). Calculation points may be no more than 5 feet (1.5 meters) apart. Vertical illuminances must be calculated on vertical planes running parallel to the lighting boundary, with the normal to each plane oriented toward the property and perpendicular to the lighting boundary, extending from grade level to 33 feet (10 meters) above the height of the highest luminaire.

MLO Lighting Zone	Luminaire Uplight Rating
LZ0	0.05fc (0.5lux)
LZ1	0.05fc (0.5lux)
LZ2	0.10fc (1lux)
LZ3	0.20fc(2lux)
LZ4	0.60fc(6lux)

AND

INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED EXTERIOR SIGNAGE

Do not exceed a luminance of 200 cd/m2 (nits) during nighttime hours and 2000 cd/m2 (nits) during daytime hours.

EXEMPTIONS FROM UPLIGHT AND LIGHT TRESPASS REQUIREMENTS

The following exterior lighting is exempt from the requirements, provided it is controlled separately from the nonexempt lighting:

• specialized signal, directional, and marker lighting for transportation
• lighting that is used solely for façade and landscape lighting in MLO lighting zones 3 and 4, and is automatically turned off from midnight until 6 a.m.
• lighting for theatrical purposes for stage, film, and video performances
• government-mandated roadway lighting
• hospital emergency departments, including associated helipads
• lighting for the national flag in MLO lighting zones 2, 3, or 4
• internally illuminated signage.

Obs:

ZONE DEFINITIONS

MLO Lighting Zone	Definition
LZ0	Undeveloped areas within national parks, state parks, forest land and rural areas and sites immediately adjacent to areas officially recognized as ecologically sensitive by the local zoning authority.
LZ1	Developed areas within national parks, state parks, forest land and rural areas.
LZ2	Areas predominantly consisting of residential zoning, neighborhood business districts, light industrial with limited nighttime use, and residential mixed-use areas.
LZ3	All other areas not included in LZ0, LZ1, LZ2, or LZ4 (including commercial-industrial and high-density residential).
LZ4	High-activity commercial districts in major metropolitan areas (as designated by local jurisdiction, such as local zoning authority).

WATER EFFICIENCY

Outdoor water use reduction (PREREQUISITE)

Designed to promote reduction in unnecessary/excessive outdoor water use.

To follow this criteria you must:

Reduce outdoor water use through one of the following options. Non Vegetated surfaces, such as permeable or impermeable pavement, should be excluded from landscape area calculations. Athletic fields and playgrounds (if vegetated) and food gardens may be included or excluded at the project team’s discretion.

• Show that the landscape does not require a permanent irrigation system beyond a maximum two-year establishment period.

OR

• Reduce the project’s landscape water requirement by at least 30% from the calculated baseline for the site’s peak watering month. Reductions must be achieved through plant species selection and irrigation system efficiency, as calculated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Water Budget Tool.

Indoor water use reduction (PREREQUISITE)

Designed to reduce unnecessary/excessive indoor water use.

To meet this criteria you must:

For the fixtures and fittings listed in the table, as applicable to the project scope, reduce aggregate water consumption by 20% from the baseline. Base calculations on the volumes and flow rates shown in the table below.

All newly installed toilets, urinals, private lavatory faucets, and showerheads that are eligible for labeling must be WaterSense labeled.

Fixtures	Current Baseline
Water closets (toilets)	1.6 gpf
Urinal	1 gpf
Public Lavatory (restroom) faucet	0.5 gpm at 60 psi all others except private applications
Private lavatory faucet	2.2 gpm at 60 psi
Kitchen faucet	2.2 gpm at 60 psi
Showerhead	2.5 gpm at 80 psi per shower stall

APPLIANCE WATER USE

Install appliances, equipment, and processes within the project scope that meet the requirements listed in the tables below.

Appliance	Requirement
Residential clothes washers	ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent
Commercial clothes washers	CEE Tier 3A QUESTION
Residential dishwashers (standard and compact)	ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent
Prerinse spray valves	â°¤ 1.3 gpm
Ice machine	ENERGY STAR or performance equivalent and use either air-cooled or closed-loop cooling, such as chilled or condenser water system

PROCESS WATER USE

Process	Requirement
Heat Rejection and cooling	No once-through cooling with potable water for any equipment or appliances that reject heat
Cooling towers and evaporative condensers	Equip with makeup water meters conductivity controllers and overflow alarms efficient drift eliminators that reduce drift to maximum of 0.002% of recirculated water volume for counterflow towers and 0.005% of recirculated water flow for cross-flow towers

Building-Level Water Metering (PREREQUISITE)

To keep track of water consumption.

To meet this requirement you must:

• Install permanent water meters that measure the total potable water use for the building and associated grounds. Meter data must be compiled into monthly and annual summaries; meter readings can be manual or automated.
• Commit to sharing with USGBC the resulting whole-project water usage data for a five-year period beginning on the date the project accepts LEED certification or typical occupancy, whichever comes first.

This commitment must carry forward for five years or until the building changes ownership or lessee.

Outdoor Water Use Reduction

Reduce outdoor water use reduction

To achieve this credit you must:

Reduce outdoor water use through one of the following options: Non Vegetated surfaces, such as permeable or impermeable pavement should be excluded from landscape area calculations. Athletics fields and playgrounds (if vegetated) and food gardens may be included or excluded at the project team’s discretion.

• Show that the landscape does not require a permanent irrigation system beyond a maximum two-year establishment period.

OR

• Reduce the project’s landscape water requirement (LWR) by at least 50% from the calculated baseline for the site’s peak watering month. Reductions must first be achieved through plant species selection and irrigation system efficiency as calculated in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Water Budget Tool. Additional reductions beyond 30% may be achieved using any combination of efficiency, alternative water sources, and smart scheduling technologies.

Percentage Reduction	Points(Except Healthcare)	Points (Healthcare)
50%	1	1
100%	2	–

Indoor Water use Reduction

To reduce indoor water use.

To get this credit you must:

Further reduce fixture and fitting water use from the calculated baseline in WE Prerequisite Indoor Water Use Reduction. Additional potable water savings can be earned above the prerequisite level using alternative water sources. Include fixtures and fittings necessary to meet the needs of the occupants. Some of these fittings and fixtures may be outside the tenant space (for Commercial Interiors) or project boundary (for New Construction). Points are awarded according to the Table.

Percentage Reduction	Points
25%	1
30%	2
35%	3
40%	4
45%	5
50%	6

Cooling Tower Water Reduction

To preserve water used for the cooling tower while preventing its contamination.

To get this credit you must:

For cooling towers and evaporative condensers, conduct a one-time potable water analysis, in order to optimize cooling tower cycles. Measure at least the five control parameters listed in the table.

Parameter	Maximum Level
Ca (CaCO3)	1000 ppm
Total Alkalinity	1000 ppm
SIO2	100 ppm
CI-	250 ppm
Conductivity	2000 µS/cm

ppm = parts per million

µS/cm = microsiemens per centimeter

Calculate the number of cooling tower cycles by dividing the maximum allowed concentration level of each parameter by the actual concentration level of each parameter found in the potable makeup water. Limit cooling tower cycles to avoid exceeding maximum values for any of these parameters.

 

Cooling Tower Cycles	Points
Maximum number of cycles achieved without exceeding any filtration levels or affecting operation of condenser water system (up to maximum of 10 cycles)	1
Achieve a minimum 10 cycles by increasing the level of treatment in condenser or make-up water OR Achieve the number of cycles for 1 point and use a minimum 20% recycled non potable water	2

For Projects with no Cooling towers:

Projects may earn full credit if all conditions are met:

• the baseline system designated for the building using ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G Table G3.1.1 includes a cooling tower (systems 7 & 8)
• the project design case does not include a cooling tower
• the design case mechanical system does not use the latent heat of the evaporative cooling of water.

All other system types are ineligible for credit.

Water Metering

To keep track of water usage inside the building and identify opportunities for reduction techniques.

To get this credit you must:

Install permanent water meters for two or more of the following water subsystems, as applicable to the project:

• Irrigation. Meter water systems serving at least 80% of the irrigated landscaped area. Calculate the percentage of irrigated landscape area served as the total metered irrigated landscape area divided by the total irrigated landscape area. Landscape areas fully covered with xeriscaping or native vegetation that requires no routine irrigation may be excluded from the calculation.
• Indoor plumbing fixtures and fittings. Meter water systems serving at least 80% of the indoor fixtures and fittings described in WE Prerequisite Indoor Water Use Reduction, either directly or by deducting all other measured water use from the measured total water consumption of the building and grounds.
• Domestic hot water. Meter water use of at least 80% of the installed domestic hot water heating capacity (including both tanks and on-demand heaters).
• Boilers. Boiler with aggregate projected annual water use of 100,000 gallons (378 500 liters) or more, or boiler of more than 500,000 BtuH (150 kW). A single makeup meter may record flows for multiple boilers.
• Reclaimed water. Meter reclaimed water, regardless of rate. A reclaimed water system with a makeup water connection must also be metered so that the true reclaimed water component can be determined.
• Other process water. Meter at least 80% of expected daily water consumption for process end uses, such as humidification systems, dishwashers, clothes washers, pools, and other subsystems using process water.

ENERGY AND ATMOSPHERE

Fundamental Commissioning and Verification (PREREQUISITE)

To help the project meet the owner’s expectations.

To meet this requirement you must:

Complete the following commissioning (Cx) process activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies, in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1″2007 for HVAC&R Systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Requirements for exterior enclosures are limited to inclusion in the owner’s project requirements (OPR) and basis of design (BOD), as well as the review of the OPR, BOD and project design. NIBS Guideline 3-2012 for Exterior Enclosures provides additional guidance.

• Develop the OPR (Example)
• Develop a BOD (Example)

The commissioning authority (CxA) must do the following:

• Review the OPR, BOD, and project design.
• Develop and implement a Cx plan.
• Confirm incorporation of Cx requirements into the construction documents.
• Develop construction checklists.
• Develop a system test procedure.
• Verify system test execution.
• Maintain an issues and benefits log throughout the Cx process.
• Prepare a final Cx process report.
• Document all findings and recommendations and report directly to the owner throughout the process.

The review of the exterior enclosure design may be performed by a qualified member of the design or construction team (or an employee of that firm) who is not directly responsible for design of the building envelope.

By the end of the design development phase, engage a commissioning authority with the following qualifications:

• The CxA must have documented commissioning process experience on at least two building projects with a similar scope of work. The experience must extend from early design phase through at least 10 months of occupancy.
• The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, or an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team.
• For projects smaller than 20,000 square feet (1,860 square meters), the CxA may be a qualified member of the design or construction team In all cases, the CxA must report his or her findings directly to the owner.

Project teams that intend to pursue EA Credit Enhanced Commissioning should note a difference in the CxA qualifications:

for the credit, the CxA may not be an employee of the design or construction firm nor a subcontractor to the construction firm.

Prepare and maintain a current facilities requirements and operations and maintenance plan that contains the information necessary to operate the building efficiently. The plan must include the following:

• a sequence of operations for the building
• the building occupancy schedule
• equipment run-time schedules
• setpoints for all HVAC equipment
• set lighting levels throughout the building
• minimum outside air requirements
• any changes in schedules or setpoints for different seasons, days of the week, and times of day
• a systems narrative describing the mechanical and electrical systems and equipment
• a preventive maintenance plan for building equipment described in the systems narrative
• a commissioning program that includes periodic commissioning requirements, ongoing commissioning tasks, and continuous tasks for critical facilities

Minimum Energy Performance

To reduce excessive energy use.

Demonstrate an improvement of 5% for new construction, 3% for major renovations, or 2% for core and shell projects in the proposed building performance rating compared with the baseline building performance rating. Calculate the baseline building performance according to ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1″2010, Appendix G, with errata using a simulation model.

Projects must meet the minimum percentage savings before taking credit for renewable energy systems.

The proposed design must meet the following criteria:

• compliance with the mandatory provisions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1″2010, with errata
• inclusion of all energy consumption and costs within and associated with the building project
• comparison against a baseline building that complies with Standard 90.1″2010, Appendix G, with errata

Document the energy modeling input assumptions for unregulated loads. Unregulated loads should be modeled accurately to reflect the actual expected energy consumption of the building.

If unregulated loads are not identical for both the baseline and the proposed building performance rating, and the simulation program cannot accurately model the savings, follow the exceptional calculation method (ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1″2010, G2.5). Alternatively, use the COMNET Modeling Guidelines and Procedures to document measures that reduce unregulated loads.

OR

Comply with the mandatory and prescriptive provisions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1″2010, with errata (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.).

Comply with the HVAC and service water heating requirements, including equipment efficiency, economizers, ventilation, and ducts and dampers, in Chapter 4, Design Strategies and Recommendations by Climate Zone, for the appropriate ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide and climate zone:

• ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small to Medium Office Buildings, for office buildings smaller than 100,000 square feet (9 290 square meters)
• ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Medium to Large Box Retail Buildings, for retail buildings with 20,000 to 100,000 square feet (1 860 to 9 290 square meters)
• ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for K”12 School Buildings
• ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Large Hospitals. Over 100,000 square feet (9 290 square meters)

OR

Comply with the mandatory and prescriptive provisions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2010, with errata (or USGBC approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.).

Comply with Section 1: Design Process Strategies, Section 2: Core Performance Requirements, and the following three strategies from Section 3: Enhanced Performance Strategies, as applicable. Where standards conflict, follow the more stringent of the two.

• 3.5 Supply Air Temperature Reset (VAV)
• 3.9 Premium Economizer Performance
• 3.10 Variable Speed Control

To be eligible for this option the project must be less than 100,000 square feet. Healthcare, Warehouse or Laboratory projects are ineligible for this option

A pilot alternative compliance path is available for this option:

To meet the Minimum Energy Performance Prerequisite projects can either use the already listed Advanced Buildings Core Performance Guide or the equivalent option in the New Construction Guide to meet this requirement.

Building Level Energy Metering (PREREQUISITE)

To keep track of the buildings energy usage and identify possible savings.

To meet this requirement you must:

• Install new or use existing building-level energy meters, or submeters that can be aggregated to provide building-level data representing total building energy consumption (electricity, natural gas, chilled water, steam, fuel oil, propane, biomass, etc). Utility-owned meters capable of aggregating building-level resource use are acceptable.
• Commit to sharing with USGBC the resulting energy consumption data and electrical demand data (if metered) for a five-year period beginning on the date the project accepts LEED certification or typical occupancy , whichever comes first. At a minimum, energy consumption must be tracked at monthly intervals.

This commitment must carry forward for five years or until the building changes ownership or lessee.

Fundamental Refrigerant Management (PREREQUISITE)

To reduce stratospheric ozone depletion.

To meet this requirement you must:

• Not use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based refrigerants in new heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems
• Complete a comprehensive CFC phase-out conversion before project completion when reusing existing HVAC&R equipment. Phase-out plans extending beyond the project completion date will be considered on their merits.

Existing small HVAC&R units (defined as containing less than 0.5 pound (225 grams) of refrigerant) and other equipment, such as standard refrigerators, small water coolers, and any other equipment that contains less than 0.5 pound (225 grams) of refrigerant, are exempt.

Enhanced Commissioning

To get further help on the project design to meet the owner’s expectation.

Implement, or have in place a contract to implement, the following commissioning process activities in addition to those required under EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification.

Commissioning authority

• The CxA must have documented commissioning process experience on at least two building projects with a similar scope of work. The experience must extend from early design phase through at least 10 months of occupancy.
• The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design team.

ALSO

For 3 points:

Complete the following commissioning process (CxP) activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0″2005 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1″2007 for HVAC&R systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

The commissioning authority must do the following:

• Review contractor submittals.
• Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents.
• Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
• Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
• Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
• Verify seasonal testing.
• Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
• Develop an on-going commissioning plan.

Include all enhanced commissioning tasks in the OPR and BOD.

For 1 additional point:

• Develop monitoring-based procedures and identify points to be measured and evaluated to assess performance of energy- and water-consuming systems.
• Include the procedures and measurement points in the commissioning plan. Address the following:
  • Roles and responsibilities
  • measurement requirements (meters, points, metering systems, data access)
  • the points to be tracked, with frequency and duration for trend monitoring
  • the limits of acceptable values for tracked points and metered values (where appropriate, predictive algorithms may be used to compare ideal values with actual values)
  • the elements used to evaluate performance, including conflict between systems, out-of-sequence operation of systems components, and energy and water usage profiles
  • an action plan for identifying and correcting operational errors and deficiencies
  • training to prevent errors
  • planning for repairs needed to maintain performance
  • the frequency of analyses in the first year of occupancy (at least quarterly)

Update the systems manual with any modifications or new settings, and give the reason for any modifications from the original design.

OR

For 2 points:

Fulfill the requirements in EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification as they apply to the building’s thermal envelope in addition to mechanical and electrical systems and assemblies.

Complete the following commissioning process (CxP) activities for the building’s thermal envelope in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0″2005 and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Guideline 3″2012, Exterior Enclosure Technical Requirements for the Commissioning Process, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Commissioning authority must complete the following:

• Review contractor submittals
• Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents
• Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents
• Verify systems manual updates and delivery
• Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness
• Verify seasonal testing
• Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion
• Develop an on-going commissioning plan

Optimize Energy Performance

To increase energy performance beyond prerequisite standard.

To get this credit you must:

Establish an energy performance target no later than the schematic design phase. The target must be established as kBtu per square foot-year (kW per square meter-year) of source energy use.

AND

Analyze efficiency measures during the design process and account for the results in design decision making. Use energy simulation of efficiency opportunities, past energy simulation analyses for similar buildings, or published data (e.g., Advanced Energy Design Guides) from analyses for similar buildings.

Analyze efficiency measures, focusing on load reduction and HVAC-related strategies (passive measures are acceptable) appropriate for the facility. Project potential energy savings and holistic project cost implications related to all affected systems.

Project teams pursuing the Integrative Process credit must complete the basic energy analysis for that credit before conducting the energy simulation.

Follow the criteria in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance to demonstrate a percentage improvement in the proposed building performance rating compared with the baseline. Points are awarded according to the table.

Percentage New Construction	Points	Points Healthcare	Points Schools
6%	1	3	1
8%	2	4	2
10%	3	5	3
12%	4	6	4
14%	5	7	5
16%	6	8	6
18%	7	9	7
20%	8	10	8
22%	9	11	9
24%	10	12	10
26%	11	13	11
29%	12	14	12
32%	13	15	13
35%	14	16	14
38%	15	17	15
42%	16	18	16
46%	17	19	–
50%	18	20	–

OR

To be eligible for this option, projects must use the second option in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance.

For 1 to 6 points:

Implement and document compliance with the applicable recommendations and standards in Chapter 4, Design Strategies and Recommendations by Climate Zone, for the appropriate ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide and climate zone. For projects outside the U.S., consult ASHRAE/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1″2010, Appendices B and D, to determine the appropriate climate zone.

ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small to Medium Office Buildings

• Building envelope, opaque: roofs, walls, floors, slabs, doors, and continuous air barriers (1 point)
• Building envelope, glazing: vertical fenestration (1 point)
• Interior lighting, including daylighting and interior finishes (1 point)
• Exterior lighting (1 point)
• Plug loads, including equipment and controls (1 point)

ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Medium to Large Box Retail Buildings

• Building envelope, opaque: roofs, walls, floors, slabs, doors, and vestibules (1 point)
• Building envelope, glazing: fenestration – all orientations (1 point)
• Interior lighting, excluding lighting power density for sales floor (1 point)
• Additional interior lighting for sales floor (1 point)
• Exterior lighting (1 point)
• Plug loads, including equipment choices and controls (1 point)

ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for K”12 School Buildings

• Building envelope, opaque: roofs, walls, floors, slabs, and doors (1 point)
• Building envelope, glazing: vertical fenestration (1 point)
• Interior lighting, including daylighting and interior finishes (1 point)
• Exterior lighting (1 point)
• Plug loads, including equipment choices, controls, and kitchen equipment (1 point)

ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide for Large Hospitals

• Building envelope, opaque: roofs, walls, floors, slabs, doors, vestibules, and continuous air barriers (1 point)Building envelope, glazing: vertical fenestration (1 point)
• Interior lighting, including daylighting (form or non form driven) and interior finishes (1 point)
• Exterior lighting (1 point)
• Plug loads, including equipment choices, controls, and kitchen equipment (1 point)

Enhanced Energy Metering

To gain further management of the energy use and identify possibilities for saving energy.

To get this credit you must:

Install advanced energy metering for the following:

• all whole-building energy sources used by the building
• any individual energy end uses that represent 10% or more of the total annual consumption of the building

The advanced energy metering must have the following characteristics:

• Meters must be permanently installed, record usage at intervals of one hour or less, and transmit data to a remote location
• Electricity meters must record both consumption and demand. Whole-building electricity meters should record the power factor, if appropriate
• The data collection system must use a local area network, building automation system, wireless network, or comparable communication infrastructure
• The system must be capable of storing all meter data for at least 36 months
• The data must be remotely accessible
• All meters in the system must be capable of reporting hourly, daily, monthly, and annual energy use

Demand Response

To participate in technologies of demand response organizing the generation and distribution of the energy.

To get this credit you have two options:

For 2 points:

Participate in an existing demand response (DR) program and complete the following activities:

• Design a system with the capability for real-time, fully-automated DR based on external initiation by a DR Program Provider. Semi-automated DR may be utilized in practice
• Enroll in a minimum one-year DR participation amount contractual commitment with a qualified DR program provider, with the intention of multi year renewal, for at least 10% of the estimated peak electricity demand. Peak demand is determined under EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance
• Develop a comprehensive plan for meeting the contractual commitment during a Demand Response event
• Include the DR processes in the scope of work for the commissioning authority, including participation in at least one full test of the DR plan

OR

For 1 point:

Provide infrastructure to take advantage of future demand response programs or dynamic, real-time pricing programs and complete the following activities:

• Install interval recording meters with communications and ability for the building automation system to accept an external price or control signal
• Develop a comprehensive plan for shedding at least 10% of building estimated peak electricity demand. Peak demand is determined under EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance
• Include the DR processes in the scope of work for the commissioning authority, including participation in at least one full test of the DR plan
• Contact local utility representatives to discuss participation in future DR programs

Renewable Energy Production

To reduce environmental harms produced by burning fossil fuels.

To get this credit you must:

Use renewable energy systems to offset building energy costs. Calculate the percentage of renewable energy with the following equation:

% of renewable energy = Equivalent cost of usable energy produced by the renewable energy system/Total building annual energy cost

Use the building’s annual energy cost, calculated in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance, if Option 1 was pursued, otherwise use the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) database to estimate energy use and cost.

The use of solar gardens or community renewable energy systems is allowed if both of the following requirements are met:

• The project owns the system or has signed a lease agreement for a period of at least 10 years
• The system is located with the same utility service area as the facility claiming the use

Credit is based on the percentage of ownership or percentage of use assigned in the lease agreement. Points are awarded according to the table.

Percentage of renewable energy	Points	Points (Core & Shell)
1%	1	1
3%	–	2
5%	2	3
10%	3	–

Enhanced Refrigerant Management

To reduce ozone depletion and support early compliance with the Montreal Protocol.

To get this credit you:

Must not use refrigerants, or use only refrigerants (naturally occurring or synthetic) that have an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero and a global warming potential (GWP) of less than 50.

OR

Select refrigerants that are used in heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) equipment to minimize or eliminate the emission of compounds that contribute to ozone depletion and climate change. The combination of all new and existing base building and tenant HVAC&R equipment that serve the project must comply with the following formula:

LCGWP + LCODP x 105 â°¤ 100

LCODP(Lifetime Ozone Depletion Potential) = [ODPr x (Lr x Life +Mr) x Rc]/Life

LCGWP(Lifecycle Direct Global Warming Potential) = [GWPr x (Lr x Life +Mr) x Rc]/Life

GWPr: Global Warming Potential of Refrigerant (0 to 12,000 lb CO2/lbr)

ODPr: Ozone Depletion Potential of Refrigerant (0 to 0.2 lb CFC 11/lbr)

Lr: Refrigerant Leakage Rate (2.0%)

Mr: End-of-Life Refrigerant Loss (10%)

Rc: Refrigerant Charge (0.5 to 5.0 lbs of refrigerant per ton of gross AHRI rated cooling capacity)

Life: Equipment Life (10 years; default based on equipment type, unless otherwise demonstrated)

For multiple types of equipment, calculate a weighted average of all base building HVAC&R equipment, using the following formula:

(∘ (LCGWP + LCODP x 105)x Qunit)/ Qtotal Ⱔ 100

Qunit = Gross AHRI rated cooling capacity of an individual HVAC or refrigeration unit (Tons)

Qtotal = Total gross AHRI rated cooling capacity of all HVAC or refrigeration

Green Power and Carbon Offsets

To promote reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

To get this credit you must:

• Engage in a contract for qualified resources that have come online since January 1, 2005, for a minimum of five years, to be delivered at least annually. The contract must specify the provision of at least 50% or 100% of the project’s energy from green power, carbon offsets, or renewable energy certificates (RECs).
• Green power and RECs must be Green-e Energy certified or the equivalent. RECs can only be used to mitigate the effects of Scope 2, electricity use.
• Carbon offsets may be used to mitigate Scope 1 or Scope 2 emissions on a metric ton of carbon dioxide”equivalent basis and must be Green-e Climate certified, or the equivalent.
• For U.S. projects, the offsets must be from greenhouse gas emissions reduction projects within the U.S.
• Determine the percentage of green power or offsets based on the quantity of energy consumed, not the cost. Points are awarded according to the table.

Percentage of total energy addressed by greenpower, RECs and or offsets	Points
50%	1
100%	2

Use the project’s annual energy consumption, calculated in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance if Option 1 was pursued, otherwise use the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) database to estimate energy use.

MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

Storage and collection of recyclables (PREREQUISITE)

Waste reduction

Provide dedicated areas accessible to waste haulers and building occupants for the collection and storage of recyclable materials for the entire building. Collection and storage areas may be separate locations. Recyclable materials must include mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals. Take appropriate measures for the safe collection, storage, and disposal of two of the following: batteries, mercury-containing lamps, and electronic waste.

Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning (PREREQUISITE)

To reduce construction and demolition waste.

To meet this requirement you must:

Develop and implement a construction and demolition waste management plan:

• Establish waste diversion goals for the project by identifying at least five materials (both structural and nonstructural) targeted for diversion. approximate a percentage of the overall project waste that these materials represent.
• Specify whether materials will be separated or commingled and describe the diversion strategies planned for the project. Describe where the materials will be taken and how the recycling facility will process the material.

Provide a final report detailing all major waste streams generated, including disposal and diversion rates.

Alternative daily cover (ADC) does not qualify as material diverted from disposal. Land-clearing debris is not considered construction, demolition, or renovation waste that can contribute to waste diversion.

Building life-cycle impact reduction

To encourage adaptive reuse and optimize performance of materials.

To achieve this credit you must:

Demonstrate reduced environmental effects during initial project decision-making by reusing existing building resources or demonstrating a reduction in materials use through life-cycle assessment. Achieve one of the following options.

For 5 points:

Maintain the existing building structure, envelope, and interior nonstructural elements of a historic building or contributing building in a historic district. To qualify, the building or historic district must be listed or eligible for listing in the local, state, or national register of historic places. Do not demolish any part of a historic building or contributing building in a historic district unless it is deemed structurally unsound or hazardous. For buildings listed locally, approval of any demolition must be granted by the local historic preservation review board. For buildings listed in a state register or the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.), approval must appear in a programmatic agreement with the state historic preservation office or National Park Service (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.).

Any alteration (preservation, restoration, or rehabilitation) of a historic building or a contributing building in a historic district on the project site must be done in accordance with local or national standards for rehabilitation, whichever are applicable. If building is not subject to historic review, include on the project team a preservation professional who meets U.S. federal qualifications for historic architects (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.) the preservation professional must confirm conformance to the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.).

OR

For 5 points:

Maintain at least 50%, by surface area, of the existing building structure, enclosure, and interior structural elements for buildings that meet local criteria of abandoned or are considered blight. The building must be renovated to a state of productive occupancy. Up to 25% of the building surface area may be excluded from credit calculation because of deterioration or damage.

OR

Reuse or salvage building materials from off site or on site as a percentage of the surface area, as listed in Table 1. Include structural elements (e.g., floors, roof decking), enclosure materials (e.g., skin, framing), and permanently installed interior elements (e.g., walls, doors, floor coverings, ceiling systems). Exclude from the calculation window assemblies and any hazardous materials that are remediated as a part of the project.

Materials contributing toward this credit may not contribute toward MR Credit Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Sourcing of Raw Materials.

Percentage of completed project surface area reused	Points	Points Core & Shell
25%	2	2
50%	3	3
75%	4	5

OR

For 3 points:

For new construction (buildings or portions of buildings), conduct a life-cycle assessment of the project’s structure and enclosure that demonstrates a minimum of 10% reduction, compared with a baseline building, in at least three of the six impact categories listed below, one of which must be global warming potential. No impact category assessed as part of the life-cycle assessment may increase by more than 5% compared with the baseline building.

The baseline and proposed buildings must be of comparable size, function, orientation, and operating energy performance as defined in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance. The service life of the baseline and proposed buildings must be the same and at least 60 years to fully account for maintenance and replacement. Use the same life-cycle assessment software tools and datasets to evaluate both the baseline building and the proposed building, and report all listed impact categories. Data sets must be compliant with ISO 14044.

Select at least three of the following impact categories for reduction:

• global warming potential (greenhouse gases), in CO2e
• depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, in kg CFC-11
• acidification of land and water sources, in moles H+ or kg SO2
• eutrophication, in kg nitrogen or kg phosphate
• formation of tropospheric ozone, in kg NOx, kg O3 eq, or kg ethene
• depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, in MJ

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization- Environmental Product Declarations

To promote the use of materials which have its life-cycle information available.

To get this credit you must:

Achieve one or more of the options below, for a maximum of 2 points.

For 1 point:

Use at least 20 different permanently installed products sourced from at least five different manufacturers that meet one of the disclosure criteria below.

• Product-specific declaration.
  • Products with a publicly available, critically reviewed life-cycle assessment conforming to ISO 14044 that have at least a cradle to gate scope are valued as one quarter (1/4) of a product for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• Environmental Product Declarations which conform to ISO 14025, 14040, 14044, and EN 15804 or ISO 21930 and have at least a cradle to gate scope.
  • Industry-wide (generic) EPD — Products with third-party certification (Type III), including external verification, in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as a participant by the program operator are valued as one half (1/2) of a product for purposes of credit achievement calculation.
  • Product-specific Type III EPD — Products with third-party certification (Type III), including external verification in which the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as the participant by the program operator are valued as one whole product for purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• USGBC approved program ” Products that comply with other USGBC approved environmental product declaration frameworks.

For one more point or as one point:

Use products that comply with one of the criteria below for 50%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed products in the project. Products will be valued as below.

• Third party certified products that demonstrate impact reduction below industry average in at least three of the following categories are valued at 100% of their cost for credit achievement calculations.
  • global warming potential (greenhouse gases), in CO2e
  • depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, in kg CFC-11
  • acidification of land and water sources, in moles H+ or kg SO2
  • eutrophication, in kg nitrogen or kg phosphate
  • formation of tropospheric ozone, in kg NOx, kg O3 eq, or kg ethene
  • depletion of nonrenewable energy resources, in MJ
• USGBC approved program — Products that comply with other USGBC approved multi-attribute frameworks.

For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured, purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at 200% of their base contributing cost.

Structure and enclosure materials may not constitute more than 30% of the value of compliant building products.

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization- sourcing of raw materials

To promote the use of materials which have its life-cycle information available.

To get this credit you must:

Achieve one or more of the options below, for a maximum of 2 points.

For 1 point:

Use at least 20 different permanently installed products from at least five different manufacturers that have publicly released a report from their raw material suppliers which include raw material supplier extraction locations, a commitment to long-term ecologically responsible land use, a commitment to reducing environmental harms from extraction and/or manufacturing processes, and a commitment to meeting applicable standards or programs voluntarily that address responsible sourcing criteria.

• Products sourced from manufacturers with self-declared reports are valued as one half (1/2) of a product for credit achievement.
• Third-party verified corporate sustainability reports (CSR) which include environmental impacts of extraction operations and activities associated with the manufacturer’s product and the product’s supply chain, are valued as one whole product for credit achievement calculation. Acceptable CSR frameworks include the following:
  • Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Report
  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
  • U.N. Global Compact: Communication of Progress
  • ISO 26000: 2010 Guidance on Social Responsibility
  • USGBC approved program: Other USGBC approved programs meeting the CSR criteria.

For one more point or as one point:

Use products that meet at least one of the responsible extraction criteria below for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project.

• Extended producer responsibility. Products purchased from a manufacturer (producer) that participates in an extended producer responsibility program or is directly responsible for extended producer responsibility. Products meeting extended producer responsibility criteria are valued at 50% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• Bio-based materials. Bio-based products must meet the Sustainable Agriculture Network’s Sustainable Agriculture Standard. Bio-based raw materials must be tested using ASTM Test Method D6866 and be legally harvested, as defined by the exporting and receiving country. Exclude hide products, such as leather and other animal skin material. Products meeting bio-based materials criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• Wood products. Wood products must be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or USGBC-approved equivalent. Products meeting wood products criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• Materials reuse. Reuse includes salvaged, refurbished, or reused products. Products meeting materials reuse criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• Recycled content. Recycled content is the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus one-half the pre consumer recycled content, based on cost. Products meeting recycled content criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.
• USGBC approved program. Other USGBC approved programs meeting leadership extraction criteria.

For credit achievement calculation, products sourced (extracted, manufactured, and purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at 200% of their base contributing cost. For credit achievement calculation, the base contributing cost of individual products compliant with multiple responsible extraction criteria is not permitted to exceed 100% its total actual cost (before regional multipliers) and double counting of single product components compliant with multiple responsible extraction criteria is not permitted and in no case is a product permitted to contribute more than 200% of its total actual cost.

Structure and enclosure materials may not constitute more than 30% of the value of compliant building products.

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization- material ingredients

To encourage use of materials with life cycle information available and with verified sources.

To get this credit you must:

For one point.

Use at least 20 different permanently installed products from at least five different manufacturers that use any of the following programs to demonstrate the chemical inventory of the product to at least 0.1% (1000 ppm).

• Manufacturer Inventory. The manufacturer has published complete content inventory for the product following these guidelines:
  • A publicly available inventory of all ingredients identified by name and Chemical Abstract Service Registration Number (CASRN)
  • Materials defined as trade secret or intellectual property may withhold the name and/or CASRN but must disclose role, amount and GreenScreen benchmark, as defined in GreenScreen v1.2.
• Health Product Declaration. The end use product has a published, complete Health Product Declaration with full disclosure of known hazards in compliance with the Health Product Declaration open Standard.
• Cradle to Cradle. The end use product has been certified at the Cradle to Cradle v2 Basic level or Cradle to Cradle v3 Bronze level.
• USGBC approved program. Other USGBC approved programs meeting the material ingredient reporting criteria.

For one point or one additional point.

Use products that document their material ingredient optimization using the paths below for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed products in the project.

• GreenScreen v1.2 Benchmark. Products that have fully inventoried chemical ingredients to 100 ppm that have no Benchmark 1 hazards:
  • If any ingredients are assessed with the GreenScreen List Translator, value these products at 100% of cost.
  • If all ingredients are have undergone a full GreenScreen Assessment, value these products at 150% of cost.
• Cradle to Cradle Certified. End use products are certified Cradle to Cradle. Products will be valued as follows:
  • Cradle to Cradle v2 Gold: 100% of cost
  • Cradle to Cradle v2 Platinum: 150% of cost
  • Cradle to Cradle v3 Silver: 100% of cost
  • Cradle to Cradle v3 Gold or Platinum: 150% of cost
• USGBC approved program. Products that comply with USGBC approved building product optimization criteria.

For one point or one additional point.

Use building products for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed products in the project that:

• Are sourced from product manufacturers who engage in validated and robust safety, health, hazard, and risk programs which at a minimum document at least 99% (by weight) of the ingredients used to make the building product or building material
• Are sourced from product manufacturers with independent third party verification of their supply chain that at a minimum verifies:
  • Processes are in place to communicate and transparently prioritize chemical ingredients along the supply chain according to available hazard, exposure and use information to identify those that require more detailed evaluation
  • Processes are in place to identify, document, and communicate information on health, safety and environmental characteristics of chemical ingredients
  • Processes are in place to implement measures to manage the health, safety and environmental hazard and risk of chemical ingredients
  • Processes are in place to optimize health, safety and environmental impacts when designing and improving chemical ingredients
  • Processes are in place to communicate, receive and evaluate chemical ingredient safety and stewardship information along the supply chain
  • Safety and stewardship information about the chemical ingredients is publicly available from all points along the supply chain

Products meeting Option 3 criteria are valued at 100% of their cost for the purposes of credit achievement calculation.

For credit achievement calculation of options 2 and 3, products sourced (extracted, manufactured, purchased) within 100 miles (160 km) of the project site are valued at 200% of their base contributing cost. For credit achievement calculation, the value of individual products compliant with either option 2 or 3 can be combined to reach the 25% threshold but products compliant with both option 2 and 3 may only be counted once.

Structure and enclosure materials may not constitute more than 30% of the value of compliant building products.

Construction and Demolition Waste Management

To reduce waste in construction.

To get this credit you must:

Recycle and/or salvage nonhazardous construction and demolition materials. Calculations can be by weight or volume but must be consistent throughout.

Exclude excavated soil, land-clearing debris, and alternative daily cover (ADC). Include wood waste converted to fuel (bio-fuel) in the calculations; other types of waste-to-energy are not considered diversion for this credit.

However, for projects that cannot meet credit requirements using reuse and recycling methods, waste-to-energy systems may be considered waste diversion if the European Commission Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC and Waste Incineration Directive 2000/76/EC are followed and Waste to Energy facilities meet applicable European Committee for Standardization (CEN) EN 303 standards.

For 1-2 points:

Divert at least 50% of the total construction and demolition material; diverted materials must include at least three material streams.

OR

For 2 points:

Divert at least 75% of the total construction and demolition material; diverted materials must include at least four material streams.

OR

For 2 points:

Do not generate more than 2.5 pounds of construction waste per square foot (12.2 kilograms of waste per square meter) of the building’s floor area.

INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Minimum standard to guarantee comfort.

To meet this requirement you must:

Meet the requirements for both ventilation and monitoring.

Mechanically Ventilated Spaces

For mechanically ventilated spaces (and for mixed-mode systems when the mechanical ventilation is activated), determine the minimum outdoor air intake flow for mechanical ventilation systems using the ventilation rate procedure from ASHRAE 62.1″2010 or a local equivalent, whichever is more stringent.

Meet the minimum requirements of ASHRAE Standard 62.1″2010, Sections 4″7, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality (with errata), or a local equivalent, whichever is more stringent.

For mechanically ventilated spaces (and for mixed-mode systems when the mechanical ventilation is activated), monitor outdoor air intake flow as follows:

• For variable air volume systems, provide a direct outdoor airflow measurement device capable of measuring the minimum outdoor air intake flow. This device must measure the minimum outdoor air intake flow with an accuracy of +/”10% of the design minimum outdoor airflow rate, as defined by the ventilation requirements above. An alarm must indicate when the outdoor airflow value varies by 15% or more from the outdoor airflow setpoint.
• For constant-volume systems, balance outdoor airflow to the design minimum outdoor airflow rate defined by ASHRAE Standard 62.1″2010 (with errata), or higher. Install a current transducer on the supply fan, an airflow switch, or similar monitoring device.

Naturally Ventilated Spaces

For naturally ventilated spaces (and for mixed-mode systems when the mechanical ventilation is inactivated), determine the minimum outdoor air opening and space configuration requirements using the natural ventilation procedure from ASHRAE Standard 62.1″2010 or a local equivalent, whichever is more stringent. Confirm that natural ventilation is an effective strategy for the project by following the flow diagram in the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Applications Manual AM10, March 2005, Natural Ventilation in Non Domestic Buildings, Figure 2.8, and meet the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 62.1″2010, Section 4, or a local equivalent, whichever is more stringent.

For naturally ventilated spaces (and for mixed-mode systems when the mechanical ventilation is inactivated), comply with at least one of the following strategies.

• Provide a direct exhaust airflow measurement device capable of measuring the exhaust airflow. This device must measure the exhaust airflow with an accuracy of +/”10% of the design minimum exhaust airflow rate. An alarm must indicate when airflow values vary by 15% or more from the exhaust airflow setpoint.
• Provide automatic indication devices on all natural ventilation openings intended to meet the minimum opening requirements. An alarm must indicate when any one of the openings is closed during occupied hours.
• Monitor carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations within each thermal zone. CO2 monitors must be between 3 and 6 feet (900 and 1 800 millimeters) above the floor and within the thermal zone. CO2 monitors must have an audible or visual indicator or alert the building automation system if the sensed CO2 concentration exceeds the setpoint by more than 10%. Calculate appropriate CO2 setpoints using the methods in ASHRAE 62.1″2010, Appendix C.

All Spaces:

The indoor air quality procedure defined in ASHRAE Standard 62.1″2010 may not be used to comply with this prerequisite.

Residential:

In addition to the requirements above, if the project building contains residential units, each dwelling unit must meet all of the following requirements.

• Unvented combustion appliances (e.g., decorative logs) are not allowed.
• Carbon monoxide monitors must be installed on each floor of each unit.
• All indoor fireplaces and woodstoves must have solid glass enclosures or doors that seal when closed.
• Any indoor fireplaces and woodstoves that are not closed combustion or power-vented must pass a backdraft potential test to ensure that depressurization of the combustion appliance zone is less than 5 Pa.
• Space- and water-heating equipment that involves combustion must be designed and installed with closed combustion (i.e., sealed supply air and exhaust ducting) or with power-vented exhaust, or located in a detached utility building or open-air facility.

For projects in high-risk areas for radon, EPA Radon Zone 1 (or local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.), design and construct any dwelling unit on levels one through four above grade with radon-resistant construction techniques. Follow the techniques prescribed in EPA Building Radon Out; NFPA 5000, Chapter 49; International Residential Code, Appendix F; CABO, Appendix F; ASTM E1465; or a local equivalent, whichever is most stringent.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control (PREREQUISITE)

To minimize exposure to tobacco smoke.

To meet this requirement you must:

Prohibit smoking inside the building.

Prohibit smoking outside the building except in designated smoking areas located at least 25 feet (7.5 meters) from all entries, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows. Also prohibit smoking outside the property line in spaces used for business purposes.

If the requirement to prohibit smoking within 25 feet (7.5 meters) cannot be implemented because of code, provide documentation of these regulations.

Signage must be posted within 10 feet (3 meters) of all building entrances indicating the no-smoking policy.

Residential:

Meet the requirements above.

OR

Prohibit smoking inside all common areas of the building. The prohibition must be communicated in building rental or lease agreements or condo or coop association covenants and restrictions. Make provisions for enforcement.

Prohibit smoking outside the building except in designated smoking areas located at least 25 feet (7.5 meters) from all entries, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows. The no-smoking policy also applies to spaces outside the property line used for business purposes.

If the requirement to prohibit smoking within 25 feet (7.5 meters) cannot be implemented because of code, provide documentation of these regulations.

Signage must be posted within 10 feet (3 meters) of all building entrances indicating the no-smoking policy.

Each unit must be compartmentalized to prevent excessive leakage between units:

• Weather-strip all exterior doors and operable windows in the residential units to minimize leakage from outdoors.
• Weather-strip all doors leading from residential units into common hallways.
• Minimize uncontrolled pathways for the transfer of smoke and other indoor air pollutants between residential units by sealing penetrations in the walls, ceilings, and floors and by sealing vertical chases (including utility chases, garbage chutes, mail drops, and elevator shafts) adjacent to the units.
• Demonstrate a maximum leakage of 0.23 cubic feet per minute per square foot (1.17 liters per second per square meter) at 50 Pa of enclosure (i.e., all surfaces enclosing the apartment, including exterior and party walls, floors, and ceilings).

Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies

To provide occupants comfort.

To get this credit you must:

Comply with the following requirements, as applicable.

Mechanically ventilated spaces:

• Install permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grilles, slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath, rollout mats, and any other materials manufactured as entryway systems with equivalent or better performance. Maintain all on a weekly basis.
• Sufficiently exhaust each space where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or used (e.g., garages, housekeeping and laundry areas, copying and printing rooms), using the exhaust rates determined in EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance or a minimum of 0.50 cfm per square foot (2.54 l/s per square meter), to create negative pressure with respect to adjacent spaces when the doors to the room are closed. For each of these spaces, provide self-closing doors and deck-to-deck partitions or a hard-lid ceiling.
• Each ventilation system that supplies outdoor air to occupied spaces must have particle filters or air-cleaning devices that meet one of the following filtration media requirements:
  • minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 52.2″2007 OR
  • Class F7 or higher as defined by CEN Standard EN 779″2002, Particulate Air Filters for General Ventilation, Determination of the Filtration Performance
• Replace all air filtration media after completion of construction and before occupancy

Naturally ventilated spaces:

• Install permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grilles, slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath, rollout mats, and any other materials manufactured as entryway systems with equivalent or better performance. Maintain all on a weekly basis.
• Demonstrate that the system design for occupied spaces employs the appropriate strategies in Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Applications Manual AM10, March 2005, Natural Ventilation in Non-Domestic Buildings, Section 2.4.

Mixed-mode systems:

• Install permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grilles, slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath, rollout mats, and any other materials manufactured as entryway systems with equivalent or better performance. Maintain all on a weekly basis.
• Sufficiently exhaust each space where hazardous gases or chemicals may be present or used (e.g., garages, housekeeping and laundry areas, copying and printing rooms), using the exhaust rates determined in EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance or a minimum of 0.50 cfm per square foot (2.54 l/s per square meter), to create negative pressure with respect to adjacent spaces when the doors to the room are closed. For each of these spaces, provide self-closing doors and deck-to-deck partitions or a hard-lid ceiling.
• Each ventilation system that supplies outdoor air to occupied spaces must have particle filters or air-cleaning devices that meet one of the following filtration media requirements:
  • minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 52.2″2007 OR
  • Class F7 or higher as defined by CEN Standard EN 779″2002, Particulate Air Filters for General Ventilation, Determination of the Filtration Performance
• Replace all air filtration media after completion of construction and before occupancy.
• Demonstrate that the system design for occupied spaces employs the appropriate strategies in Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Applications Manual AM10, March 2005, Natural Ventilation in Non-Domestic Buildings, Section 2.4.
• Demonstrate that the system design for occupied spaces complies with CIBSE Applications Manual 13″2000, Mixed Mode Ventilation.

OR

Comply with the following requirements, as applicable.

Mechanically ventilated spaces (select one):

• Design the project to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into the building. Ensure through the results of computational fluid dynamics modeling, Gaussian dispersion analyses, wind tunnel modeling, or tracer gas modeling that outdoor air contaminant concentrations at outdoor air intakes are below the thresholds listed in the Table.

Pollutants	Maximum Concentration	Standard
Those regulated by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)	Allowable annual Average OR 8-hour or 24-hour average where an annual standard does not exist OR Rolling 3-month average	National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

• Increase breathing zone outdoor air ventilation rates to all occupied spaces by at least 30% above the minimum rates as determined in EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance.
• Monitor CO2 concentrations within all densely occupied spaces. CO2 monitors must be between 3 and 6 feet (900 and 1 800 millimeters) above the floor. CO2 monitors must have an audible or visual indicator or alert the building automation system if the sensed CO2 concentration exceeds the setpoint by more than 10%. Calculate appropriate CO2 setpoints using methods in ASHRAE 62.1″2010, Appendix C.
• For spaces where air contaminants are likely, evaluate potential sources of additional air contaminants besides CO2. Develop and implement a materials-handling plan to reduce the likelihood of contaminant release. Install monitoring systems with sensors designed to detect the specific contaminants. An alarm must indicate any unusual or unsafe conditions.

Naturally ventilated spaces (select one):

• Design the project to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into the building. Ensure through the results of computational fluid dynamics modeling, Gaussian dispersion analyses, wind tunnel modeling, or tracer gas modeling that outdoor air contaminant concentrations at outdoor air intakes are below the thresholds listed in the Table.

Pollutants	Maximum Concentration	Standard
Those regulated by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)	Allowable annual Average OR 8-hour or 24-hour average where an annual standard does not exist OR Rolling 3-month average	National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

• Monitor CO2 concentrations within all densely occupied spaces. CO2 monitors must be between 3 and 6 feet (900 and 1 800 millimeters) above the floor. CO2 monitors must have an audible or visual indicator or alert the building automation system if the sensed CO2 concentration exceeds the setpoint by more than 10%. Calculate appropriate CO2 setpoints using methods in ASHRAE 62.1″2010, Appendix C.
• Follow CIBSE AM10, Section 4, Design Calculations, to predict that room-by-room airflows will provide effective natural ventilation.

Mixed-mode systems (select one):

• Design the project to minimize and control the entry of pollutants into the building. Ensure through the results of computational fluid dynamics modeling, Gaussian dispersion analyses, wind tunnel modeling or tracer gas modeling that outdoor air contaminant concentrations at outdoor air intakes are below the thresholds listed in the Table.

Pollutants	Maximum Concentration	Standard
Those regulated by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)	Allowable annual Average OR 8-hour or 24-hour average where an annual standard does not exist OR Rolling 3-month average	National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

• Increase breathing zone outdoor air ventilation rates to all occupied spaces by at least 30% above the minimum rates as determined in EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance.
• For spaces where air contaminants are likely, evaluate potential sources of additional air contaminants besides CO2. Develop and implement a materials-handling plan to reduce the likelihood of contaminant release. Install monitoring systems with sensors designed to detect the specific contaminants. An alarm must indicate any unusual or unsafe conditions.
• Follow CIBSE AM10, Section 4, Design Calculations, to predict that room-by-room airflows will provide effective natural ventilation.

Low Emitting Materials

To reduce use of chemicals that could harm occupants.

To get this credit you must:

This credit includes requirements for product manufacturing as well as project teams. It covers volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions into indoor air and the VOC content of materials, as well as the testing methods by which indoor VOC emissions are determined. Different materials must meet different requirements to be considered compliant for this credit. The building interior and exterior are organized in seven categories, each with different thresholds of compliance. The building interior is defined as everything within the waterproofing membrane. The building exterior is defined as everything outside and inclusive of the primary and secondary weatherproofing system, such as waterproofing membranes and air- and water-resistive barrier materials.

Achieve the threshold level of compliance with emissions and content standards for the number of product categories listed in the Table.

Category	Threshold	Emissions and content requirement
Interior Paints and coatings applied on site	At least 90%, by volume, for emissions; 100% for VOC content	· General Emissions Evaluation for paints and coating applied to walls, floors and ceilings · VOC content requirements for wet applied products
Interior adhesives and sealants applied on site (including flooring adhesive)	At least 90%, by volume, for emissions; 100% for VOC content	· General Emissions Evaluation · VOC content requirements for wet applied products
Flooring	100%	General Emissions Evaluation
Composite Wood	100% not covered by other categories	Composite Wood Evaluation
Ceilings, Walls, Thermal and acoustic insulation	100%	· General Emissions Evaluation · Healthcare, schools only · Additional insulation requirements
Furniture(Include in calculations if part of scope of work)	At least 90%, by cost.	Furniture Evaluation
Healthcare and Schools projects only: Exterior applied Products	At least 90%, by volume	Exterior Applied products

Compliant Categories	Points
NC,CS,NC retail,DC,WDC,NC Hos projects without furniture
2	1
4	2
5	3
NC,CS,NC retail,DC,WDC,NC Hos projects without furniture, CI,CI retail, CI Hos
3	1
5	2
6	3
Schools, HC without furniture
3	1
5	2
6	3
Schools, HC with furniture
4	1
6	2
7	3

OR

If some products in a category do not meet the criteria, project teams may use the budget calculation method (Table)

Percentage of total	Points
>50% and <70%	1
>70% and <90%	2
>90%	3

The budget method organizes the building interior into five assemblies:

• flooring
• ceilings
• walls
• thermal and acoustic insulation
• furniture

Include furniture in the calculations if it is part of the scope of work. Walls, ceilings, and flooring are defined as building interior products; each layer of the assembly, including paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants, must be evaluated for compliance. Insulation is tracked separately.

Determine the total percentage of compliant materials according to the equations:

• Total % compliant for projects without furniture = (% compliant walls + % compliant ceilings + % compliant flooring + % compliant insulation)/4
• Total % compliant for projects with furniture = (% compliant walls + % compliant ceilings + % compliant flooring + % compliant insulation) + (% compliant furniture)/5
• FLOORING, WALLS, CEILINGS, INSULATION % COMPLIANT = (COMPLIANT SURFACE AREA OF LAYER 1 + COMPLIANT SURFACE AREA OF LAYER 2 + COMPLIANT SURFACE AREA OF LAYER 3 + …)/ (TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF LAYER 1 + TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF LAYER 2 + TOTAL SURFACE AREA OF LAYER 3 + …)
• % compliant for furniture =0.5 x cost compliant with §7.6.1 of ANSI/BIFMA e3-2011 + cost compliant with §7.6.2 of ANSI/BIFMA e3-2011/ total furniture cost

Calculate surface area of assembly layers based on the manufacturer’s documentation for application.

If 90% of an assembly meets the criteria, the system counts as 100% compliant. If less than 50% of an assembly meets the criteria, the assembly counts as 0% compliant.

Manufacturers’ claims. Both first-party and third-party statements of product compliance must follow the guidelines in CDPH SM V1.1″2010, Section 8. Organizations that certify manufacturers’ claims must be accredited under ISO Guide 65.

Laboratory requirements. Laboratories that conduct the tests specified in this credit must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 for the test methods they use.

To demonstrate compliance, a product or layer must meet all of the following requirements, as applicable:

• Inherently non emitting sources. Products that are inherently non emitting sources of VOCs (stone, ceramic, powder-coated metals, plated or anodized metal, glass, concrete, clay brick, and unfinished or untreated solid wood flooring) are considered fully compliant without any VOC emissions testing if they do not include integral organic-based surface coatings, binders, or sealants.
• General emissions evaluation. Building products must be tested and determined compliant in accordance with California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Standard Method v1.1″2010, using the applicable exposure scenario. The default scenario is the private office scenario. The manufacturer’s or third-party certification must state the exposure scenario used to determine compliance. Claims of compliance for wet-applied products must state the amount applied in mass per surface area.

Manufacturers’ claims of compliance with the above requirements must also state the range of total VOCs after 14 days (336 hours), measured as specified in the CDPH Standard Method v1.1:

• 0.5 mg/m3 or less
• between 0.5 and 5.0 mg/m3 OR
• 5.0 mg/m3 or more

Additional VOC content requirements for wet-applied products. In addition to meeting the general requirements for VOC emissions (above), on-site wet-applied products must not contain excessive levels of VOCs, for the health of the installers and other trades workers who are exposed to these products. To demonstrate compliance, a product or layer must meet the following requirements, as applicable. Disclosure of VOC content must be made by the manufacturer. Any testing must follow the test method specified in the applicable regulation.

• All paints and coatings wet-applied on site must meet the applicable VOC limits of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings, or the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113, effective June 3, 2011.
• All adhesives and sealants wet-applied on site must meet the applicable chemical content requirements of SCAQMD Rule 1168, July 1, 2005, Adhesive and Sealant Applications, as analyzed by the methods specified in Rule 1168. The provisions of SCAQMD Rule 1168 do not apply to adhesives and sealants subject to state or federal consumer product VOC regulations.
• For projects outside the U.S., all paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants wet-applied on site must either meet the technical requirements of the above regulations, or comply with applicable national VOC control regulations, such as the European Decopaint Directive (2004/42/EC), the Canadian VOC Concentration Limits for Architectural Coatings, or the Hong Kong Air Pollution Control (VOC) Regulation.
• If the applicable regulation requires subtraction of exempt compounds, any content of intentionally added exempt compounds larger than 1% weight by mass (total exempt compounds) must be disclosed.
• If a product cannot reasonably be tested as specified above, testing of VOC content must comply with ASTM D2369-10; ISO 11890, part 1; ASTM D6886-03; or ISO 11890-2.
• For projects in North America, methylene chloride and perchloroethylene may not be intentionally added in paints, coatings, adhesives, or sealants.

Composite Wood Evaluation. Composite wood, as defined by the California Air Resources Board, Airborne Toxic Measure to Reduce Formaldehyde Emissions from Composite Wood Products Regulation, must be documented to have low formaldehyde emissions that meet the California Air Resources Board ATCM for formaldehyde requirements for ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde (ULEF) resins or no added formaldehyde resins. For projects outside the U.S., composite wood must be documented not to exceed a concentration limit of 0.05 ppm of formaldehyde (0.06 mg/m2-h when expressed as emission rate) as tested following either EN-717-1:2004, following ISO 16000-3: 2010, ISO 16000-6: 2011, ISO 16000-9: 2006, ISO 16000-11:2006, or following CEN/TS 16516: 2013 either in conjunction with AgBB or with Belgian or French legislation on VOC emission class labeling.

Salvaged and reused architectural millwork more than one year old at the time of occupancy is considered compliant, provided it meets the requirements for any site-applied paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants.

Furniture evaluation. New furniture and furnishing items must be tested in accordance with ANSI/BIFMA Standard Method M7.1″2011. Comply with ANSI/BIFMA e3-2011 Furniture Sustainability Standard, Sections 7.6.1 and 7.6.2, using either the concentration modeling approach or the emissions factor approach. Model the test results using the open plan, private office, or seating scenario in ANSI/BIFMA M7.1, as appropriate. USGBC-approved equivalent testing methodologies and contaminant thresholds are also acceptable. For classroom furniture, use the standard school classroom model in CDPH Standard Method v1.1. Documentation submitted for furniture must indicate the modeling scenario used to determine compliance.

Salvaged and reused furniture more than one year old at the time of use is considered compliant, provided it meets the requirements for any site-applied paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants.

Construction Indoor air quality management plan

To guarantee comfort and safety for the construction workers.

To get this credit you must:

Develop and implement an indoor air quality (IAQ) management plan for the construction and preoccupancy phases of the building. The plan must address all of the following.

• During construction, meet or exceed all applicable recommended control measures of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction, 2nd edition, 2007, ANSI/SMACNA 008″2008, Chapter 3.
• Protect absorptive materials stored on-site and installed from moisture damage.
• Do not operate permanently installed air-handling equipment during construction unless filtration media with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 8, as determined by ASHRAE 52.2″2007, with errata (or equivalent filtration media class of F5 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779″2002, Particulate Air Filters for General Ventilation, Determination of the Filtration Performance), are installed at each return air grille and return or transfer duct inlet opening such that there is no bypass around the filtration media. Immediately before occupancy, replace all filtration media with the final design filtration media, installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Prohibit the use of tobacco products inside the building and within 25 feet (8 meters) of the building entrance during construction.

Indoor Air Quality Assessment

To guarantee better quality of air.

To get this credit you must:

Select one of the following two options, to be implemented after construction ends and the building has been completely cleaned. All interior finishes, such as millwork, doors, paint, carpet, acoustic tiles, and movable furnishings (e.g., workstations, partitions), must be installed, and major VOC punch list items must be finished. The options cannot be combined.

For one point:

Install new filtration media and perform a building flush-out by supplying a total air volume of 14,000 cubic feet of outdoor air per square foot (4 267 140 liters of outdoor air per square meter) of gross floor area while maintaining an internal temperature of at least 60°F (15°C) and no higher than 80°F (27°C) and relative humidity no higher than 60%.

OR

If occupancy is desired before the flush-out is completed, the space may be occupied only after delivery of a minimum of 3,500 cubic feet of outdoor air per square foot (1 066 260 liters of outdoor air per square meter) of gross floor area while maintaining an internal temperature of at least 60°F (15°C) and no higher than 80°F (27°C) and relative humidity no higher than 60%.

Once the space is occupied, it must be ventilated at a minimum rate of 0.30 cubic foot per minute (cfm) per square foot of outdoor air (1.5 liters per second per square meter of outdoor air) or the design minimum outdoor air rate determined in EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance, whichever is greater. During each day of the flush-out period, ventilation must begin at least three hours before occupancy and continue during occupancy. These conditions must be maintained until a total of 14,000 cubic feet per square foot of outdoor air (4 270 liters of outdoor air per square meter) has been delivered to the space.

OR

For 2 points:

After construction ends and before occupancy, but under ventilation conditions typical for occupancy, conduct baseline IAQ testing using protocols consistent with the methods listed in Table 1 for all occupied spaces. Use current versions of ASTM standard methods, EPA compendium methods, or ISO methods, as indicated. Laboratories that conduct the tests for chemical analysis of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 for the test methods they use. Retail projects may conduct the testing within 14 days of occupancy.

Demonstrate that contaminants do not exceed the concentration levels listed in the table.

Contaminant	Maximum Concentration	Maximum Concentration(Heatlhcare only)	ASTM and US EPA methods	ISO Method
Formaldehyde	27ppb	16.3ppb	ASTM D5197/EPA Compendium Method IP-6	ISO16000-3
Particulates(PM10 for all buildings in EPA nonattainment areas, or local equivalent)	PM10: 50 micrograms per cubic meter PM2.5: 15 micrograms per cubic meter	20 micrograms per cubic meter	EPA Compendium method IP-10	ISO 7708
Ozones(for buildings in EPA nonattainment areas)	0.075 ppm	0.075 ppm	ASTM D5149 – 02	ISO 13964
Total volatile organic compounds(TVOCs)	500 micrograms per cubic meter	200 micrograms per cubic meter	EPA TO-1,TO-15,TO-17 or EPA Compendium method IP-1	ISO 16000-6
Target chemicals listed in CDPH Standard method v1.1, Table 4-1, except formaldehyde	CDPH Standard Method v1.1-2010, Allowable concentrations, Table 4-1	CDPH Standard Method v1.1-2010, Allowable concentrations, Table 4-1	ASTM D5149, EPA TO-1,TO-15,TO-17 or EPA Compendium method IP-1	ISO 16000-3,16000-6
Carbon monoxide CO	9ppm; no more than 2 ppm above outdoor levels	9ppm; no more than 2 ppm above outdoor levels	EPA Compendium method IP-3	ISO 4224

Conduct all measurements before occupancy but during normal occupied hours, with the building ventilation system started at the normal daily start time and operated at the minimum outdoor airflow rate for the occupied mode throughout the test.

For each sampling point where the concentration exceeds the limit, take corrective action and retest for the noncompliant contaminants at the same sampling points. Repeat until all requirements are met.

Thermal Comfort

To provide occupants comfort.

To get this credit you must:

Meet the requirements for both thermal comfort design and thermal comfort control.

Design heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems and the building envelope to meet the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 55″2010, Thermal Comfort Conditions for Human Occupancy, with errata or a local equivalent.

For natatoriums, demonstrate compliance with ASHRAE HVAC Applications Handbook, 2011 edition, Chapter 5, Places of Assembly, Typical Natatorium Design Conditions, with errata.

OR

Design HVAC systems and the building envelope to meet the requirements of the applicable standard:

• ISO 7730:2005, Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment, analytical determination and interpretation of thermal comfort, using calculation of the PMV and PPD indices and local thermal comfort criteria AND
• CEN Standard EN 15251:2007, Indoor Environmental Input Parameters for Design and Assessment of Energy Performance of Buildings, addressing indoor air quality, thermal environment, lighting, and acoustics, Section A2.

AND

Provide individual thermal comfort controls for at least 50% of individual occupant spaces. Provide group thermal comfort controls for all shared multi occupant spaces, and for any individual occupant spaces without individual controls.

Thermal comfort controls allow occupants, whether in individual spaces or shared multi occupant spaces, to adjust at least one of the following in their local environment: air temperature, radiant temperature, air speed, and humidity.

Interior Lighting

To provide occupants comfort.

To get this credit you must:

For one point:

For at least 90% of individual occupant spaces, provide individual lighting controls that enable occupants to adjust the lighting to suit their individual tasks and preferences, with at least three lighting levels or scenes (on, off, mid level). Mid Level is 30% to 70% of the maximum illumination level (not including daylight contributions).

For all shared multi occupant spaces, meet all of the following requirements.

• Have in place multi zone control systems that enable occupants to adjust the lighting to meet group needs and preferences, with at least three lighting levels or scenes (on, off, mid level).
• Lighting for any presentation or projection wall must be separately controlled.
• Switches or manual controls must be located in the same space as the controlled luminaires. A person operating the controls must have a direct line of sight to the controlled luminaires.

OR (For one additional point):

Choose four of the following strategies.

• For all regularly occupied spaces, use light fixtures with a luminance of less than 2,500 cd/m2 between 45 and 90 degrees from nadir.
  • Exceptions include wall wash fixtures properly aimed at walls, as specified by manufacturer’s data, indirect uplighting fixtures, provided there is no view down into these uplights from a regularly occupied space above, and any other specific applications (i.e. adjustable fixtures).
• For the entire project, use light sources with a CRI of 80 or higher. Exceptions include lamps or fixtures specifically designed to provide colored lighting for effect, site lighting, or other special use.
• For 75% of the total connected lighting load, use light sources that have a rated life (or L70 for LED sources) of at least 24,000 hours (at 3-hour per start, if applicable).
• Use direct-only overhead lighting for 25% or less of the total connected lighting load for all regularly occupied spaces.
• For 90% of the regularly occupied floor area, meet the following thresholds for area-weighted average surface reflectance: 85% for ceilings, 60% for walls, and 25% for floors.
• If furniture is included in the scope of work, select furniture finishes to meet the following thresholds for area-weighted average surface reflectance: 45% for work surfaces, and 50% for movable partitions.
• For 75% of the regularly occupied floor area, meet ratio of average wall surface illuminance (excluding fenestration) to average work plane (or surface, if defined) illuminance that does not exceed 1:10. Must also meet strategy E, strategy F, or demonstrate area-weighted surface reflectance of 60% for walls.
• For 75% of the regularly occupied floor area, meet ratio of average ceiling illuminance (excluding fenestration) to work surface illuminance that does not exceed 1:10. Must also meet strategy E, strategy F, or demonstrate area-weighted surface reflectance of 85% for ceilings.

Daylight

To increase the connection of the occupants with the outdoor area and reduce the use of electrical lightning.

To get this credit you must:

Provide manual or automatic (with manual override) glare-control devices for all regularly occupied spaces.

Select one of the following three options.

OPTION 1. SIMULATION: SPATIAL DAYLIGHT AUTONOMY (2″3 POINTS, 1-2 POINTS HEALTHCARE)

Demonstrate through annual computer simulations that spatial daylight autonomy 300/50% (sDA300/50%) of at least 55%, 75%, or 90% is achieved. Use regularly occupied floor area. Healthcare projects should use the perimeter area determined under EQ Credit Quality Views. Points are awarded according to the table.

New Construction, Core and shell, schools, Retail, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers, CI, Hospitality		Healthcare
sDA (for regularly occupied floor area)	Points	sDA(for perimeter floor area)	Points
55%	2	75%	1
75%	3	90%	2

AND

Demonstrate through annual computer simulations that annual sunlight exposure 1000,250 (ASE1000,250) of no more than 10% is achieved. Use the regularly occupied floor area that is daylit per the sDA300/50% simulations.

The sDA and ASE calculation grids should be no more than 2 feet (600 millimeters) square and laid out across the regularly occupied area at a work plane height of 30 inches (76 millimeters) above finished floor (unless otherwise defined). Use an hourly time-step analysis based on typical meteorological year data, or an equivalent, for the nearest available weather station. Include any permanent interior obstructions. Movable furniture and partitions may be excluded.

OR

Demonstrate through computer modeling that illuminance levels will be between 300 lux and 3,000 lux for 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., both on a clear-sky day at the equinox, for the floor area indicated in Table 2. Use regularly occupied floor area. Healthcare projects should use the perimeter area determined under EQ Credit Quality Views.

New Construction, Core and shell, schools, Retail, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers, CI, Hospitality		Healthcare
Percentage of regularly occupied floor area	Points	Percentage of preimeted floor area	Points
75%	1	75%	1
90%	2	90%	2

Calculate illuminance intensity for sun (direct component) and sky (diffuse component) for clear-sky conditions as follows:

• Use typical meteorological year data, or an equivalent, for the nearest available weather station.
• Select one day within 15 days of September 21 and one day within 15 days of March 21 that represent the clearest sky condition.
• Use the average of the hourly value for the two selected days.
• Exclude blinds or shades from the model. Include any permanent interior obstructions. Movable furniture and partitions may be excluded.
  OPTION 3. MEASUREMENT (2-3 POINTS, 1-2 POINTS HEALTHCARE)
  Achieve illuminance levels between 300 lux and 3,000 lux for the floor area indicated in Table 3.

OR

Achieve illuminance levels between 300 lux and 3,000 lux for the floor area indicated in the table.

New Construction, Core and shell, schools, Retail, Data Centers, Warehouses & Distribution Centers, CI, Hospitality		Healthcare
Percentage of regularly occupied floor area	Points	Percentage of perimeter floor area	Points
75%	2	75%	1
90%	3	90%	2

With furniture, fixtures, and equipment in place, measure illuminance levels as follows:

• Measure at appropriate work plane height during any hour between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Take one measurement in any regularly occupied month, and take a second as indicated in Table 4.
• For spaces larger than 150 square feet (14 square meters), take measurements on a maximum 10 foot (3 meter) square grid.
• For spaces 150 square feet (14 square meters) or smaller, take measurements on a maximum 3 foot (900 millimeters) square grid.

If first measurement is taken in..	Take second measurement in..
January	May-September
February	June-October
March	June-July,November “December
April	August December
May	September “January
June	October-February
July	November “March
August	December April
September	December-January,May June
October	February-June
November	March-July
December	April-August

Quality Views

Connect the occupants with the outdoor.

To get this credit you must:

Achieve a direct line of sight to the outdoors via vision glazing for 75% of all regularly occupied floor area.

View glazing in the contributing area must provide a clear image of the exterior, not obstructed by frits, fibers, patterned glazing, or added tints that distort color balance.

Additionally, 75% of all regularly occupied floor area must have at least two of the following four kinds of views:

• multiple lines of sight to vision glazing in different directions at least 90 degrees apart
• views that include at least two of the following: (1) flora, fauna, or sky (2) movement and (3) objects at least 25 feet from the exterior of the glazing
• unobstructed views located within the distance of three times the head height of the vision glazing AND
• views with a view factor of 3 or greater, as defined in “Windows and Offices; A Study of Office Worker Performance and the Indoor Environment.”
• Include in the calculations any permanent interior obstructions. Movable furniture and partitions may be excluded.
  Views into interior atria may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area.

Acoustic Performance

To guarantee an effective acoustic design.

To get this credit you must:

For all occupied spaces, meet the following requirements, as applicable, for HVAC background noise, sound isolation, reverberation time, and sound reinforcement and masking.

HVAC BACKGROUND NOISE

Achieve maximum background noise levels from heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems per 2011 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Applications, Chapter 48, Table 1; AHRI Standard 885-2008, Table 15; or a local equivalent. Calculate or measure sound levels.

For measurements, use a sound level meter that conforms to ANSI S1.4 for type 1 (precision) or type 2 (general purpose) sound measurement instrumentation, or a local equivalent.

Comply with design criteria for HVAC noise levels resulting from the sound transmission paths listed in ASHRAE 2011 Applications Handbook, Table 6; or a local equivalent.

Adjacency Combinations		STCc
Residence (within a multifamily residence), hotel or motel room	Residence, hotel or motel room	55
Residence, hotel or motel	Common hallway, stairway	50
Residence, hotel or motel	Retail	60
Retail	Retail	50
Standard office	Standard office	45
Executive office	Executive office	50
Conference Room	Conference Room	50
Office, Conference Room	Hallway, stairway	50
Mechanical Equipment room	Occupied area	60

Meet the reverberation time requirements in Table 3 (adapted from Table 9.1 in the Performance Measurement Protocols for Commercial Buildings).

 

Room Type	Application	T60(SEC), AT 500HZ,1000 HZ AND 2000HZ
Apartment and condominium	–	< 0.6
Hotel/Motel	Individual Room or suite	< 0.6
	Meeting or banquet room	< 0.8
Office Building	Executive or private office	<0.6
	Conference room	<0.6
	Teleconference room	<0.6
	Open-plan office without sound masking	<0.8
	Open-plan office with sound masking	0.8
Courtroom	Unamplified speech	<0.7
	Amplified speech	<1.0
Performing Arts Space	Drama theaters, concert and recital halls	Varies by application
Laboratories	Testing or research with minimal speech communication	<1.0
	Extensive phone use and speech communication	<0.6
Church, Mosque, Synagogue	General Assembly with critical music program	Varies by application
Library		<1.0
Indoor stadium, gymnasium	Gymnasium and natatorium	<2.0
	Large capacity space with speech amplification	<1.5
Classroom		<0.6

For all large conference rooms and auditoriums seating more than 50 persons, evaluate whether sound reinforcement and AV playback capabilities are needed.

If needed, the sound reinforcement systems must meet the following criteria:

• Achieve a speech transmission index (STI) of at least 0.60 or common intelligibility scale (CIS) rating of at least 0.77 at representative points within the area of coverage to provide acceptable intelligibility
• Have a minimum sound level of 70 dBA and must
• Maintain sound-level coverage within +/”3 dB at the 2000 Hz octave band throughout the space

Masking Systems

For projects that use masking systems, the design levels must not exceed 48 dBA. Ensure that loudspeaker coverage provides uniformity of +/”2 dBA and that speech spectra are effectively masked.

INNOVATION

To encourage innovative practices.

To get this credit you must:

Achieve significant, measurable environmental performance using a strategy not addressed in the LEED green building rating system.

Identify the following:

• the intent of the proposed innovation credit
• proposed requirements for compliance
• proposed submittals to demonstrate compliance and
• the design approach or strategies used to meet the requirements

AND/OR

Achieve one pilot credit from USGBC’s LEED Pilot Credit Library

AND/OR

Achieve exemplary performance in an existing LEED v4 prerequisite or credit that allows exemplary performance, as specified in the LEED Reference Guide, v4 edition. An exemplary performance point is typically earned for achieving double the credit requirements or the next incremental percentage threshold.

Project teams can use any combination of innovation, pilot, and exemplary performance strategies.

REGIONAL PRIORITIES

To promote credits with regional priorities.

To get this credit you must:

Earn up to four of the six Regional Priority credits. These credits have been identified by the USGBC regional councils and chapters as having additional regional importance for the project’s region. A database of Regional Priority credits and their geographic applicability is available on the USGBC website, www.usgbc.org/rpc.

One point is awarded for each Regional Priority credit achieved, up to a maximum of four.