LEED Credits

Question 1

Integrative Process

Answer 1

Intent

To support high-performance, cost-effective project outcomes through an early analysis of the interrelationships among systems.

Question 2

LT: LEED for Neighborhood Development Location

Answer 2

UP TO 16PTS
Intent

To avoid development on inappropriate sites. To reduce vehicle distance traveled. To enhance livability and improve human health by encouraging daily physical activity.

Requirements

Locate the project in within the boundary of a development certified under LEED for Neighborhood Development

Question 3

LT: Sensitive Land Protection

Answer 3

1PT
Intent

To avoid the development of environmentally sensitive lands and reduce the environmental impact from the location of a building on a site.

Requirements

Option 1.

Locate the development footprint on land that has been previously developed.

OR

Option 2.

Locate the development footprint on land that has been previously developed or that does not meet the following criteria for sensitive land:

Question 4

LT: High priority site

Answer 4

2PTS
Intent

To encourage project location in areas with development constraints and promote the health of the surrounding area.

Requirements

Locate the project on an infill location in a historic district.
or
Option 2. Priority designation
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

Question 5

LT: Surrounding density and diverse uses

Answer 5

UP TO 5PT
Intent

To conserve land and protect farmland and wildlife habitat by encouraging development in areas with existing infrastructure. To promote walkability, and transportation efficiency and reduce vehicle distance traveled. To improve public health by encouraging daily physical activity.

Question 6

LT: Access to quality transit

Answer 6

5PTS
Intent

To encourage development in locations shown to have multimodal transportation choices or otherwise reduced motor vehicle use, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and other environmental and public health harms associated with motor vehicle use.

Requirements

Locate any functional entry of the project within a ¼-mile (400-meter) walking distance of existing or planned bus, streetcar, or informal transit stops, or within a ½-mile (800-meter) walking distance of existing or planned bus rapid transit stops, light or heavy rail stations, commuter rail stations or ferry terminals.

Question 7

LT: Bicycle facilities

Answer 7

1PT
Intent

To promote bicycling and transportation efficiency and reduce vehicle distance traveled. To improve public health by encouraging utilitarian and recreational physical activity.

Requirements

Bicycle network

Design or locate the project such that a functional entry and/or bicycle storage is within a 200-yard (180-meter) walking distance or bicycling distance from a bicycle network

Bicycle Storage and Shower Rooms

Question 8

LT: Reduced parking footprint

Answer 8

1PT
Intent

To minimize the environmental harms associated with parking facilities, including automobile dependence, land consumption, and rainwater runoff.

Requirements

Do not exceed the minimum local code requirements for parking capacity.

Question 9

LT: Green vehicles

Answer 9

1PT
Intent

To reduce pollution by promoting alternatives to conventionally fueled automobiles.

Requirements

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.

Question 10

SS: Construction activity pollution prevention

Answer 10

PREQ.
Intent

To reduce pollution from construction activities by controlling soil erosion, waterway sedimentation, and airborne dust.

Requirements

Create and implement an erosion and sedimentation control plan for all construction activities associated with the project. The plan must conform to the erosion and sedimentation requirements of the 2012 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Question 11

SS: Site assessment

Answer 11

1PT
Intent

To assess site conditions before design to evaluate sustainable options and inform related decisions about site design.

Question 12

SS: Site development - protect or restore habitat

Answer 12

2PT
Intent

To conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and promote biodiversity.

Requirements

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

Question 13

SS: Open space

Answer 13

1PT
Intent

To create exterior open space that encourages interaction with the environment, social interaction, passive recreation, and physical activities.

Requirements

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.

Question 14

SS: Rainwater management

Answer 14

3PT
Intent

To reduce runoff volume and improve water quality by replicating the natural hydrology and water balance of the site, based on historical conditions and undeveloped ecosystems in the region.

Question 15

SS: Heat island reduction

Answer 15

2PT
Intent

To minimize effects on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats by reducing heat islands

Question 16

SS: Light pollution reduction

Answer 16

1PT
Intent

To increase night sky access, improve nighttime visibility, and reduce the consequences of development for wildlife and people.

Requirements

Meet uplight and light trespass requirements, using either the backlight-uplight-glare (BUG) method (Option 1) or the calculation method (Option 2). Projects may use different options for up light and light trespass.

Question 17

WE: Outdoor water use reduction

Answer 17

PREQ.
Intent

To reduce outdoor water consumption.

Requirements

Reduce outdoor water use through one of the following options. Nonvegetated surfaces, such as permeable or impermeable pavement, should be excluded from landscape area calculations.
Reduce the project’s landscape water requirement by at least 30% from the calculated baseline for the site’s peak watering month.

Question 18

WE: Indoor water use reduction

Answer 18

PREQ.
Intent

To reduce indoor water consumption.

Requirements

Building Water Use

For the fixtures and fittings listed in Table 1, as applicable to the project scope, reduce aggregate water consumption by 20% from the baseline.

Standards for appliances

Standards for processes

Question 19

WE: Building-level water metering

Answer 19

PREQ.
Glossary

Intent

To support water management and identify opportunities for additional water savings by tracking water consumption.

Requirements

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.

Question 20

WE: Outdoor water use reduction

Answer 20

2PTS
Intent

To reduce outdoor water consumption.

Requirements
Option 1. No irrigation required
Option 2. Reduced irrigation (50%)

Question 21

WE: Indoor water use reduction

Answer 21

6PTS
Intent

To reduce indoor water consumption.

Requirements

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).

Question 22

WE: Cooling tower water use

Answer 22

2PTS
Intent

To conserve water used for cooling tower makeup while controlling microbes, corrosion, and scale in the condenser water system.

Requirements

For cooling towers and evaporative condensers, conduct a one-time potable water analysis, in order to optimize cooling tower cycles.

Question 23

WE: Water metering

Answer 23

1PT
Intent

To support water management and identify opportunities for additional water savings by tracking water consumption.

Requirements

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

Question 24

EA: Fundamental commissioning and verification

Answer 24

PREQ.
Intent

To support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a project that meets the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Requirements

Commissioning Process Scope

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.

By the end of the design development phase, engage a commissioning authority

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

Question 25

EA: Minimum energy performance

Answer 25

PREQ.
Intent

To reduce the environmental and economic harms of excessive energy use by achieving a minimum level of energy efficiency for the building and its systems.

Requirements

Option 1. Whole-building energy simulation

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.

Option 2. Prescriptive compliance: ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide

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.).

Option 3. Prescriptive compliance: Advanced BuildingsTM Core PerformanceTM Guide

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.).

Question 26

EA: Building-level energy metering

Answer 26

PREQ.
Intent

To support energy management and identify opportunities for additional energy savings by tracking building-level energy use.

Requirements

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).

Question 27

EA: Fundamental refrigerant management

Answer 27

PREQ.
To reduce stratospheric ozone depletion.

Requirements

Do not use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based refrigerants in new heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems. When reusing existing HVAC&R equipment, complete a comprehensive CFC phase-out conversion before project completion.

Question 28

EA: Enhanced commissioning

Answer 28

6PTS
Intent

To further support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a project that meets the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Requirements

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.

Question 29

EA: Optimize energy performance

Answer 29

18PTS
Intent

To achieve increasing levels of energy performance beyond the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental and economic harms associated with excessive energy use.

Requirements

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.

Question 30

EA: Advanced energy metering

Answer 30

1PT
Intent

To support energy management and identify opportunities for additional energy savings by tracking building-level and system-level energy use.

Requirements

Install advanced energy metering for the following:
all whole-building energy sources used by the building; and
any individual energy end uses that represent 10% or more of the total annual consumption of the building.

Question 31

EA: Demand response

Answer 31

2PT
Intent

To increase participation in demand response technologies and programs that make energy generation and distribution systems more efficient, increase grid reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Requirements

Design building and equipment for participation in demand response programs through load shedding or shifting. On-site electricity generation does not meet the intent of this credit.

Question 32

EA: Renewable energy production

Answer 32

3PTS
Intent

To reduce the environmental and economic harms associated with fossil fuel energy by increasing self-supply of renewable energy.

Requirements

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

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

Question 33

EA: Enhanced refrigerant management

Answer 33

1PT
Intent

To reduce ozone depletion and support early compliance with the Montreal Protocol while minimizing direct contributions to climate change.

Requirements

Option 1. No refrigerants or low-impact refrigerants (1 point)

Do 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

Option 2. Calculation of refrigerant impact (1 point)

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.

Question 34

EA: Green power and carbon offsets

Answer 34

2PTS
Intent

To encourage the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies and carbon mitigation projects.

Requirements

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).

Question 35

MR: Storage and collection of recyclables

Answer 35

PREQ.
Intent

To reduce the waste that is generated by building occupants and hauled to and disposed of in landfills.

Requirements

Provide dedicated areas accessible to waste haulers and building occupants for the collection and storage of recyclable materials for the entire building. storage areas may be separate locations.

Question 36

MR: Construction and demolition waste management planning

Answer 36

PREQ.
Intent

To reduce construction and demolition waste disposed of in landfills and incineration facilities by recovering, reusing, and recycling materials.

Requirements

Develop and implement a construction and demolition waste management plan:

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

Question 37

MR: Building life-cycle impact reduction

Answer 37

6PTS
Intent

To encourage adaptive reuse and optimize the environmental performance of products and materials.

Requirements

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.

Question 38

MR: Building product disclosure and optimization - environmental product declarations

Answer 38

2PTS
Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products from manufacturers who have verified improved environmental life-cycle impacts.

Requirements

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

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.

Question 39

MR: Building product disclosure and optimization - sourcing of raw materials

Answer 39

2PTS
Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life cycle impacts. To reward project teams for selecting products verified to have been extracted or sourced in a responsible manner.

Requirements

Option 1. raw material source and extraction reporting

Option 2. leadership extraction practices

Question 40

MR: Building product disclosure and optimization - material ingredients

Answer 40

2PTS
Intent

To encourage the use of products and materials for which life-cycle information is available and that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts.
Option 1. material ingredient reporting (1 point)

Requirements

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).

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.

Use building products for at least 25%, by cost,

Question 41

MR: Construction and demolition waste management

Answer 41

Intent

To reduce construction and demolition waste disposed of in landfills and incineration facilities by recovering, reusing, and recycling materials.

Requirements

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

divert 50% and three material streams

Divert 75% and four material streams

reduction of total waste material