Session 1: LEED procedures, logistics, rating systems Topics Covered: Defining green building USGBC and LEED overview Becoming a LEED Green Associate and Accredited Professional LEED rating systems Integrated design process Project certification process Calculating building occupancy Minimum Project Requirements (MPRs) Credit Interpretation Requests (CIRs) LEED scoring LEED review process Readings: LEED Green Associate Candidate Handbook o Full URL: http://www.gbci.org/libraries/candidate_handbooks/leed_green_associate_candidate_hand book.sflb.ashx o This will explain the whole process of earning LEED Green Associate accreditation including topics covered, resources, etc Minimum Program Requirements o Full URL: http://www.usgbc.org/showfile.aspx?documentid=6715 o Projects registered under any of the LEED 2009 rating systems except LEED ND must comply with the Minimum Program Requirements LEED Operations & Maintenance rating system Introduction section (p. vi-xix) o Full URL: http://www.usgbc.org/showfile.aspx?documentid=8876 o Ignore all mention of Alternative Compliance Paths for Projects Outside the US. Credit Interpretation Requests o Full URL: http://www.gbci.org/certification/resources/cirs.aspx o About CIRs, the main vehicle to obtain technical guidance on how LEED requirements including Minimum Program Requirements (MPR), Prerequisites, and Credits pertain to a project www.gbci.org Carefully look through each page for valuable information related to fees, resources, and FAQs www.usgbc.org Click around and familiarize yourself with the site Handouts: - Session 1 PowerPoint - LEED Checklists/Scorecards
Vocabulary: Basis of design Commissioning Authority (CxA) Commissioning Credit category Facility Alterations & Additions Full-time equivalent (FTE) FTE building occupants LEED Online LEED Project Boundary Life-cycle Assessment Life-cycle Costing Local Zoning Requirements Management Staff Minimum Program Requirement Occupants Owner Owner s Project Requirements Performance Period Resource Guide Soft Costs Square Footage Standard Operating Procedures Sustainability Transient Users Includes design information necessary to accomplish the owner s project requirements, including system descriptions, indoor environmental quality criteria, design assumptions, & references to applicable codes, standards, regulations, & guidelines Individual who organizes, leads, & review the completion of the commissioning process. Facilitates communication among the owner, designer, & contractor to ensure that complex systems are installed and function in accordance w/ the owner s project reqs The process of verifying and documenting that a building and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the owner s project reqs. Group of related credits, e.g. Sustainable Sites Changes that affect usable space in the building; see slide 22 for full definition and minimum and maximum parameters that qualify a project as a facility alteration & addition A regular building occupant who spends 40 hours/week in the project building. Part-time or overtime occupants have FTE values based on their hours/week divided by 40 A measure equal to the total number of hours all building occupants spend in the building during the peak 8-hour occupancy period divided by 8 hours (e.g. 10 part-time employees work 4 hrs/day + 10 FTEs work 8 hrs/day = 15 FTE building occupants) Electronic form-based project information submittal tool The portion of the project site submitted for LEED certification. Building footprint + associated land supporting the building. Analysis of the environmental aspects & potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service. An accounting methodology used to evaluate the economic performance of a product or system over its useful life. It considers operating costs maintenance expenses, & other economic factors. Local government regulations imposed to promote orderly development of private lands & prevent land-use conflicts Employees or contractors involved in operating and maintaining a project building & site The basic construction & development activities that the LEED program was designed to evaluate Workers who either have a permanent office or workstation in the building or typically spend a minimum of 10 hrs/week in the building. Residential building = persons who live in the building. Schools = students, faculty, support staff, admin, maintenance employees Person directly employed by the organization holding title to the project building and recognized by law as having rights, responsibilities, & ultimate control over the building Written document that details the ideas, concepts, and criteria that are determined by the owner to be important to the success of the project. The continuous, unbroken time during which sustainable operations performance is measured Rating system book that spells out requirements for each credit Expense items that are no considered direct construction costs. Examples include architectural, engineering, financing, LEED registration and consulting fees, and legal fees Total are in square feet (sf) of all rooms, including corridors, elevators, stairwells, and shaft spaces Detailed, written instructions documenting a method to achieve uniformity of performance Meeting present needs without compromising future needs; triple-bottom line or three-legged stool = environmental stewardship, social equity, & economic prosperity Occupants who do not use a facility on a consistent, regular, daily basis. Ex: Students in higher education settings, customers in retail settings, visitors in institute
Quiz: 1) Which of the following are benefits of using LEED-Online? (Choose 3) a) A fee discount is given for submitting credits using LEED-Online b) Project teams can submit 100% of their documentation using LEED-Online c) Can submit CIRs d) Can communicate with reviewers e) Can submit credits for review prior to paying LEED fees 2) An office building has 500 full-time employees (8 hours per day) and 200 part-time employees (4 hours per day). What is the FTE for this building? a. 500 b. 550 c. 600 d. 650 e. 700 3) A project team comes across a unique situation while performing calculations for a specific credit. They believe their project meets the intent of the credit and would like to submit a Credit Interpretation Ruling (CIR). Which of the following are important facts to remember about submitting a CIR? (Choose 3) a. Limit CIR submission text to 600 words b. Request guidance on only one credit/prerequisite per CIR c. A CIR may only be submitted AFTER the design review d. The option to submit a CIR expires upon the final award or denial of certification e. Provide a lengthy project background 4) What is the cost to submit a Credit Interpretation Request (CIR)? a. $100 each b. $220 each c. $300 each d. $220 for unlimited CIRs e. $300 for unlimited CIRs 5) Which of the following statements are true regarding LEED Accredited Professionals? (Choose 2) a. A project may earn one additional Innovation point for each LEED AP working on the design b. Projects with LEED Accredited Professionals will receive expedited CIR responses c. A LEED AP receives recognition by having his/her name listed on the USGBC website directory of LEED APs d. A project can earn a maximum of one Innovation point if a member of the project team is a LEED AP e. At least one member of the design team must be a LEED AP 6) Which of the following should be considered prior to submitting a Credit Interpretation Request? (Choose 3) a. Minimum achievement thresholds can't be changed through a CIR b. Assume the CIR will be approved and submit it as part of the design review c. Credit language can't be changed through a CIR d. Review previously submitted CIRs to see if the same inquiry has been answered e. Do not submit a CIR until the USGBC denies the credit
7) Which of the following is NOT a benefit of LEED certifying a project? a. Qualify for possible state and local government initiatives b. Reducing waste sent to landfills c. Federal tax rebate based on the level of LEED certification d. Conserving energy and water e. Lowering operating costs and increasing asset value 8) Which of the following is NOT true regarding LEED Platinum Certified Projects? a. A Platinum rating is available under the LEED for Commercial Interiors Rating System b. Platinum certification requires an additional submittal process c. Platinum certification is the highest level of achievement d. Platinum certification requires a minimum of 80 LEED points 9) Which of the following is NOT a benefit of green design? a. Reduced operating costs b. Reduced potential liability resulting from indoor air quality problems c. Enhanced building marketability d. Increased worker productivity e. Qualify for government financing 10) Which of the following estimates the true cost of a product, including original cost plus the cost of maintenance over the product's lifetime? a. Life-cost study b. Total product cost analysis c. Real cost study d. Lifecycle cost analysis 11) Which of the following is the Contractor responsible for in the LEED documentation process? (Choose 2) a. Provide calculations of waste diverted for the landfill b. Develop the Basis of Design (BOD) for mechanical systems c. Provide water fixture flow rates for WE 3.1 Water Use Reduction d. Overseeing the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan 12) What is the minimum requirement a building must satisfy to obtain LEED Certification of a new building? a. Satisfy all prerequisites and earn 40 LEED credit points b. Satisfy all prerequisites c. Satisfy all prerequisites and earn 30 LEED credit points d. Satisfy all prerequisites and earn 50 LEED credit points 13) What are some benefits of green building design? (Choose 3) a. Reduced energy costs b. Decreased number of greenfields c. Decreased development density d. Improved community relations e. Improved indoor air quality for future occupants
14) A school has 100 full-time employees (8 hours per day), 10 part-time employees (4 hours per day), and 1000 students. Determine the number of peak building users. a. 100 b. 105 c. 1100 d. 1105 e. 1110 15) Which of the following statements are true regarding the LEED fee structure? (Choose 2) a. USGBC members pay the same amount as non-members b. LEED New Construction and LEED Existing Buildings have the same fee structure c. CIRs for all rating systems cost $220 each d. LEED for New Construction and LEED for Existing Buildings fees are based on square footage 16) A new 4-story high rise residential building should use what LEED Rating System for Certification? a. LEED for Homes b. LEED for Core and Shell c. LEED for New Construction d. LEED for Operations and Maintenance e. LEED for Interior Design and Construction 17) What is the first step in obtaining LEED Certification? a. Requesting a certification packet from the USGBC b. Sending in submittals for a design review c. Registering the project online with the USGBC d. Sending in a USGBC registration form by mail 18) Which of the following would NOT be an example of a LEED credit that would have documentation submitted as part of the design submittal? a. Site Selection b. Water Use Reduction c. LEED Accredited Professional d. Construction Waste Management e. Alternative Transportation, Bicycle Storage & Changing Rooms 19) Which of the following is NOT a LEED Rating System? a. New Construction b. Commercial Interiors c. Homes d. Landscaping e. Neighborhood Development 20) A building's future occupancy is estimated at 100 people. How many of these occupants could be assumed to be female when performing calculations for LEED purposes if no other information is available? a. 40 b. 45 c. 50 d. 60
21) LEED for New Construction and Major Renovation would be the appropriate rating system for which of the following projects? (Choose 2) a. An office renovation involving the replacement of the HVAC system b. New construction of an office building core & shell c. A new factory d. A renovation of a mall not involving the HVAC system e. A new high school 22) Which of the following community issues would be important for a LEED project team to investigate? (Choose 2) a. Open space requirements b. Parking requirements c. Renewable energy requirements d. Local sales taxes e. Recycling requirements 23) Which of the following is the Contractor responsible for in the LEED documentation process? (Choose 2) a. Provide calculations of waste diverted for the landfill b. Develop the Basis of Design (BOD) for mechanical systems c. Provide water fixture flow rates for WE 3.1 Water Use Reduction d. Overseeing the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Management Plan 24) Which of the following are true about submitting a CIR? a. Include your name and project details b. Project team should carefully review credit and reference guide before submitting c. CIR should be in letter format d. The USGBC provides CIRs at no charge 25) How many LEED points are required to attain LEED BD&C Silver? (Select one) a. 33 b. 40 c. 50 d. 60 e. 80 26) Which tool would you use to assign team roles and access to a LEED project? (Select one) a. CIR b. Design Submittal c. Letter Template d. LEED Online e. LEED Scorecard 27) Green Building emphasizes what type of design process? a. Linear b. Multistage c. Integrative d. Tiered
28) What are three dimensions of sustainability often described as the triple bottom line or three-legged stool? a. Economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social responsibility b. Economic prosperity, cultural agendas, and global variety c. Energy efficiency, water efficiency, and indoor environmental quality d. Government standards, building codes, and building practices 29) Life-cycle assessment is used to determine the? a. Balance of natural cycles such as the hydrologic cycle b. Environmental aspects and potential impacts of a given product c. Life span of a building and its components d. Environmental systems affected over the life of a building 30) When is the best time to incorporate an integrative approach for a building project? a. Predesign b. Schematic design c. Design development d. Construction documents e. Construction 31) Credit weightings are based on? a. Relative costs and benefits of each credit b. Environmental aspects and human benefits c. Carbon footprint and embodied energy d. Expected environmental performance 32) Implementation of green building strategies such as daylighting, passive cooling, high-efficiency mechanical systems, and stack ventilation contributes to what type of cost savings? a. Reduced first costs b. Reduced maintenance costs c. Reduced life-cycle costs d. Reduced end-of-life costs e. Reduced imminent costs 33) Why is it usually a good idea to achieve a few credits beyond your target certification level threshold? (Choose one) a. Not all LEED credits are valued the same b. Extra credits can be used on your next project c. You can save on project cost by dropping the more expensive credits at the last moment d. In case any other credits are rejected by USGBC-contracted Technical Reviewers e. So you can use the ½ point credits, if needed 34) Which of the following project costs is considered to be a soft cost? a. The project s structural steel b. Landscaping costs c. The Architect s fees d. Money paid to the brick mason for labor e. Carpet
35) What is an individual who is working for a LEED for Homes Provider and performs on-site inspections and testing for the LEED for Homes Rating System Called? a. A Home Inspector b. A Project Manager c. A Home Rater d. A Green Rater e. A Commissioning Authority 36) Which of the following regulations are likely to be contained in zoning regulations? (Choose 3) a. Landscaping Regulations b. Regulations on Energy Usage c. Parking Space Requirements d. Open Space Requirements e. Stormwater Management Regulations 37) Which Rating Systems will award a project one or more points for already being LEED Certified in another rating system? (Choose 2) a. LEED for Schools b. LEED for Homes c. LEED for Commercial Interiors d. LEED for Operations and Maintenance e. LEED for Core and Shell 38) What is the greatest benefit of an integrative design process as it relates to a LEED project? a. Shortening the project schedule b. Capitalizing on credit synergies c. Reducing project soft costs d. Meeting building codes e. Educating the project owner 39) Which rating System has a required recertification process? a. LEED for Operations and Maintenance b. LEED for Building Design and Construction c. LEED for Homes d. LEED for Interior Design and Construction e. LEED for Neighborhood Development
ANSWERS: 1) B, C, D 2) C 3) A, B, D 4) B 5) C, D Note that only 1 innovation point is available regardless of how many LEED APs work on the project 6) A, C, D 7) C There is no federal tax rebate based achievement of LEED certification 8) B 9) E Again, there is no government financing promised for a LEED project 10) D 11) A, D The contractor would be responsible for documenting credits that happen during the construction process such as waste management and indoor air quality management 12) A 13) A, D, E 14) D Peak occupancy = FTE + Transient Occupants. In this example FTE is (100*8/8)+(10*4/8) = 105 and the student transient users total 1,000. So 105 FTE + 1,000 transient users = 1105. 15) C, D USGBC members get a registration discount. While EB: O&M and BD&C fee structures are different, they are both based on square footage. 16) C A residential structure under 4 stories would be considered a LEED for Homes project, but 4 stories or higher counts as a commercial building and should pursue LEED New Construction. 17) C 18) D Construction Waste Management occurs during construction so would be submitted with the construction submittal, not with the design submittal. 19) D 20) C Unless you have information otherwise (e.g. an all-female residence hall), occupants can be assumed to be 50% female and 50% male for calculation purposes. 21) A, C 22) A, B 23) A, D 24) B 25) C 26) D 27) C 28) A 29) B 30) A 31) B 32) C 33) D 34) C 35) D 36) A, C, D - Regulations on Energy Use are typically contained in building codes and stormwater regulations are handled by the local sewer district, not the zoning authority. 37) C, D - LEED for Commercial Interiors and Operations & Maintenance both apply to existing buildings that get extra points if they were previously certified. 38) B 39) A BD&C certification is good forever it certifies that construction was done to LEED standards one time. Operations & Maintenance must recertify every 5 years to verify ongoing performance or lose certification.
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