...under LEED-NC v2.2, each point is worth 1/26 or 3.85 percent,” explains Bill Bobenhausen, president, Sustainable Design Collaborative, Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. “Under LEED 2009, 40 points are needed for certification so each point is worth only 2.5 percent.”
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Points available for Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality now account for less of the total. “For anyone interested in indoor air quality, their points have been devalued a lot,” Bobenhausen says. “I think this is an area where you will see a little bit of outrage.”
On the flip side, credits for development density (5 points) and alternative transportation access (6 points) favor projects in urban environments. These “urban credits” can provide nine extra points, Bobenhausen says. “Those two credits are basically equal to one jump in certification [since certified, Silver and Gold certification categories are separated by just 10 points].”
Energy & Water Credits Energy requirements under v3 are more stringent. The prerequisite for minimum energy performance calls for new construction to be 10 percent more efficient than ASHRAE 90.1-2007. LEED-NC 2.2 required 14 percent greater efficiency than ASHRAE 90.1-2004.
Since the ASHRAE 2007 standard is more stringent, projects saving 30 percent under 2004 now might save 25 percent, Bobenhausen explains.
Anthony Brower, Associate with New York-based Gensler, is working a 50,000-sq.-ft. commercial interiors project for a law firm in Stamford, Conn., seeking v.3 certification and says he’s finding that tougher energy targets are getting clients thinking about lifecycle costing. “They may have to spend more money for a more efficient fixture today but they are going to make that money back in 1.5 years and then continue saving on utility bills,” he says.
Water efficiency requirements are also stricter. Reducing water usage 20 percent is now a prerequisite rather than a point, and the baseline for measuring reductions are lower, Bower says. The baseline for lavatory faucets has dropped from 2.5 gallons/minute to 0.5 gallons/minute.
CATEGORY | CREDIT | POINTS V.3 | POINTS NC 2.2 |
Sustainable Sites | Possible Points: | 26 | 14 |
---|---|---|---|
Credit 2 | Development Density and Community Connectivity | 5 | 1 |
Credit 4.1 | Alternative Transportation: Public Transportation Access | 6 | 1 |
Credit 4.3 | Alternative Transportation: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles | 3 | 1 |
Credit 4.4 | Alternative Transportation: Parking Capacity | 2 | 1 |
Water Efficiency | Possible Points: | 10 | 5 |
Prereq 1 | Water Use Reduction: 20% Reduction | ||
Credit 1 | Water Efficient Landscaping | 2 to 4 | |
-Reduce by 50% | 2 | 1 | |
-No potable water use or irrigation | 4 | 1 | |
Credit 2 | Innovative Wastewater Technologies | 2 | 1 |
Credit 3 | Water Use Reduction | 2 to 4 | |
-Reduce by 20% | N/A | 1 | |
-Reduce by 30%, 35%, 40% | 4 | 1 | |
Energy and Atmosphere | Possible Points: | 35 | 17 |
Credit 1 | Optimize Energy Performance | 1 to 19 | 1 to 10 |
Credit 2 | On-Site Renewable Energy | 1 to 7 | 1 to 3 |
Credit 3 | Enhanced Commissioning | 2 | 1 |
Credit 4 | Enhanced Refrigerant Management | 2 | 1 |
Credit 5 | Measurement and Verification | 3 | 1 |
Credit 6 | Green Power | 2 | 1 |
Materials and Resources | Possible Points: | 14 | 13 |
Credit 1.1 | Building Reuse: Maintain Existing Walls, Floors and Roof | 1 to 3 | 1-2 |
Indoor Environmental Quality | Possible Points: | 15 | 15 |
Innovation and Design Process | Possible Points: | 6 | 5 |
Regional Priority Credits | Possible Points: | 4 | N/A |
TOTAL | POSSIBLE POINTS: | 110 | 69 |
“I can’t just change lavatory faucets anymore, I have to look at urinals, toilets and other things,” Brower says. “It is making water efficiency more challenging.”
“The baseline for a commercial office building is basically what used to be a 40 percent savings that earned three...
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