The greater the density of a project, the more environmentally friendly it is. Putting more people into a single building is better than taking up additional land space for multiple buildings for the same number of people. A mixed-use project, such as one with apartments on top of retail stores, uses less material overall because residential and retail are not in separated into stand-alone buildings. Building fewer stand-alone buildings means fewer new materials used. Finally, dense building requires fewer roads and related infrastructure, saving more materials.

In the commercial building rating systems, the topics of Awareness and Education are covered under the Innovation category.

A 9-story multi-family residential project will fall under the LEED for New Construction rating system, and thus uses the LEED BD+C reference guide. In LEED BD+C projects use this project fits under because of its height.

[(16×4)+(20×6)+(10×8)] / 8 hr/day
= 33

1 FTE = 8 hour/day
or = 40 hour per week

use the day rate

Purchasing carbon offsets helps fund projects that decrease carbon emissions or remove carbon from the atmosphere. Examples of these types of projects include reforestation, changing land-use, and methane abatement.

Regulations and rules/codes are always the first item to be looked at. For example, some water in Colorado is owned by Texas.

LID (Low Impact Development) strategies make use of on-site natural features to protect water quality by replicating natural land cover and the hydrologic regime of watersheds, and addressing runoff close to its source (ex. maintaining vegetative swales, creating rain gardens, and minimizing impervious cover). ESC (Erosion and Sedimentation Control) strategies minimize environmental impacts during the construction process. Some ESC strategies include:
• Temporary or permanent seeding to stabilize the soil
• Using an Earth dike to divert runoff into sediment traps
• Mulching with hay, grass, or gravel to hold the soil
• Using straw bales, slit fences, or erosion control blankets
LID strategies would help with on-site rainwater management, and an ESC plan would address the creation of buffers between development and water resources.

Refrigerants have Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP) due to greenhouse gas emissions. Low values of each are best when choosing refrigerants.

Studies show that on average, a green building can charge higher building rents (2%-20%, on average) and have fewer empty tenant spaces than non-green buildings.

In economics, an externality, is the cost or benefit incurred by a party that did not choose to incur that cost or benefit. With regards to the environment, an example of a negative externality is the effects on the ecosystems from the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Pollution is a common negative externality. For example, the production of smoke from a factory causes the air quality to decrease for local residents. Over the past few years, since the idea of the triple bottom line has gone mainstream, businesses are also looking at providing environmental and social stewardship information to all stakeholders. The idea of a green bottom line creates a win-win for both the environment and the profits.

Ponzi scheme: A good example of a positive feedback system because the output (profit) is fed back to the input (new investors), causing rapid growth toward collapse. Feedback systems are part of Systems Thinking.

Butterfly Effect: In chaos theory, which is also part of Systems Thinking, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependency on initial conditions in which a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. The name of the effect, coined by Edward Lorenz, is derived from the theoretical example of a hurricane’s formation being contingent on whether or not a distant butterfly had flapped its wings several weeks earlier.

The Prius Effect: Coined when the hybrid Toyota Prius introduced real-time feedback on fuel consumption, it was observed that drivers responded to the data by adjusting their driving to decrease fuel consumption.

When a building is benchmarked, as in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, one of the key metrics is Energy Use Intensity, or EUI. Essentially, the EUI expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size or other characteristics.
For most property types in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, the EUI is expressed as energy per square foot per year. It’s calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the building in one year (measured in kBtu or GJ) by the total gross floor area of the building. The user can enter the energy use information from their energy bills and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® automatically does the conversion to thousand British thermal units (kBtus). Generally, a low EUI signifies good energy performance.

LEED ND is used for neighbourhood development projects.
LEED ID for Commercial Design would include interior spaces.

For both energy efficiency and water efficiency, LEED requires an efficiency-first approach. Efficiency is “doing the same with less.” After efficiency, the focus should then be placed on other ways to reduce demand.

For example, with outdoor water irrigation, if the design only calls for using rainwater irrigation, that doesn’t improve the efficiency of the irrigation system, resulting in less water use. First design the landscape to use less water, and then look at ways to reuse water to further reduce demand for potable water.

For building energy use, you can increase efficiency by using LED lighting, ENERGY STAR appliances and equipment, high-efficiency HVAC systems, and high-efficiency boilers.

Pre-consumer materials which are damaged or have excess material can be reused for different purposes:
Sawdust can be taken from a lumber mill and sent to another manufacturer where they turn it into Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF).
Walnut shells are taken from the walnut processing line at the food plant and shipped somewhere else to be turned into composite wood products such as cabinetry.
Sunflower seed hulls can be used as a starting material for biomaterial products to improve their material properties and to make them more cost-effective.

Early in the design process, project teams need to establish a water balance and see what is legal within the project for reclaimed water, blackwater, graywater collection, and rainwater harvesting.

Around 40% of GHG emissions are due to buildings and around 30% from transportation which equals around two-thirds of total GHG emissions

Increased occupant comfort is an example of a positive impact on the people (i.e. social benefits) aspect of the Triple Bottom Line. Strategies that improve occupant health and productivity over the long run also have a large return on investment. Studies show that happier employees are more productive, meaning the profit (economic benefits) aspect is also positively impacted.
The other options are negative or are unrelated to the ability to control the systems.

For the Reduced Parking Footprint credit (LTc7) under Location and Transportation, there are three requirements:
• Do not exceed local zoning code requirement
• Provide 5% preferred carpool parking
• Reduce parking capacity from baseline (ITE Handbook Standard)

Green cleaning products have several standards depending on the type of cleaning product. Green Seal, Environmental Choice, EPA, and California Code of Regulations are a few examples.

The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is an important element in LEED, as it one of the metrics used to establish density requirements for credits such as Surrounding Density. Density is a ratio of building coverage on a given parcel of land relative to the size of that parcel. Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the density of non-residential land-use measured as the total non-residential building floor area divided by the total buildable land area available for non-residential buildings. Buildable land is the portion of the site where construction can occur, including land voluntarily set aside and not constructed on. When used in density calculations, buildable land excludes public rights-of-way and land excluded from development by codified law (e.g., set-backs).

Residential buildings generally use Dwelling Units per acre to describe density

Existing buildings must have CFC phase-out plans for LEED certification and new buildings cannot use CFC-based refrigerants. This is called Fundamental Refrigerant Management in LEED.

Both ‘Habitat conservation and restoration’ and ‘Construction activity pollution prevention’ involve preserving and protecting greenfields during the construction process. Since they are broad areas, many aspects of the project will affect them. Thus, a project team can reduce costs if it identifies interactions and makes use of the synergies.

FAR is the ratio of the Building Floor Area to the buildable land on the site. If the team decides to increase the tower’s FAR by building up and reducing the building footprint at the same time, there could be reducing the building footprint could result in more open space around the building.

If only minor renovations are being done, the LEED O+M Existing Buildings rating system should be used. The building already exists, so LEED BD+C: New Construction is definitely not applicable.

LEED Online is used to find Regional Priority (RP) credits, submit LEED documentation and update project information. One of the tasks of a LEED Green Associate is to create project profiles, case studies, and press releases. Part of the public relations guidelines for LEED-certified projects suggests the use of the Green Building Information Gateway (GBIG). https://leadinggreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Public-Relations-Guidelines-for-LEED-Projects_July2013-JE.pdf

Discovery: This is the most important phase of the integrative process; it can be thought of as an extensive expansion of what is conventionally called “Pre-Design.” It is unlikely that a project’s environmental goals will be achieved cost-effectively if this phase is not rigorously engaged as a discreet phase of the design process. Discovery work needs to be accomplished before “putting pencil to paper”— in other words, before schematic design begins.

Implementation: This phase begins with what is typically called “Schematic Design.” It resembles conventional practice in its structure, but integrates all of the work and collective understanding of system interactions reached during the Discovery Phase.

Feedback: The third stage focuses on implementing performance measurement and creating performance feedback mechanisms. Such feedback is critical to building operations. The degree to which established performance targets have been met can be assessed and then corrective actions can be taken.

The LEED Charrette is an example of a concept used in the Discovery phase.

Value Engineering is the cutting of costs, often during construction phases, which affects the actual value of a project.

The city of Toronto should encourage the improvement of the energy efficiency of communities and buildings.

Since the tenants will still control their own spaces, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors is not applicable

LEED BD+C: New Construction would include the tenant spaces (in addition to the other renovations listed), so it is not applicable

LEED O+M: Existing Buildings is only applicable to the Operations and Maintenance of existing buildings

The system first and foremost must provide enough fresh air to meet the prerequisite of LEED. All the other choices may be important but would be determined in the integrative process.

All formal inquiries first undergo the project CIR process. Project teams that want the formal inquiry to be considered for a LEED Interpretation must opt in and pay for the LEED Interpretation at the time that it submits the inquiry.

The LEED for Neighborhood Development (ND) rating system goes beyond the project itself. The system addresses the land use planning of a neighbourhood by addressing its components: building design, infrastructure, street design, and open spaces.

These three are the simplest ways to reduce energy use and waste. They are also the first 3 options straight out of MRc1 – Building Life Cycle Impact Reduction

Dishwashers are not within the scope of the EPAct 1992/2005, but are covered by ENERGY STAR.

CIRs should be used when there are conflicts in a credit or prerequisite and/or you can’t find the answer in the reference guide.

By decreasing the footprint, more space would be reserved for nature

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is a standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. Based on the results, a home will receive a HERS Index Score in the form of a miles-per-gallon (MPG) sticker, giving prospective buyers and homeowners insight as to how the home performs in terms of energy efficiency. In addition to the HERS Index Score, a home-energy rating also provides the homeowner with a detailed report regarding energy problems in the house.

Housekeeping during the construction process keeps dust and dirt from collecting in the building and its installed systems. It is important to protect materials from moisture damage to prevent rot and mould. Protecting equipment from dust and dirt by covering openings protects the systems. A flush out runs the mechanical systems with 100% outside air to remove contaminants. Flush outs are usually done after construction is complete and prior to when the occupants move in.

The other options deal with occupant health after construction.

Focus on the capital C here as it refers to the lowest certification level – LEED Certified at 40 points

Soft costs: is one that is not directly related to building, construction, etc. Examples are building permit fees, architectural, legal, financing, and engineering fees, commissioning, and other costs incurred before and after construction.
Hard costs: By far the largest portion of the expenses in a construction budget, hard costs are mostly comprised of the actual construction costs incurred in building the project.

The self-guided education program can result in an Innovation point in Innovative performance and would not result in high soft costs. The other options would result in engineering, commissioning, permit, legal and/or other fees.

The prerequisite for Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control (EQp2) requires smoking to be prohibited in the building.

Source reduction, also known as waste prevention or pollution prevention, targets waste at its point of creation, aiming to reduce waste before it is created.

An example of source reduction is using less packaging to ship an item. Another is the use of dimensional lumber in the exact size needed.

The four strategies preferred by the EPA for reducing waste are, in order:
a. Source reduction
b. Reuse
c. Recycling
d. Waste-to-energy

After the formation of the USGBC, it was determined that the industry was lacking a way to define a green building through a third-party verification system.

Commissioning is a process for achieving, verifying, and documenting that the performance of facilities, systems, and assemblies meets defined objectives and criteria as established by two fundamental documents, one prepared by the Owner—Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR)—and the second prepared by the project team—Basis of Design (BOD).

The Fundamental Commissioning and Verification prerequisite requires the project team to engage a commissioning authority by the end of the design development phase, review the OPR and BOD, and prepare a facilities operations and maintenance plan. This prerequisite primarily addresses active systems, which includes the project’s mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and renewable energy systems. The Enhanced Commissioning credit offers several options, including commissioning of the building envelope. Although enhanced commissioning can add sufficient cost to the project and extends the certification time by 10 months, it is important in that it maintains the integrity of the envelope (roofing, siding, windows and doors, and waterproofing (e.g., caulking, flashing, etc.)).

Ongoing commissioning (aka recommissioning): for building operations to ensure that a building continues to meet its fundamental operational requirements. Retrocommissioning is the same process applied to existing buildings and it is intended to keep a building on track for meeting or exceeding the original operational goals.

Combined heat and power (CHP), also known as “cogeneration”, is an electricity generation technology that recovers waste heat from the electricity generation process to produce other forms of useful energy, such as usable heat or steam. On average, two-thirds of the input energy used to make electricity is lost as waste heat. CHP systems are capable of converting more than 70% of the fuel into usable energy.

LEED Interpretations and CIRs are technical answers to clarifications.
The USGBC publishes clarifications (also called addenda) to address errors in the LEED rating systems and reference guides.
LEED TAGs (Technical Advisory Groups) provide technical advice to LEED committees and working groups to improve credits/prerequisites and support tool development.

ASHRAE Standard 55-2010 establishes the six factors that affect thermal comfort, air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity, humidity, clothing insulation, and metabolic heat.
The others:
• ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010: ventilation (minimum rates)
• ASHRAE Standard 52.2–2007: ventilation (air filters)
• ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010: energy efficiency

Environmentally preferable products have set end-of-life paths to keep them out of the landfill when they need to be replaced. These are frequently called take-back programs.

As a LEED credit, the take-back program is an example of extended producer responsibility.

An energy audit is an inspection, survey, and analysis of energy flows for the purpose of energy conservation in a building, process, or system. The intention is to reduce the amount of energy input in the system without negatively affecting the output(s). When the object of the study is an occupied building, then reducing energy consumption while maintaining or improving human comfort, health, and safety are of primary concern. Beyond simply identifying the sources of energy use, an energy audit seeks to identify energy uses that have cost-effective opportunities for energy savings.

This on-site wastewater treatment plan reduces the demand for wastewater treatment infrastructure elsewhere, and reduces the energy required to treat the water due to the short distance it travels to the treatment plant. As a result, there is a reduction in GHG and other pollutants that are created by water transportation and treatment facilities, which improves the quality of life for humans and lessens environmental burdens.

Irrigation requirements are not affected, and the amount of wastewater leaving the building is not necessarily reduced.

Nation-wide, the construction of conventional buildings is accountable for the following: 14% of potable water consumption; 30% of waste output; 40% of raw materials use; 38% of carbon dioxide emissions; 24% to 50% of energy use; and 72% of electricity consumption. According to a survey by the GSA for 12 of their green buildings, green buildings account for the following percentages on a national scale: 26% less energy usage; 33% lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2); 13% lower maintenance costs; and 27% higher levels of occupant satisfaction.

Poor weather can deter commuters from cycling

LEED’s system goals are referred to as Impact Categories, of which there are seven. The more effective the credit requirements are at addressing the goals of the system, the more points it receives. The seven categories address: Climate change, Human health, Water resources, Biodiversity, Natural resources, Greener economy, and Community. The seven Impact Categories answer the question: “What should a LEED project accomplish?”

The ANSI standard provides project teams with step-by-step guidance through the integrative process. The other options are fake or irrelevant to the IP.

Locating a project near diverse uses helps promote walkability, increase transportation efficiency, and reduce vehicle distance travelled while improving public health. Environmental impacts from greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution negatively affect public health.

If you do not know what a stakeholder meeting is, simply think about what the word “stakeholder” means on its own — someone who has a vested interest in the project.

A site assessment is an evaluation of an area’s above ground and subsurface characteristics, including its structures, geology, and hydrology. Site assessments typically help determine whether contamination has occurred and the extent and concentration of any release of pollutants. Remediation decisions rely on information generated during these assessments.

Global Ecolabeling Network is for any projects outside the U.S., the ISO standard developed by the Global Eco-Labeling Network may be used instead of Green Seal Environmental Choice.

EcoWise is for pest management contractors.

EN 15251:2007 is one of the international indoor air quality standards that projects outside of the U.S. may use. Previous versions of the credit used ASHRAE 62.1 as the reference standard. In LEED v4, projects outside the U.S. may use European standards when ASHRAE 62.1 is not available or suitable.

Green Seal is used for life-cycle assessments of products or services.

SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association) standards are used for construction activity pollution prevention.

Composting toilets use no potable water and thus save from the baseline. You cannot use that compost for anything (gross), besides reducing the indoor water-usage.

BD+C = 10
ID+C = 3
O+M = 6
ND = 2

Total= 21

This was gotten from here-https://www.usgbc.org/guide/bdc#rating

See how LEED officially breaks down the market adaptations in BD+C below

Specifications are created by architects and given to the contractor for the purposes of purchasing the right quantity and type of materials. They are legally binding documents. Specifications are detailed and include drawings of what is to be built. For example, the following could be included:
• Use #2 salvaged oak flooring in the main lobby, along with the dimensions and layout of the lobby. Purchase the oak flooring locally.

The Construction Indoor Air Quality Management credit (EQc3) requires a project to develop and implement an IAQ management plan during construction and before occupancy. This credit promotes best practices to ensure high indoor air quality during construction, as outline in the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines. A general contractor is responsible for keeping building materials dry so that no mold is introduced into the building, as mould would negatively affect the indoor air quality.

The key terms here are envelope and core renovations. LEED Building Design and Construction: Core and Shell applies to the exterior shell of the building and the core mechanical, electrical, and plumbing units, but not a complete interior fit-out. LEED BD+C: Core and Shell is the appropriate rating system to use if more than 40% of the gross floor area is incomplete at the time of certification.

LEED O+M: Existing Buildings is used for buildings that are undergoing improvement work and little to no construction.

LEED BD+C: New Construction requires more than what is being completed in this project.

LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors is for an interior project that involves a complete interior fit-out. As the owner of the building, LeadingGreen would not be completing these fit-outs.

Exemplary Performance is awarded in the Innovation in Design Category no matter which credit it pertains to.

Retrocommissioning is a commissioning process that can be performed on existing buildings to identify system improvements that will make the building more suitable for current use.

Building Automation Systems (BAS) collect data about a building’s systems and track it over time. The data can be used to determine trends or anomalies, which can then serve to help fix or update the systems.

Purchasing RECs indirectly reduces the use of electricity produced from fossil fuels. This method would not affect ongoing energy efficiency.

It may be useful to compare the building’s energy performance to other Energy Star -labeled buildings using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager, but it is a completely separate tool from the LEED rating systems. The Energy Star label only applies to electronics, home appliances, and heating and cooling equipment. Energy Star -labeled buildings use about 35% less energy than traditional buildings.

A max of 1 point can be rewarded for having the appropriate LEED AP+ Specialty working on the corresponding project type

A life-cycle assessment is “an evaluation of the environmental effects of a product from cradle to grave, as defined by ISO 14040–2006 and ISO 14044–2006” – USGBC. An LCA would include attributes to compare between the products.

Prohibiting indoor smoking is the only way to fully eliminate the health risks associated with ETS. For this reason, designated indoor smoking rooms are not allowed in LEED-certified buildings. Only residential projects are exempt because of legal ownership issues.

For LEED BD+C: Multifamily Midrise projects, smoking is prohibited in all common areas of the building.

Smoking is also prohibited outside the building except in designated smoking areas located at least 25 feet from all entry locations, outdoor air intakes, and operable windows.
Signage indicated the no-smoking policy must be posted within 10 feet (3 meters) of all building entrances.

Site energy is the amount of heat and electricity consumed by a building as reflected in utility bills and is delivered to a building in one of two forms: primary or secondary energy.
• Primary energy is the raw fuel that is burned to create heat and electricity.
• Secondary energy is the energy product (heat or electricity) created from a raw fuel, such as electricity purchased from the grid or heat received from a district steam system.

The total amount of raw fuel that is required to operate the building is referred to as “Source Energy”. It incorporates all transmission, delivery, and production losses. By taking all energy use into account, it provides a complete assessment of energy efficiency in a building.

Each LEED project type has different requirements, so each rating system has its own Regional Priority (RP) credits. E.g. IAQ is more important in a healthcare facility than a warehouse, so a healthcare facility project may be able to earn points for IAQ, whereas a warehouse may not.

Zip or Postal codes are no longer used to determine RP credits. Specific Geographical location found on the USGBC’s website is the new method.

Automobile engines are not a part of the building, and thus are not tracked using a BAS.

The project timeline gives an overview of all the steps of the project’s process via real-time snapshots.

The project checklist (LEED Scorecard) is the best tool to use to stay on top of credits attempted, under review, and earned.

The reviewer’s comments – The credit-by-credit tracker includes comments and actual credit language for each credit, along with its up-to-the-minute review status.

The project administrator or project manager can add and remove credits from the project, even if previously awarded.

Cooling towers must be 100% metered while the other two only need to be 80% metered.

Transportation demand strategies like telecommuting, compressed workweeks, or providing shuttle services between the site and commercial/residential centers can reduce single-occupancy. Diverse, mixed-use areas of high density are usually served by mass transit.

A high ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) is directly correlated with a long atmospheric life, and thus this choice would hinder environmental performance.

Health Product Declarations (HPDs) provide a full disclosure of the potentially concerning chemicals in products by comparing a product’s ingredients to “hazard” lists published by government authorities and scientific associations.

An HPD itself does not indicate whether or not a product is healthy— it merely reports on the material ingredients. Armed with this information, project teams can compare the type and quantity of materials in different products and see if they contain any unhealthy materials.

A closed system (A.k.a. “cradle to cradle”) involves the re-use of materials at the end of their useful life, as opposed to a destructive open loop system (A.k.a. “cradle to grave”) that produces waste. Sustainable buildings aspire to achieve the “cradle to cradle” system.

Systems Thinking is a process of understanding how each part of the built environment affects the other parts. It is the belief that the component parts of a system can best be understood in the context of relationships with each other and with other systems, rather than in isolation. These parts include project materials, building systems, site, people, and information.

In this choice the people are considered in terms of their relationship to the transportation options and/or parking at the site.

In the U.S., buildings account for 12% of the total water usage.

A Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR) is a third party, verified report that includes information on how the manufacturer extracts or sources materials.

A Life-Cycle Assessment is specific to a product, not the manufacturer’s operations and supply chain in general. Same for a health product declaration.

USGBC corporate members receive certification discounts.

A Licensed Professional Exemption (LPE) is an optional credit documentation path in which professionals can submit license information and a declaration of compliance in lieu of a number of otherwise required submittals.

Credit forms automatically recognize and link Licensed Professional (LP) information from user account data when that user accesses the credit form. LP Information must be identified on the “My Account Page” of the user’s account, or during user registration. This information is visible on a project’s “Team Administration” page, but can only be added or changed from the “My Account” page. For LPE paths with multiple sign-offs, more than one team member may be assigned to the credit or prerequisite for signatures (see “Assign Credits”). Note: It is not required that the LP be a LEED AP.

LPE streamlined paths are available to:
• Professional Engineers (PE)
• Registered Architects (RA)
• Registered Landscape Architects (RLA)
• Registered Interior Designers (RID)

Local zoning codes cover floor-area ratios, and thus could be set by municipalities. The rest are financial, not structural, incentives.
For more information about different incentives please read here: http://leadinggreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Green-Building-Incentive-Strategies.pdf.

Other structural incentives include:
• Expedited review/permitting process
• Density and height bonuses

Financial incentives include:
• Tax credits
• Fee reductions/waivers
• Grants
• Revolving loan funds (low-interest loans)

Non-financial incentives include:
• Technical assistance
• Marketing assistance

For both energy efficiency and water efficiency, LEED requires an conservation/efficiency-first approach. Efficiency means doing the same with less. After efficiency, the focus should then be placed on other ways to reduce demand such as rain water reuse

Preferred parking (parking closest to the building) for green vehicles promotes their purchase/use. The other options do not provide enough information or are just wrong.

Buffers help prevent rainwater from carrying pollutants off the site and into adjacent streams.

Xeriscaping will result in the greatest water use reduction, as landscaping requires a lot of water. Cisterns are handy but are very expensive to buy and maintain.

A charrette is an intensive, multiparty workshop that brings people from different disciplines and backgrounds together to explore, generate, and collaborate to produce design options. All project team members gather information and data relevant to the project, compare notes, and identify opportunities for synergy before anything is designed.

Sustainable Sites credits encourage strategies that minimize the impact on ecosystems and water resources.

Water Efficiency credits promote smarter use of water, inside and out, to reduce potable water consumption.

Location and Transportation credits reward projects in relatively dense areas, near diverse uses, with access to a variety of transportation options, or on sites with development constraints.