EBOM-2009 IOc1: Innovation in Operations 1-4 points

Credit Title: Educational Outreach Program Intent: To broaden the public\'s knowledge and awareness of green building strategies from a lessons learned perspective and to use the facility as a full scale example. The intent of the design team is to submit for an Innovation and Design Credit for an Educational Outreach Program. The project is a Car Wash & Maintenance Facility (hereafter referred to as the Facility) for a major Metropolitan Transit Agency. Due to the nature of the Facility the building is not generally open to the public. Use of the facility is limited to staff and organized visitations, thus onsite general public education would not be lucrative. Instead of an onsite educational program the Agency has accomplished / will be accomplishing the following: Educational Outreach: Project was featured in the Agency\'s "Going Green" brochure that was distributed on Earth Day. The use of captured rain water at the new Facility was a component of the Agency\'s "Earth Day" car posters distributed throughout the car fleet. The Agency\'s web site prominently features the Facility and has an animation of the Car Washer showing the captured / recycled rain water feature. Also, this website has recently been upgraded, as required by an Executive Order of the Governor, to be "accessible" to the hearing/visually impaired. Educational flyers on the Building will be available at the main lobby to visitors. Presentations: Presented a paper on the project at the Railroad Environmental Conference at UIUC in 2002. (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) "Green" features of the new Maintenance Facility and Car Washer were part of the Transit Agency\'s "Building for Tomorrow" brochure and presentation at the UITP Conference on Sustainable Design. This was also presented at the APTA conference on the environment given in NYC. Tours: A delegation from MetroVal (Valencia Metro, Venezuela) went on a tour through the facility. There are also additional plans for a group of engineering students from Colombia University to tour the Facility. Awards: Applied for and received a "Green Apple" award (honorable mention) from NYC/DOB and the US-EPA for Green Building Design. Design Guidelines: Established Design Guidelines for "Sustainability" for implementation throughout the Capital Program that were a direct result of the Green Design efforts on this project. We propose to submit copies of all the brochures created as part of this outreach program as well as website information for viewing. This project is not the typical project for which LEED NC was originally designed. As a major Metropolitan Transit Agency - the project is very high profile and thus contributes to the expansion of green building into the mainstream. As such, we feel that these efforts should obtain an Innovation & Design credit. Please let us know if these efforts will garner us an additional credit and if not, what we may do to accomplish this under this specific type of facility and ownership. Additionally, we would also like to know what submittals will be necessary to establish sufficient evidentiary information for the USGBC review.

Ecologically Based Landscape Design and Pest Control: The project site is an urban infill site located in Sacramento, California. The project is an office building for the State of California, housing the Department of Education. Prior to the design and construction of the new office building, the site was a surface parking lot with a few trees surrounding the site on the perimeter. Adjacent to the project is a six-story apartment building and across from the site is the California State Capitol mall, a park like setting, with many differing plants and tree species represented. Contained within the project is a small pocket park, which separates the office building from the adjacent apartment building. The park was selected as a site for the State Arts in Architecture program, and a nationally known artist was selected for the art commission. In response to community outreach efforts, and in response to neighborhood concerns about open space, the Design Team for the project worked with the artist to develop a unique response. The team worked on the development of the landscape design using specific features listed below, coupled with the strategy of an ecologically based landscape management and maintenance program. The team also sought to use the project landscape as a means to educate and promote the use of organic based urban landscaping and agricultural farming and the use of beneficial insects as a substitute for pesticides. Features of the Ecologically based Landscape Design and Pest Control include: - An interpretive fountain and sculpture that uses gray water and that reflects the culture and environs of the Sierra Foothills; - Native plant materials, selected for their appropriateness to the climate, low water requirements, adaptation of the native cultural landscape of the region, and aesthetic appeal. Plant material was also selected for its ability to provide habitat for beneficial insects; - Organic landscape specifications including soil mix management, sub-surface drip irrigation, gray water and organic fertilizers; - An irrigation system that utilizes high efficiency drip technology and reduces water consumption by 63%; - A fertilizing and feeding plan, which includes a biological nutrient management using compost tea, injected into the irrigation system; - The project also has a retail component, designated as restaurant space. Once restaurant tenants are identified, the Design Team will work with the tenants to develop a composting process to recycle organic waste streams from the building and the restaurant tenants, including food waste, landscape pruning, etc. - Training of the building and grounds maintenance staff to monitor for insect pests and plant disease. Training the staff to release beneficial insects as the primary means of pest control, and training the staff to use soft pesticides and to avoid toxins. - Educational stations with plaques and graphics delineating the ecological methods utilized, beneficial insect and plant identification and their symbiotic relationships. - Consultation on pest problems and supplying beneficial insects to the project for the duration of the two-year warranty period. Question: Could this interpretive pocket park, developed with neighborhood concerns, educational goals and coupled with organic practices be considered an innovation point?

Green Building Educational Component This project intends to provide a two-part educational package as part of its process. This will consist of the following: 1. A display system comprised of small iconographic signs throughout the facility highlighting where green strategies have been employed. These icons will then be complemented by a display panel in the main cafeteria space which highlights what the green building strategies are, and some of the impacts. Rather than put text-based signs throughout the facility, the icons will remind people as they move through the space that there is something green there. All employees go to the cafeteria several times a day, and this way the centralized panel can highlight the environmental impact of each piece of the building. For example an icon at the parking lot can highlight how much the hybrid vehicle parking spaces are reducing emissions. An icon at the toilet rooms can highlight how many gallons of water are going to be saved each year. By having the icons spread throughout the facility we can illustrate how pervasive our green strategies are. 2. A case study book or website, tied in to graphics of the building, which will highlight materials and strategies used throughout the facility. It will be cross-referenced with synergistic efforts made in the owner\'s corporate office center, also under construction and also seeking LEED certification. This resource will include both materials used, design strategies employed, and local suppliers and professionals involed in the project, such as construction entities, local waste recyclers, etc. This case study book or website will be shared with the USGBC and the Pittsburgh Green Building Alliance (GBA). Please review and let us know if this approach will meet the intent of the CIR from 9/24/2001 regarding educational programs for Innovation in Design points, and whether this approach is likely to be awarded a point if submitted.

Grants for PV Panels The Design Build Team for a government office building in California was given a stipulated sum for the entire scope of the project. In an effort to incorporate green strategies to the project that would otherwise not have economically feasible with the limited budget, the Design Build Team sought out new sources for funding, outside the Project stipulated sum, including federal, state and local grants and industry incentive programs. One identified source was a local utility that would donate photovoltaic panels under the stipulation that the panels had to be incorporated into the architecture, and not just added onto the building. The design team re-designed parts of the exterior, and worked with the exterior building envelope sub-contractors and the PV panel suppliers to develop systems to incorporate the PV panels directly into the exterior curtain wall. As a result, over 300 PV panels were incorporated into the project at no cost to the Owner. The PV wall system includes both structural butt-glazed panels and captured panels, which kept intact the original design intent. Question: Would the seeking out of funding sources for green features be considered an innovation point?

Our project is a 296,000 sf medical center. We are requesting consideration and guidance for a potential Innovation and Design point for the inclusion of a Healing Garden and Outdoor Place of Respite in the design of the building and site. Using criteria from the Green Guide to Healthcare Guideline system we have created a Healing Garden on site that provides patients, visitors, and staff accessible outdoor Places of Respite that takes into account: security and safety, supervised, sun orientation and other microclimatic factors, direct connection to the natural environment and garden spaces, noise of mechanical equipment, accessibility, way finding and orientation, strength and stamina of patients, activity and interest, privacy and security and proximity to building entries and restrooms. The Garden also provides choices and variety in the design of spaces, engaging the senses of sight, sound, touch, smell and is integrated with native plantings and garden elements. The intent of the garden is to provide places for quiet reflection that assist in the process of healing of patients and provide for the physical, emotional and spiritual well being of all users. The garden is sized appropriately to meet the needs of patients. Interior lobbies and public spaces adjacent to the garden space allow for viewing of the garden in passing throughout the day as well as during inclement weather. A growing body of research shows that patients, medical staff and other care givers experience positive health benefits from access to daylight, landscape views and garden spaces. Providing a variety of spaces for people to pause and experience their natural surroundings is an important design and whole-healthcare objective. The spaces are universally accessible and provide a variety of seating areas for both ambulatory and wheelchair users. Suggested Documentation includes: Area Tabulations and ratios that show: - Net program summary. - Site Plan(s) highlighting public outdoor places of respite equal to 5% min. of project net program area. - Floor Plans and site plans highlighting indoor and outdoor places of respite dedicated for staff/occupants use equal to an additional 2% of project net program area. - Garden Plans and sections illustrating orientation, accessibility, proximity to interior services, Plant material types and quantities, hardscape material types, textures, etc.

We are seeking an Innovation in Design credit for implementation of innovative, environmentally beneficial measures through active intervention in the zoning and land development process of the larger community. In the end, a 16,000 s.f. project was able to leverage over 200,000 s.f. of LEED Gold. Background While St. Stephen\'s was in the design process for its LEED project, a local developer proposed to build on the vacant lot located one property lot away to the south. The project team learned that the developer was preparing to present the building design drawings at an upcoming Harrisburg Planning Commission meeting, during which variances would be requested for significantly exceeding the height and setbacks allowed by city zoning code. St. Stephen\'s publicly opposed providing a variance for these excesses primarily because the neighboring building would cut off access to sunlight that the St. Stephen\'s project team was planning to collect for day lighting and PV arrays. Given the developer\'s and St. Stephen\'s prestige in the community, St Stephen\'s requested a meeting with the developer to discuss the issues to see if the height could be lowered or setbacks aligned with zoning requirements. The outcome was that the developer agreed to meet with the St. Stephen\'s team. Initially the developer brought in his architect to explain the designs. The St. Stephen\'s team also presented its sunshade studies. The developer agreed to examine stepping the new building back between the 5th and 8th stories so that the St. Stephen\'s complex would not be in shadow so often. Ultimately, no accommodations for setbacks were provided and it was acknowledged that the developer had no intention of making it a sustainable or LEED building. Soon thereafter, the developer divulged that the tenant would be Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Authority (PHFA). Resulting LEED Achievement During the time period that followed, St. Stephen\'s thought that there was an opportunity in this to leverage their position and negotiate a greater good by supporting the proposed zoning variances. At the time in 2002, very few PA state agencies were pursuing LEED certification for their buildings, with the exception of DEP. The project team thought that fighting the developer and PHFA might ultimately gain the 16,000 s.f. St. Stephen\'s school daylight, but rather than be "penny wise and pound foolish" the project team realized that there would be a much greater benefit if they could convince a public agency to make greater accommodations that would benefit the larger Harrisburg and Pennsylvania community in the name of environmental responsibility. They believed this could be especially important given that the agency is the PHFA that would deal with the future housing in the state. As a result, the St Stephen\'s project team invited the PHFA representatives to join in the discussions with the developer. During the subsequent meetings, the St. Stephen LEED design team educated the building\'s developer and its tenant, the PHFA, about sustainable design buildings and negotiated a formal agreement. This agreement accomplished 1) a minimum silver rated building for a state agency, 2) a smaller building that was "stepped back" so that it would relate better to the surrounding small and historic buildings within the neighborhood and not leave them all in shadow, 3) higher density in the neighborhood by allowing a smaller setback and taller building than zoning permitted, and 4) greater access to solar energy for the Episcopal school by granting St. Stephen\'s rights to harvest solar energy from the PHFA roof, which is much larger than St. Stephen\'s and would see more daylight than St Stephen\'s would otherwise due to surrounding buildings and trees. As a result of the St. Stephen\'s project team efforts, the developer and PHFA were prompted to enlisted their architect to redesign their project to include sustainable design features and achieve the minimum LEED silver rating that St. Stephen\'s demanded as part of the negotiated agreement, which is why sustainable design became one of the inherent development goals of the PHFA building. The PHFA building ultimately received LEED Gold Certification in September 2005.

Credit Intent: Implement a "Green Office Program" for building tenants who commit and prove they are operating as a "Green Office". The program will encourage tenants to operate more sustainably even if they are not performing a renovation (LEED-CI) for their office space. The goal is to provide method for tenants to move into the direction of sustainable operation, and with supporting documents showing achievement, be rewarded by the property management office. This will also encourage tenants to perform conduct cost-benefit analysis for improvements that can be achieved at nominal and/or no cost. Even credits that have a cost may still have that cost returned through reduced operating expenses. The "Green Office Program" is promoted through the building tenant guide and distributed by building managers, which encourages tenants to identify and implement no-cost and low-cost alternatives to operating in a standard indoor office environment. Scored on a scale of 100, offices are evaluated in seven categories: Energy Efficiency, People & Atmosphere; Travel & Commuting; Reduce, Reuse & Recycle; Cleaning; Remodeling & Construction; and LEED. When a specific strategy or improvement has been implemented, participating tenants earn "Leaf Credits." If an office achieves "70 Leaf Credits", it is then designated as a GREEN OFFICE. Here are a few items (entire program will be submitted with ID): Energy: - Set computers to "energy save" mode - Lower blinds in summer; raise blinds in winter - Install occupancy light sensors - Replace End of Life computer monitors with Energy Star Equipment - Set "sleep mode" for office equipment - Install compact fluorescent/low mercury light wherever possible People and Atmosphere: -Organize office employees to participate in a sustainability-focused community project once per year -Keep you local office employees updated quarterly about what green efforts you have achieved, your future sustainable goals, and how they can assist in reaching those goals Travel & Commuting: - Instead of traveling for meetings, reduce emissions by encourage teleconferencing and videoconferencing when possible - Ensure 25% of employees carpool or use mass transit to commute to work Reduce/Re-use/Recycle: - Use mugs and tumblers to save waste on disposable cups and plastic bottles - Participate in E-recycle Day for buildings annual e-recycle drive - Transition from petroleum-based or non-compostable products (ex: Styrofoam) to biodegradable products - Do not order any bottled water. Procure bottle-less water coolers to provide cool and hot filtered municipal water Remodeling & Construction: - Certify your office space as LEED-CI - Standardize workspace configuration to accommodate future change that will minimize remodeling and construction - Shift from "closed single offices" to efficient "open-office work plans" Requirements: Every 2 years, the tenant office manager would submit a scorecard to the property manager listing "green opportunities" achieved. Supporting documentation must be provided to achieve the credit. The tenant representative would also be required to attend quarterly building management/tenant meetings to updates to "Green Office Tenant Guidelines" and how they can promote sustainable office/business operation. As you can see, our goal is not to replace LEED-CI. Our program will not only encourage tenants seek LEED-CI, but also help grow our sustainable culture among building occupants beyond the built environment. Many tenants want to operate more sustainably. This program will be their guide.

DESCRIPTION Proposed achievement of this credit involves production of a fifteen minute video overview of the resort\'s LEED and green features. INTENT Previous rulings have indicated a minimum of two of the following solutions were required to achieve a point for public education within the Innovation and Design category: - Comprehensive signage program - Development of a manual, guideline, or case study - Educational outreach program or guided tour It is the intent of this CIR to seek a ruling that would permit the use of digital media (i.e., video) to serve, as an alternate path to all of the above. REQUIREMENTS Utilize digital media to expand upon the delivery of public education through: - Providing context to the LEED plaque (to be located in the lobby) by playing back the video on a flat screen adjacent to the plaque. This will provide expansive meaning to a plaque that will be viewed by thousands of people each year - including many who are not familiar with USGBC or LEED. Additionally, this would also reduce the traditional use of lobby paper products to tell the green story. Such paper products can sometimes go underutilized and/or are quickly discarded. - Educating visitors on the LEED and non-LEED green attributes of the resort by the daily and multiple playbacks (minimum 4 times each day) of the video on the resort\'s dedicated in-room television channel. This would achieve USGBC\'s goal of educating visitors to the project. - Educating new employees by playback of the video as part of their initial training and orientation. This would achieve USGBC\'s goal of educating employees. - Reaching a larger audience beyond those traveling to the resort by featuring the video on the resort\'s website and the corporation\'s environmental initiatives website. In essence the video provides a virtual, as opposed to physical guided tour, of the project without expanding facilities unnecessarily in order to conduct tours of the back of house physical plant. This would complement USGBC\'s goal of sharing the successes of this project with others who may not have the opportunity to visit the project. SUBMITTALS LEED Design Application Milestone: - Proposed location of lobby LEED plaque and adjacent flat screen - Story treatment/synopsis LEED Construction Application Milestone submittals would include: - Shooting script - Shooting schedule - Schedule of daily playback on the in-room resort channel - Web address/proposed design for the resort and environmental affairs websites that would host the video.

Intent To reduce environmental impacts of print infrastructure through minimizing energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and solid waste generation. Challenge: Document printing contributes to office energy consumption. Office equipment accounts for 4% of the electricity consumption in office buildings (Energy Information Administration 2008). On average, companies have one device for every 2.2 workers (Global e-Sustainability Initiative 2008). On average, devices are used only 1-2 percent (about 15 minutes) of a typical day (Xerox data, compiled from thousands of on-site visits and interviews with more than 100,000 people). A large enterprise may have hundreds or thousands of devices. Each year, Americans generate millions of tons of waste in our homes and communities (U.S. EPA). Every year, the United States generates approximately 230 million tons of "trash"--about 4.6 pounds per person per day (Annenberg Media). Solution: Print infrastructure optimization is an opportunity for improved building operational efficiency, in which multiple personal and single function devices are replaced with shared, networked multifunction devices. We propose the incorporation of Print Infrastructure Optimization into building operation as a means to reduce the environmental impact of office-related equipment. We aim to reduce lifecycle energy consumption by at least 20% from the baseline. We aim to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% from the baseline. We aim to reduce lifecycle solid waste by at least 20% from the baseline. Approach Process: Assessment & Analysis - Print infrastructure assessment will be performed to determine the current and optimized product mix and usage. In addition, a streamlined lifecycle-based evaluation that includes raw material extraction and processing, use of equipment and consumables, and solid waste generation shall be used. The methodology used to develop the life cycle data sets should be consistent with ISO 14040. At a minimum, include results for life cycle energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and solid waste. Data indicate that print devices of similar technology and speed bands have similar characteristics and can be aggregated together (EuP Preparatory Studies for Imaging Equipment). This approach will enable a more efficient process for collection and analysis of data. Baseline Current number of devices Establish Baseline for Lifecycle Energy Use Establish Baseline for Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Establish Baseline for Lifecycle Solid Waste Generation Design Case Optimized number of devices Establish Design Case Lifecycle Energy Usage Establish Design Case for Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions Establish Design Case Lifecycle Solid Waste Generation Proposed Submittals: Print infrastructure assessment w/ recommendations Narrative that declares that you have implemented assessment recommendations Calculated results of Print Infrastructure Optimization Lifecycle Energy Usage Reduction of 20% - Baseline vs. Design Case Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction of 20% - Baseline vs. Design Case Lifecycle Solid Waste Generation Reduction of 20% - Baseline vs. Design Case

Credit Title: Green Building EducationINTENT: To provide public education focusing on green building strategies and solutions.REQUIREMENTS AND SUBMITTALS: Credit 1.1 (1 point) Provide permanent educational displays illustrating at least one component of each of the five major green building categories in the LEED rating system:Sustainable SitesWater EfficiencyEnergy and AtmosphereIndoor Environmental QualityMaterials and Resources- Provide narrative to describe the intended green building education program that will use the displays.- Provide narrative to describe the selected green building educational displays.- Provide design drawings of the educational displays and their locations in the building.Credit 1.2 (1 point) Provide educational outreach focusing on sustainable living and building practices to serve the general public.- Provide education program with identifiable tasks and outcomes geared toward sustainable living and building practices.- Develop an ongoing education program to provide access to practical methods for homeowners and others for sustainable living and building practices.SUMMARY OF REFERENCED STANDARDS: There are no such referenced standards for this credit.GREEN BUILDING CONCERNS: Public education is necessary to encourage green building practices in public programs, private development, and residential communities. The purpose of this innovative credit is to encourage public education in green building projects and provide a strategy to meet that goal.Mission Statement: To inspire people to live more sustainably, using flexible and achievable standards for building and landscaping practices in such a way as it will protect our local and regional natural resources.DESIGN APPROACH: Even though this credit is designed with an environmental education center in mind, the principles of public education can be applied to either public or private structures. For example, office buildings, although a private enterprise, have employees coming and going each day. A building that is didactic and is reinforced with clearly defined educational displays can have a significant impact on the user\'s understanding of the built and natural environment. Transforming thoughtful design solutions into educational opportunities is the intent of this credit. Also, disseminating effective and practical information on sustainable living and building practices to the general public is a fundamental way to make changes in our society.

Ozone System in Lap Pool and Spa: exceptional IEQ Our project is a sports facility with a 6-lane, 25m swimming pool and 2 spas. Instead of the conventional chlorine system, we are using an ozone system to treat the water. The Ozone system has the following advantage: - Destroys bacteria, mold and mildew - Eliminates spores, yeasts, fungus and inactivates viruses - Aids the removal of minerals such as iron and manganese - Water is softer and has neutral pH - Leaves no unpleasant chemical or smell, no chloramines build-up, the by-products of ozone are heat and pure oxygen - No irritation to the eyes, nasal passages or throat - Will not cause dry skin, bleached hair or faded swimwear - Reduce chlorine consumption to a minimum, saving money on maintenance, and avoid storing such toxic chemical on site. To summarize, the system reduces the use of chlorine greatly (50-75% depending on splash limit). Unlike chlorine, ozone leaves no unpleasant odors or residual chemicals in the pool and spas. It eliminates the problems of red and irritated eyes, dry skin, faded swim wear and other problems associated with chlorine. We believe that this system has significantly increased the indoor environment quality of the project, especially when the pool and spas are frequently used being in a sports facility instead of a private residence. And a large amount of occupants will be benefited. Therefore, we would like to use this for one of our Innovation and Design Credits. Please advice on the feasibility.

Our project is a 103,000 sf addition and remodeling of a healthcare facility that will provide acute care for cancer patients. We are requesting information and guidance for a proposed Innovation and Design point for the re-alignment and re-meandering of an existing creek that borders our campus boundaries. Our facility has entered into partnership with the local watershed management district authority to provide for the re-alignment and re-meandering of Minnehaha Creek - (Minnehaha Creek is a tributary of the Mississippi River located in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from Lake Minnetonka in the west and flows east for 22 miles (35 km) through several suburbs west of Minneapolis and then through south Minneapolis. Including Lake Minnetonka, the watershed for the creek covers 181 square miles (469 km

If a building has earned TRUE Certification, can that certification be used to document LEED Operations and Maintenance credits?

Can a project earn ID credit for being in a LEED ND neighborhood? What level of certification or stage or review must the project have completed?

Taylor 28 is a mixed-use project that includes multi-family residential over ground floor retail with underground parking in addition to outdoor plazas and courtyard spaces. The project is located in downtown Seattle, Washington. The project has three above-grade, podium level courtyards that are composed of concrete pavers, raised planting areas, and a small amount of wood decking (ipe). The project has strong design intent focused on minimizing the heat island effect and thus is pursuing and will likely achieve the Sustainable Sites credits for Heat Island Effect for Non-Roof (SSc7.1) and Roof (SSc7.2). We believe the project also satisfies the intent of the Exemplary Performance pathway for Heat Island Effect Non-Roof since 100% of the parking is underground. However, we are confused about how best to demonstrate that accomplishment due to the complexity of our project, contribution of multiple strategies, and imprecise language in the reference guide. Please provide clarification on how to document this credit, given the circumstances described. Even though the roof already satisfies the criteria for SSc7.2 Heat Island Effect, Roof, the roof is reexamined in determining compliance with the Exemplary Performance pathway for SSc7.1 since portions cover the underground parking. As previously mentioned, the project will easily achieve the 50% threshold for SSc7.1, by either or both of the available options. However in order to achieve the SSc7.1 Exemplary Performance threshold of 100%, it seems the project is required to demonstrate that any portion of roof that covers parking has a minimum solar reflectance index (SRI) of 29. We believe that the project satisfies the intent of the credit but is having trouble matching the circumstances of the project to the submittal requirements. As you will read below, only by the strictest definition of the requirements, does the project fail to satisfy the requirements. The following four ways demonstrate both in isolation and in cooperation why our project should be awarded full credit for the Exemplary Performance for SSc7.1: 1. Area-weighted Average SRI - The area-weighted average SRI value for surfaces that are above underground parking is 75, which is composed of the following three elements: a. Roof - White TPO membrane, SRI = 82, Area over parking = 36,483 sf b. Courtyard - Concrete pavers, SRI = 40, Area over parking = 4,742 sf c. Courtyard - Ipe decking, SRI = 27, Area over parking = 1,634 sf The area of vegetation and a corresponding SRI is excluded from the Area-weighted Average SRI. However, it is worth noting that vegetation on the courtyards covers 4,535 sf (9.5%) and further reduces the heat island effect and would increase the average SRI if vegetation could be valued using the SRI metric. The percentage of the total area covering underground parking for each of the four materials is as follows: a. Roof - White TPO membrane, percentage of total roof area: 77% b. Courtyard - Concrete pavers, percentage of total roof area: 10% c. Courtyard - Vegetation, percentage of total roof area: 9.5% d. Courtyard - Ipe decking - percentage of total roof area: 3.5% 2. Shading: The three podium-level courtyards are located one story above street level and are significantly shaded by five levels of residential units that surround them. Due to this, the courtyards are further mitigated from any heat island effect by shading. In fact, using the LEED prescribed shading calculations (qualifying area shaded is the average of areas shaded at 10 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. on the solstice), even though they only technically apply to the Option 1 compliance path, demonstrates that shade from the building will cover 47 % of the total courtyard area, and 51% of the total wood decking area. This further reduces the influence of the wood decking in contributing to the heat island effect. In addition, tree plantings in the larger courtyard will also contribute to shading of the pavement. 3. The LEED-NC Reference Guide gives an explicit definition of what qualifies a project for the Exemplary Performance Pathway for SSc7.1, "Project may be awarded an innovation point for exemplary performance by demonstrating that.2) 100% of the on-site parking spaces have been located under cover". There is no mention of the requirement that "Any roof used to shade or cover parking must have an SRI of at least 29" as is mentioned in the credit language. Furthermore, the roof in question was not merely put in place as a parking shade, but instead to cover the building, which is already included in SSc7.2 Heat Island Effect, Roof, which this project is already achieving. 4. Amenity Space: The project is sited in a dense urban area, where residential development is part of a strategy to create vibrant neighborhoods. In creating such communities, it is important to provide outdoor amenity spaces for the residents that allow for a respite from the hectic pace of urban life. These courtyards provide simple outdoor gathering spaces comprised of a variety of materials which allow residents to relax in a visually rich outdoor space within the harsher city environment. As a footnote, the Ipe wood decking in question was sent for testing at a laboratory, at a not insignificant cost, to determine its actual SRI value and its impact on the heat island effect. Since new Ipe decking has very different properties than Ipe decking that is a few years old due to the effect of weathering (the brownish wood weathers to a silvery gray over time), a partially-weathered sample was tested. It is our belief that this was the appropriate approach as for most of the life of the building, the weathered Ipe decking will be in place, and only for the first few years would the decking exhibit its as-installed brownish look. Since the sample available for testing was only partially weathered, we believe this further strengthens our argument, as over time the SRI value will slowly increase, likely moving from its tested value of 27 and eventually crossing the threshold of 29. In conclusion, the Taylor 28 project has located 100% of its parking underground to avoid paving even a single black asphalt parking space, is located in a dense urban environment where amenity spaces-especially those with natural wood elements-are limited and essential to community and producing peaceful outdoor spaces, and has multiple strategies in place to respond to the intent of reducing the heat island effect. The wood decking is only slightly under an SRI of 29, comprises only 9.5% of the over-parking roof area, is 51% shaded via LEED shading methodology, and the remaining roof areas and vegetation will also drastically reduce the heat island effect-combining to nearly trivialize the contribution of the Ipe decking to the heat island effect, while providing a great amenity space and natural element in a dense urban environment. For these reasons and everything described above, we believe that this project should be awarded both Heat Island Effect credits as well as an Innovation in Design point for Exemplary Performance for credit SSc7.1.

PULSED POWER TECHNOLOGY [Alternative Process Water Treatment] Intent: Reduce the impact of potentially hazardous chemical discharges to the environment by eliminating conventional means of process water treatment in HVAC equipment. Reduce amount of water consumption from conventional recirculating water systems such as cooling towers, hydronic HVAC systems, or process water systems by decreasing the need for make-up water caused by evaporation and system blowdown (or bleed). Requirements: Provide an integral chemical-free water treatment technology in place of conventional water treatment which uses potentially toxic chemicals which may also produce potentially hazardous chemical byproducts. Provide documentation in the form of a letter from the project engineer that includes a narrative description of the chemical-free water treatment system used and how the system works. The narrative shall specifically state the environmental benefits of using the chemical-free process in place of the conventional chemical water treatment system; state specific chemicals and their estimated quantities eliminated by substituting the chemical-free process; state the methods and quantities of process water discharge as an estimate of potential water savings. Rationale: Recirculating water systems used in building mechanical processes such as HVAC heat rejection in cooling towers and hydronic heating and cooling systems often use chemical infiltration using manual or automatic injection processes in order to chemically treat the water contained in them. Chemical treatment is typically used for a wide range of functions such as the prevention of mineral scale formation, control of microbiological populations, and to inhibit corrosion. These functions may be equally served by the introduction of an electronic process known as pulsed power technology. Environmental benefits of the pulsed power technology are achieved simply with the elimination of potentially hazardous chemicals and their toxic byproducts used to prevent formation of mineral scale, control of microbiological populations, and inhibit corrosion. Conventional chemical treatment systems often ultimately cause the release of potentially hazardous substances into the environment through water discharge such as evaporation, spills, spray, and drift. In conventional process water systems such as open cooling towers chlorine or other biocides are used to control biological activity which is rapidly discharged to the atmosphere as chlorine gas. Corrosion inhibitors such as zinc, molybdenates, and phosphates are discharged in the drift from the cooling tower and spray settling to the ground as well as through the sewer system through blowdown draining. Water softeners, not needed in pulsed power processes, are typically used to prevent scaling and discharge quantities of salt brine as part of the softener process. The use of an alternative means of process water treatment in HVAC equipment such as the pulsed power technology is estimated to yield the following benefits and savings when applied to our building project: - the elimination of potentially hazardous chemicals and their toxic byproducts with the elimination of conventional chemical water treatment processes - saves the use of approximately 186 gallons per year of industrial strength chlorine bleach, 5 to 6 gallons of isothiazine, and 115,000 gallons of water containing 2 ppm zinc and 20 ppm phosphate from being discharged into the environment - saves the requirement for approximately 90 lbs. of chlorine per year (most of which is evaporated to the atmosphere) - Annual water usage savings of approximately 67,275 gal/yr when compared to a typical open system water cooling process (cooling tower) of the same capacity with conventional chemical treatment processes Please confirm attainability of this credit.