NC-2009 IDc1: Innovation in Design 1-5 points

We are seeking an Innovation in Design credit for the use of low-emitting insulation material. Intent Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, potentially irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and wellbeing of installers and occupants. Requirements All insulation used in the building interior (defined as inside of the weatherproofing system) shall meet one of the testing and production requirements below: Option A: California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for The Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scaled Environmental Chambers, including 2004 Addenda. OR Option B: GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification (requirements are more stringent than those set forth by the Cal DHS Standard Practice for Testing of VOCs from Building Materials Using Small-Scaled Environmental Chambers) Submittals Provide the LEED-CI Letter Template, signed by the architect, interior designer or responsible party, listing all the insulation used in the tenant space and stating that they meet or exceed the applicable testing and product requirements. Background The basis for our request is that within LEED for Homes MRc2.2 Insulation is awarded 0.5 points if it complies with California Practice for Testing of VOCs from Building Materials Using Small Chambers. The effective use of insulation to minimize energy costs and improve control of environmental comfort with placement in the walls and above drop- ceilings of high-performance buildings has led to insulation being a highly utilized individual material in many LEED-CI buildings. Therefore, now more than ever, the assurance that insulation is not off-gassing harmful chemicals is an important step in assuring the health of all building occupants. Insulation is listed as one of a three component system under Option 6 - Ceiling and Wall Systems (LEED for Schools EQc4). We are proposing to have insulation identified as a stand-alone material due to its abundant use within a building. It is understood that LEED for Schools EQc4 allows up to 4 points for low-emitting materials. It is requested that insulation, by itself, as allowed in LEED for Homes MRc2.2 be eligible as an ID credit. To be consistent, this would be an option only if the project has not already received 4 points for low-emitting materials.

INTENT We believe that the proposed storm water management system design exceeds LEED\'s storm water goals and intent in both quantity and quality by 1) maintaining on-site infiltration and managing additional off-site storm water runoff, and 2) improving water quality by removing pollutants from on-site and off-site storm water runoff. Additional measures were taken to assure the storm water management system was designed to maximize treatment of storm water runoff from adjacent properties. DESIGN APPROACH The proposed new construction is located on 13.7 previously developed acres consisting mainly of hard-turf soccer fields, gravel parking, and a small abandoned building. Existing site best management practice\'s (BMP\'s) consist of one vegetated swale and there are no rate or volume control measures. Adjacent to the site, along the south and east borders, are 5.0 acres of residential development and county road that currently receive no treatment. The proposed 13.7 acre site and the adjacent off site 5.0 acres share a 48" culvert located in the southeast corner of the proposed site. The proposed on-site storm water management system consists of 4 infiltration/settlement basins, 2 vegetated swales and 1 detention pond. The system is designed to route water from the building roof and parking lots through pre-treatment infiltration basins located on the east and west ends of the parking lot. Water from the west end parking lot infiltration basin will outlet to a vegetated swale which will flow to the detention pond on the southern edge of the site. Water from the east end parking lot infiltration basin will outlet to another infiltration basin near the southeast corner of the museum, which then outlets to a vegetated swale before entering the detention pond on the southern edge of the site. The additional 5.0 off-site acres of storm water runoff will be rerouted to enter the site at the infiltration basin at the southeast corner of the site. As explained above, after treatment in this infiltration basin the runoff flows through a vegetated swale and in to the detention pond. All storm water will then pass through one additional infiltration basin before exiting the site. PROPOSED COMPLIANCE After the construction of the project and its site appurtenances are completed, the impervious areas of the site will consist of a 0.9 acre building footprint, 1.4 acre parking lot, and 1.2 acres of trails, patios, turfed surfaces, and sidewalks. The remaining 10.2 acres of the site will consist of various types of native and adaptive vegetation along with BMP\'s. The 5.0 off-site acres will be rerouted to be incorporated in the BMP\'s of the proposed site. The project team intentionally designed the storm water management system to maximize treatment of on-site storm water runoff and to handle 5.0 additional acres of runoff (approximately 35% additional area) from an off-site residential area and section of county road currently receiving zero treatment. Through hydraulics/hydrology models we have confirmed that the site will reduce peak discharge rates for the 1 and 2 year 24 hour storm events by 30%-15% respectively. The site will also reduce discharge volumes for the 1 and 2 year 24 hour storm events by 50% and 25% respectively. Through water quality models we have confirmed that the site will reduce the total suspended solids by 85% and total phosphorus by 60%. We are confident the combined interaction between the infiltration basins, swales and the detention pond assures that the project site exceed LEED goals and intent for both storm water quantity and quality. PROPOSED SUBMITTAL Site Plan Landscape Plan Hydrology Model Report As a result of our efforts, we believe that the design and implementation of the project\'s storm water management system and the treatment of 5.0 additional acres of off-site runoff should be granted 1 LEED ID point. Please confirm compliance.

Innovation & Design Process: Exemplary Performance in Alternative Transportation - Hybrid Vehicle Reimbursement Program Intent Reduce pollution and energy impacts from automobile use. Requirements To receive an innovation point, the project team will demonstrate that a comprehensive hybrid vehicle reimbursement program is in place with clear performance goals, including: 1. A statement of purpose describing what the program is trying to achieve from a health and environmental standpoint, focusing on reduced carbon emissions. 2. Procedural requirements for employees who participate in the program to comply with the guidelines. 3. A clear set of acceptable performance metrics by which to measure progress or achievement, such as a sample request for reimbursement form stating all data gathered (i.e. miles driven, vehicle purchased, vehicle replaced, vehicle fuel consumption, etc.), and calculated statistics, including equivalent pounds of carbon dioxide NOT released, compared to the baseline (vehicles driven, fuel consumed, and emissions released, prior to the program). 4. Documentation of the program\'s vehicle and procurement specifications, including a list of approved vehicles, and employee eligibility guidelines. Demonstrate that the vehicles purchased and miles driven result in improved environmental impact. Submittals 1. Copy of program guidelines and eligibility requirements. 2. Copy of request for reimbursement form. 3. Calculations illustrating number of participating employees, vehicles purchased, vehicles replaced, miles driven each week for commuting purposes, and whether the program influenced the decision to purchase a hybrid. 4. Calculations quantifying equivalent pounds of carbon dioxide NOT released. Design Approach As part of a corporate commitment to reduce its environmental impact, as well as a comprehensive effort to improve its leadership on environmental issues, including LEED-CI certification of its Corporate Center interiors, Bank of America announced on June 7, 2006 that it will reimburse Associates living within 90 miles of Charlotte, Boston, and Los Angeles and purchasing a new hybrid vehicle $3,000. Available to more than 49,000 associates, the program addresses a correlation between air quality, limited travel options (other than single-rider vehicles), and commute length. As of September 7, 2006, 200 Bank of America associates, including 118 in Charlotte, have taken advantage of the program and the Bank expects up to 100 more will participate by the end of 2006. The program is available to all associates working in the Bank of America Corporate Center and it is possible to monitor how many of those associates take advantage of the program. We request a ruling on whether implementation of this program would achieve an Innovation & Design credit, since it is available to ALL Bank of America Associates living within 90 miles of Charlotte, where the Bank of America Corporate Center Renovation Pilot Project is located.

Innovation Credit Inquiry for PVC Intent: To eliminate the use of PVC to the extent possible due to the hazards of PVC production and disposal. Description: One of the program goals for this project was to eliminate the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to the extent possible. The Pentagon Renovation Program required in their statement of work that PVC should be eliminated unless: a. There was not an alternative product b. Alternative product selection compromised performance c. Alternative product selection had an unacceptable impact to budget or schedule (note that the program did pay more for some non-PVC products). The purpose for attempting to eliminate PVC is as follows: Toxicity liabilities: The manufacturing of PVC burdens the environment with numerous environmentally undesirable byproducts. - The lifecycle of PVC production creates four persistent organic pollutants that are identified for phase-out under the United Nations Environment Program POP Treaty. - Ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) which are released to air and water during manufacture of PVC are toxic and carcinogenic. - When PVC is incinerated as part of a Municipal Solid Waste strategy, toxic dioxins are formed as a byproduct of incomplete combustion. - Chemical additives called phthalates are added to PVC to enhance performance characteristics such as flexibility. These compounds are typically DEHP and MEHP which affect bronchial contracting receptors and thereby generates a hyper reactive condition in the lungs. Because these additives are not chemically bonded, they tend to leach out of the PVC causing indoor air quality to be compromised. Lack of market stewardship: According to the Worldwatch Institute, global PVC production exceeded 25 million tons in 1999. By 2002, it is estimated that the figure will rise to 33 million tons. Accordingly, although 250 million tons of PVC are in use today it is estimated that over 100 million tons have been landfilled or incinerated. The production of one ton of chlorine requires about 3,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. Since 40 percent of chlorine is attributed to PVC production, the energy burden for PVC is about 1,800 kilowatt-hours per tons of product. Because the PVC industry does not promote any kind of product stewardship initiatives, from the perspective of both resources and energy consumption, there is no credible proactive effort to enhance the properties of PVC to characterize it as a sustainable material. Reclamation deficiencies: In the document Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste, the EPA estimates that 970 thousand tons of PVC were generated in 1999 of which only a "negligible" amount was recovered. So small is PVC recycling, in fact, the amount recognized for discards equals the amount of material generated. Because PVC must be produced with a number of additives such as lead and cadmium to produce unique characteristics, it is difficult and expensive to reclaim resins. Most recycling that does occur is post-industrial which means that nearly everything that has entered the consumer market will eventually be landfilled or incinerated. The project team did evaluate the environmental impacts of those materials that were specified in lieu of PVC. For this project, a number of different products were specified where PVC might have conventionally been a "default" selection. These included, but were not limited to: - High density polyethylene (HDPE), for wastewater, potable water, foundation drainage and sprinkler systems. - Bentonite waterstops in lieu of PVC waterstops. - Linoleum (rapidly renewable material), in lieu of PVC flooring - Carpet tile with recycled PVC backing Could an innovation credit be achieved for the elimination of PVC (including the use of contract language to eliminate PVC) to the extent possible on this project?

Our project is a 320,000 s.f. mixed-use project being designed and constructed to achieve various LEED NC 2.2 credits. The mixed use components consist of residential units, residential parking and commercial tenant space (shell only). The project is located in Solano County, CA. We are seeking an innovation credit for a Comprehensive Transportation plan based on the ID credit previously approved on 5/9/2003 The INTENT of this innovation credit is to provide occupants of the building additional options for Alternative Transportation and reduce the drive alone trips through the use of a Transportation Management Plan. The project is currently pursuing three SS 4 baseline credits including: a. Project is located within 1/4 mile of Bus service. b. Bicycle Storage is provided for residents and retail customers and employees. c. Preferred Parking is provided for low emitting/ fuel efficient vehicles . The Comprehensive Transportation Plan will include the following additional elements: a. The developer will provide free conferencing facilities to accommodate flexible work schedules and reduce the drive alone trips. A conference room with infrastructure for video conferencing/ telecommuting will be provided for use by residents. b. The Solano County Transportation Authority provides a number of transportation amenities/ alternates for its residents and information on the same will be displayed in the lobby and included in the Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions. Information and amenities include: i. Maps/ schedules/ contact info for Public Transportation ii. Information on incentives provided by Solana County Transportation Authority including: 1. Emergency Ride Home Program 2. "Bucks for Bikes" program (Up to 60% -$100 max of the cost of a bicycle) 3. Commuter Check Program 4. Carpool/ Vanpool incentives (Up to $100 Gas Card) c. The developer will provide 10 free bicycles for the use of residents. Bicycle maintenance and replacement will subsequently be part of the Home Owner\'s Association Submittals will include a. A floor plan showing conferencing facility within residential development. b. Copy of CCRs outlining available public transportation amenities. c. Commitment letter or receipt from developer for 10 bicycles.

This project is a laboratory building being constructed in an existing building. As part of the design process, the Labs21 EPC and the LEED Draft Application Guide for Labs were used as a guideline for sustainable design features of the labs. Towards that end, we are proposign the following for ID Credit 1.1: ID CR 1: Laboratory Safety: Intent: Insure the health and safety of laboratory employees Requirements: Design laboratories to ensure contaminants are contained and workers are protected (relates to AGL EQ Pre-Requisite 3 and Credits 9.1 and 9.2) 1. Ensure minimum requirements for safety and worker protection are met through compliance with ANSI / AIHA Z9.5 latest version. 2. Conduct Fume Hood commissioning including ASHRAE-110 method for testing performance of Laboratory Fume Hoods (latest version). This includes field testing each of the new fume hoods as well as each of the existing fume hoods scheduled to remain in the new construction. 3. Design all alarm systems in the laboratory to be inherently self-identifying and fail-safe Submittals will be 1. Letter certifying ventilation design is in compliance with ANSI / AIHA Z9.5 latest version 2. Specifications and Fume Hood Commissioning report 3. Fume hood controls and alarm system diagrams and schematics from design documents Please advise if this suggested point will meet the requirements of the Innovation in Design Credit 1 and will be likely to be awarded to this project.

Activated Carbon Filters for Low-Cost Demand Control Ventilation and Energy Efficiency This CIR proposes an innovation design credit for a suite of design features and a design procedure that will reduce the cost of demand controlled ventilation (DCV). The procedure is based on a combination of: scrubbing the air with activated charcoal (AC) filters to reduce the number of critical rooms in a building that will require CO2 sensors; using air-to-air heat recovery for the building air: using time-of--day control of ventilation for the building zones. The proposed design procedure will enable selecting the minimum number of CO2 sensors to control the amount of delivered outside air. This will reduce the initial cost as well as the annual cost of maintaining their calibration. The new Pacific Garden Mission building in Chicago will house an average of 800 homeless people on any given night. The design calls for using activated carbon filters in the main air handling unit for the entire building to help control the peculiarly strong body odors of the guests and to reduce the required outside air and associated energy use. Three "hot boxes" will also be used to disinfect by 180oF+ heat all the clothes of the incoming guests as part of the thorough laundry process. The activated carbon filters are capable of reducing these outdoor air rates by over 70%. This was determined by applying the Indoor Air Quality procedure described in Section 6.2 of ASHRAE Standard 62-1999 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality1 To be conservative, we will assume that only a 50% reduction in outside air will be feasible because additional outdoor air may be necessary to control body odors by dilution. Besides reducing the cost of conditioning the ventilation air an additional benefit of the activated carbon filters will be to help reduce the number of CO2 sensors needed in the building for effective and affordable demand control ventilation. By reducing the required outside air by 50% the number of "critical rooms" is reduced. We define "critical rooms" as the rooms having a required minimum fraction of outside air, say 0.50, as calculated using the Ventilation Rate Procedure for multiple spaces and the Indoor Air Quality Procedure in ASHRAE 62,2-20012. The rationale for not installing CO2 sensors in rooms with outdoor air fractions below a specific number, say 0.50, is: 1. if regularly occupied rooms with outdoor air fractions above 0.50 are getting sufficient outside air, the rooms with lower fractions should automatically get sufficient outside air. 2. one air handling unit serves the entire PGM building. Therefore, a small number of CO2 sensors can control the outdoor air fraction throughout the building. (The air handler is equipped with multiple fans--their redundancy makes it acceptable to serve a building this size, approx. 118,580sf net interior floor area with one air handler.) 3. The design will also include air-to-air heat recovery at the main air handling unit using either run-around-coils or heat pipes. 4. For major parts of the day CO2 sensor control of the supply and outside air quantities for particular space will be overridden by direct time-of-day control by the central EMS. The building program is arranged so that during the daytime the lower two floors will be occupied and conditioned for occupancy. The upper two floors are dormitories that will be unoccupied and their environment will be kept at unoccupied settings, including just enough supply air to slightly pressurize these floors relative to the outside. Conversely during the evening hours, the lower two floors will be unoccupied and their environment will be kept at unoccupied settings with the minimal required supply air to temper the space and control building pressurization. The central EMS will be used to control the supply air to these large blocks of the building. (This will also allow using a very low diversity factor to size the main air handling unit since it will be used to condition about 1/2 of the building at any one time.) 5. The limiting factor in determining the minimum acceptable amount of outside air may very well be the perception of odors by the occupants. This may require higher amounts of outside for dilution of odors than what would be called for by the CO2 sensor. This will be determined empirically after occupancy begins. In summary, the above design features and program requirements make it possible to reduce the number of CO2 sensors at this job by at least 50%. This will be documented in the summary table of the Ventilation Rate Procedure analysis. As such, the use of activated carbon filters makes demand controlled ventilation economically viable. Our first question is whether the above package of design features and approach is acceptable for reducing the number of required CO2 sensors and the cost of DCV and whether this would be considered an Innovation in Design and suitable for receiving a a LEED credit. Our second question is whether we can calculate the energy savings due to the activated carbon filters using the same analysis method approved for demand control ventilation. The % reduction due to the DCV would be calculated by subtracting saved energy from DCV in the numerator and using the Base Case energy cost without DCV in the denominator. Our preliminary energy modeling indicates annual savings of at least $10,000 per year or about 5% of the projected energy costs of the Current Design. These savings would be included under EA Credit 1 Optimize Energy Performance. We look forward to the USGBC\'s comments on this potential innovation in design and on the savings calculation method for the activated carbon filters. 1. ASHRAE 62.2-1999 Section 6.2 and Appendix E 2. ASHRAE 62.2-1999 Section 6.1.3.1 Ventilation Procedure for Multiple Spaces

Title: Whole Building Double Water Filtration to Obviate the Need for Bottled Water Intent: To minimize or eliminate the use of plastic water bottles in buildings by providing the purity levels afforded by bottled water through comprehensive building water filtration. The bottled water industry has grown substantially in the past decade. About 74% of Americans drink bottled water; one in five drinks only bottled. Demand is outstripping recycling capacity. According to the Container Recycling Institute, each year an ever smaller proportion of plastic bottles are recycled; from 2 out of 5 in the mid \'90s, to only 1 out of 7 today. Seventy million water bottles are disposed of each day, with 60 million going into landfills, oceans or incinerators. Our project plans to implement a two-stage water filtration system that provides water purity equal to or better than bottled water. Implementing water filtration technology is an answer to the severe environmental impact of bottled water, because it reconciles people\'s desire for pure, safe drinking water with the imperative of reducing waste. By installing two-stage water filtration - first at the main (point-of-entry, POE) and then downstream within kitchen cabinets (point-of-use, POU) -- and educating our occupants about the health and environmental advantages of the system, we anticipate a dramatic reduction in the purchase of bottled water in our building and associated waste. The two-stage configuration, and the specific equipment selected, are designed so as to minimize environmental impact by 1) at POE using negligible water for self-cleaning, and 2) at POU achieving significant filter cartridge longevity. Requirements: - Provide building-wide point-of-entry water filtration that removes particulate contamination equal to or smaller than 10 microns; AND - Provide point-of-use water filtration at 0.2 micron (fine enough to remove bacteria) and NSF/ANSI Standard 42 and 53 certified. AND - Educate building occupants about the system, how it works and its substantial environmental benefits. Benefits: - Obviate the need for bottled water by providing high performance and low impact two-stage water filtration that will substantially reduce the amount of plastic water bottles going to waste from our building. - Reduce the exposure to potentially harmful waterborne contaminants for the entire population through universal access to filtered water. - Reduce the energy required to heat water by screening out particulates that over time negatively impact system efficiency. - Reduce the amount of pollutants released in the manufacture and transportation of bottled water attributable to our building. There are 70 million bottles of water consumed in the US per day. Dividing that number by the total population of approximately 306,000,000, means that 23% of the US population is drinking one bottle of water a day. We believe this estimate to be conservative and that widespread adoption of two-stage water filtration could have a much bigger impact, especially in areas with known water quality problems. We estimate that our 1200 apartment project will have 2130 occupants. Therefore, 23% of 2130 = 479 people drinking one bottle of water a day times 365 days/yr = 174,835 bottles for this one building resulting in a reduction of 149,858 (6 out of 7) bottles going to landfill, oceans or incineration. New occupants will be given an orientation session at the time of lease by the property manager explaining the dual system, the POU maintenance requirements and why the cost and environmental impact of bottled water can be avoided in the building. The tenant environmental guideline will also detail the environmental impact of bottled water and describe the system benefits and performance. The filtration system will be a highlighted feature on all leasing and green building tours.

We are seeking further clarification on an Administrative CIR dated 8/10/2007 with a response dated 8/27/2007. Our project is also a mixed use project with a for sale residential component, parking and retail. The retail is 8% of the total building square footage. The tenant space is described as "a cold dark shell". The tenant will be responsible for the total fit-out including the mechanical systems. As noted in the referenced CIR we are also excluding any interior build-out work from the LEED rating. We have included energy and water use calculations for the building rating. Since the systems are undefined we assumed the most restrictive criteria. We will also provide a tenant guideline that will allow the tenant but not require the tenant to meet the LEED prerequisites and credits that the base building is pursuing. Please confirm as noted in the CIR Response, that the project guidelines will not require the tenant to meet the LEED prerequisites and credits, Including but limited to Prerequisites EA.1 EA.2 IAQ 2.

We are seeking approval of a concept for an innovation point for low emission office systems furniture and seating. Our project is a 280,000 SF office building that is registered for certification under LEED-NC v2.1. A developer is building the base building core and shell and a single tenant will lease the building. The project is currently in the design phase, and it is our goal to achieve LEED-NC EQ credits 4.1 through 4.4. Since over 75% of the floor area of the project will be occupied by open office systems furniture, and emissions from these systems will have a significant impact on IAQ, we plan to specify a low emission furniture system that complies with the requirements of LEED-CI EQ cr 4.5 (Low Emitting Materials, Systems Furniture and Seating). We believe that this merits an innovation point because LEED-NC does not address emissions from furniture, and in our project these emissions will have a significant impact on IAQ. In order to demonstrate compliance, we are proposing to comply with the intent, requirements, and submittals of LEED-CI EQ cr 4.5. We are requesting that the approval of this innovation point not be contingent on our project achieving any of the points in LEED-NC EQ cr 4. We are requesting this condition because we believe that even without the attainment of LEED-NC EQ cr 4, our proposed innovation point will significantly enhance IAQ, and it is above and beyond the scope of the EQ points in LEED-NC. We are also requesting that the attainment of this innovation point not be contingent on the attainment of LEED-NC EQ cr 4, because we can not be certain that we will actually be able to attain any of the points in LEED-NC EQ cr 4 until the construction of the project has been completed.

Our project is a 26,000 square foot tenant space for a confidential client, a news provider. We will be utilizing LEED-CI. We\'re wondering if our limited-wall office space qualifies for an Innovation Credit. The space plan for the office will not include walls/partitions. The entire space will utilize an open office furniture system. Obviously there will be walls for restrooms and mechanical spaces but private offices and kitchen areas will not have hard walls. Intent Minimize materials and construction waste due by avoiding the construction of walls for private offices and kitchen area. Requirements We will calculate the amount of material (gypsum, metal studs etc.) our project will save (as well as construction waste avoided) based on the assumption that other offices similar to ours consist of 25% hardwalled areas. We will quantify the amount of CO2 saved from the extraction, manufacturing, and shipping of material which we will be saving by not constructing any hard walls.

Intent of credit: ---- Reduce operations related carbon footprint and encourage organizations associated with LEED projects to do likewise. Requirements for compliance: ---- Identify operational sources of carbon emissions not otherwise addressed by LEED. Establish the operational carbon footprint of the occupants of the LEED project verified by a recognized authority. (See CIR dated 6/29/06 for list of authorities). Obtain carbon offsets for the carbon footprint associated with operational sources of carbon emissions equal to or greater than 50% over 2 years**. Submittals: ---- 1. Signed letter template declaring that offsets equivalent to at least 50% of operational carbon emission loads associated with air travel, car travel, and natural gas for a period of at least two years have been obtained. 2. Narrative describing the project\'s approach to addressing carbon loads. 3. Calculation used to determine carbon emissions, resulting equivalence data, and quantity of offset measures required. 4. Certification document from a recognized source of carbon offset credits. Design Approach (Strategies) / Narrative: ---- Reliable analysis of construction related life cycle carbon emissions is difficult to obtain and verify at this time. Emissions data related to operations are more readily available and recognized authorities exist that can quantify the carbon emissions related to operations based on established metrics. This credit addresses carbon emissions other than those addressed by LEED-CI v2.0 EAc4 Green Power. The following steps describe the actions needed to achieve this credit: Research currently available carbon emission measurement standards and offset options. Identify recognized service providers. (See CIR dated 6/29/06 for list of recognized authorities) List carbon emission sources specific to operations associated with the project in question. Run calculations on offset measures needed. Obtain carbon offset credits at least equivalent to 50% of operational carbon emission loads associated with natural gas, air travel, and car travel for a period of at least two years. This innovation credit meets the three basic criteria for innovation credits as described in the LEED Reference Guide: 1. Quantitative performance improvement: A baseline evaluation of the operational carbon footprint using methods specified by a recognized authority (Green-e for instance) establishes a starting point and is used to calibrate the quantity of carbon offset measures needed. 2. Comprehensive program: The program addresses business related carbon emissions related to air travel, car travel, and natural gas, not covered by LEED and augmenting similar efforts related to electrical loads achieved by meeting LEED-CI v2.0 EAc4 Green Power requirements. 3. Applicability to other projects: This innovation credit provides an outline for any organization interested in addressing their operational carbon footprint. Similar ID credits related to post occupancy efforts are listed in the USGBC\'s Innovation & Design Credit Catalog (1 December 2007), including credits addressing: Green Cleaning; Monitoring Threatened & Endangered Species; Donation and Protection of Open Space (not assoc. with project site); Alternative Transportation Management Plan; Employee Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Food composting; Occupant recycling program; Waste reduction operations; Work at home program; LEED post-occupancy performance evaluation; Employee wellness; Educational program; Student report; Carbon offset; Environmentally preferable services; and Off site environmental benefit. ** Time period and % based on those established for the LEED-CI v2.0 EAc4 Green Power credit.

INQUIRY: To help stimulate the development of sustainable product evaluation and certification tools by building professionals, we are seeking to establish an innovation point for specification of products certified under the SMART & California Gold Sustainable Product Programs explained at: http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/SMART_Building_Product_Standard SMART & California Gold provide manufacturers with a transparent measure of sustainable product achievement through consensus based standards. They help customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broad definition of quality. Through SMART and California Gold, this broader definition of quality means using products and materials safe for public health and environment as measured by LCA and 12 life cycle impacts; using renewable energy and energy efficiency; using recycled and biobased organic materials with EPA best management practices; increased water conservation; facility and company achievements; social equity; and product reuse and reclamation. SMART & California Gold meet all 24 Sustainable Product Certification Criteria (SPC Criteria) found here: http://sustainableproducts.typepad.com/Sustainable_Product_Certification.... To qualify for this CIR, SMART Gold & California Gold must have at the manufacturing facility 60% Green-e Power or 60% conventional energy reduction from the baseline. SMART & California Platinum must have 80% Green-e or 80% conventional energy reduction for both the manufacturing facility and suppliers. Eighty percent of all SMART & California Gold credits reduce climate change pollution. If a candidate product achieves the necessary criteria, it is certified as a Silver, Gold or Platinum Sustainable Product and must complete independent third party global auditing requirements of manufacturer and supplier facilities. The following Intent, Requirements and Submittals for this Innovation in Design application are suggested: Intent: Help stimulate the development of certified sustainable products for use by building professionals. Requirements: Use SMART or California Gold Certified building materials and products for 2.5% of the total value of all building materials and products used in the project, based on cost. The "cost value" of products for the purposes of this calculation will be discounted by 50% for Silver level products, and doubled for products certified at the platinum level: Cost value of products = (Silver x 0.5) + Gold (1.0) + (Platinum x 2) Submittals: Spreadsheet matrix with the following information: DEFAULT MATERIALS VALUE Total construction costs (hard costs for CSI Master Format 1995 Divisions 2-10 and 12** only): _______ Default materials cost (total Divisions 2-10 and 12** construction cost x 0.45): _______ OR ACTUAL MATERIALS VALUE Actual materials cost (excluding labor and equipment) hard costs for CSI Master Format 1995 Divisions 2-10 only): _______ - Material Name/Description - Manufacturer - Total Material Cost ($) - Percent Of Product SMART or California Gold Certified (% by Weight) - Compliant Product Value - Adjusted value (Silver x 0.5, Gold x 1.0, Platinum x2) Total "cost value" ($) of SMART or California Gold certified materials: _______ SMART or California Gold certified material value as a percentage of total materials cost*: _______ *To qualify for this ID credit the percentage of SMART or California Gold certified materials must be at least 2.5% of the total materials cost. **CSI Master Format 1995 Division 12 may be included in calculations if materials from Division 12 are used consistently with calculations in credits MRc3-7 in LEED-NC or MRc3-6 in LEED-CS. LEED-CI projects are required to include Division 12 components in the calculation of this ID point, as these components are required for calculations in CI credits MRc4-7. Please refer to the LEED-CI Reference Guide\'s credit calculation instructions for guidance in calculating these credits.

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?

Summary: Interpretation ruling regarding (3) Innovation Credits: (2) credits for significantly exceeding MR Credit 5.1 & 5.2 (1) Credit for utilizing water efficient process load appliances, significantly impacting overall water usage within the residence hall buildings. Context: The scope of the project incorporates new construction of four residential halls on a college campus, which house more than 250 students and staff. Three of the buildings are three stories, and the other is four stories. Description: The following outlines the current calculation status for the project pertaining to MR Credits 5.1 & 5.2, and the impact of the water efficient clothes washers utilized: MR Credit 5.1 (Local regional materials) exceeds 65% of material cost baseline Material cost baseline was derived by subtracting mechanical, electrical, fittings & equipment, and conveying system costs from the direct cost, and then isolating the material costs (from labor). MR Credit 5.2 (Harvested) exceeds 150% of MR 5.1 baseline (50% of 20% benchmark). Based on CIR 12/1/2003, which was a clarification on CIR 10/18/01 stated: To have a consistent and comparable performance standard for all LEED projects, the requirement for MR Credit 5.2 is 50% of the minimum 20% benchmark needed for achieving MR Credit 5.1. Water Efficient Process Load Appliance Use Based on CIR 3/9/2004 (WE) process loads are not to be included in the calculations for the water efficiency credits, and only those fixture types covered under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 are to be included. A total of twelve clothes washing machines (3 per building) are included in the residence halls, which create a significant amount of water usage. In an attempt to reduce the water used, the owner purchased water efficient appliances (~30% less water used than standard appliances for this class). A range of standard washing machines of this class from different manufacturers would be gathered (and submitted) and averaged to establish the baseline. In comparison to the baseline load calculated for water usage covered under the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the clothes washers account for an amount equal to 46% of this load (8 loads per machine, per day). Therefore the use of water efficient washing machines is reduced by ~ 14%. Proposal: If both credit calculations substantially exceeds the next performance levels for each of the credits (also mentioned in CIR 12/1/2003), would (2) innovation credits be achievable with the appropriate support documentation? If the owner has taken action to not only reduce water usage for the fixtures (WE C3.1&3.2), but is also pursuing water reduction for the second largest use category of water for the buildings (showers are no.1), even though it is a process load, would (1) innovation credit be achievable if steps proposed above for establishing a baseline for the clothes washers were implemented?

We would like to propose an innovation point for having a hotel use environmentally conscious and socially accountable textiles. Intent: To reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with textiles Requirements: Develop a procurement policy for facility purchased textiles (bedding and towels) that requires that at least three of the following product types be used for ALL associated textiles purchased for the facility: - Organic cotton (certified by be Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)) sheeting - Organic cotton (certified by be Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)) bathroom linens - Bamboo sheeting - Bamboo bathroom linens - Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Certification (a globally uniform testing and certification system for textile raw materials. The tests for harmful substances comprise substances which are prohibited or regulated by law, chemicals which are known to be harmful to health, and parameters which are included as a precautionary measure to safeguard health) - Vegetal dyes (made from vegetables) - Kapok filled pillow inserts (Kapok is an all-natural fiber pulled from the seed pods of the kapok tree) Submittals: For the three compliant product types, please submit the following: - List manufacturer and product line - Item description (bedding, bathroom linens, etc) - Form of compliance (GOTS, Oeko-Tex, etc) - Letter from the manufacturer or manufacturer literature verifying compliance

Intent: "To provide design teams and projects the opportunity to be awarded points for exemplary performance above the requirements set by LEED-CS Green Building Rating System and/or innovative performance in Green Building categories not specifically addressed by the LEED-CS Green Building Rating System." We are presenting this CIR in order to receive guidance about the likely outcome of the proposed Innovation Credit if accomplishments are proven by the certification submittals. INTENT To educate tenants on lifestyle changes that can improve their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing; build a sense of community; enhance the work environment; and promote alternative modes of transportation. REQUIREMENTS Provide tenants with access to a Working Well Program (WWP) for a minimum of three years. Provide a WWP coordinator on site three days per week. He/she shall be responsible for; organizing all activities, marketing events, conducting monthly special events, and recruiting other wellness experts as required, preparing regular reports for evaluation by management and an annual executive summary highlighting participation and tenant feedback, and delivering a wellness activities plan to the tenants on a monthly basis. SUBMITTALS Provide the letter template signed by the developer declaring that a WWP coordinator has been engaged for a minimum of three years. Provide a copy of the agreement between the Developer and WWP coordinator demonstrating that the Program will be provided for at least three years. If an audit is requested during the certification process: Provide a copy of the annual activity plan, including a brief description of each event and schedule. Provide a copy of tenant agreement sections or information package outlining the structure and costs of the WWP available to the tenant. DESIGN STRATEGIES The Program will serve to educate employees on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Seminars and activities should be used to promote alternative modes of transportation such as walking and cycling for increased fitness and reduced pollution. The public transportation and bicycle storage and shower facilities available to tenants will be promoted through the WWP, thus increasing their use and furthering the intent of the Sustainable Sites credits. The health and wellness information and activities should be selected such that they increase productivity through improved morale, reduced sick-time, and reduced workplace injuries. Communication between the WWP Coordinator and the Tenant should be ongoing to assess the demand for certain activities and information sessions to increase employee involvement. A tenant representative should be appointed to ensure that the needs of the tenant are being met by the WWP. Environmentally-friendly activities should be emphasized and specialists in sustainable living should be included in the education aspect of the Program. Sample WWP activities and features include:

We would like to pursue an innovation credit for implementing an enhanced preventative maintenance and operations training program for our multifamily project, ensuring ongoing accountability through detailed education and training for building managers. Per the ID Credit Catalog, precedent has been set for NC projects earning credit for enhanced preventative maintenance and operations. Before developing the program and submitting the ID credit template, we would like to confirm our approach. We propose following the education guidance in LEED for Homes AEc2, Education of Building Manager, which is written specifically for multifamily buildings. Submittals will include a copy of training materials and other educational documents, a copy of the standard operating procedures manual, and a narrative about why this program goes beyond typical practice. Please confirm whether this is likely to earn an ID credit if appropriately implemented and documented. If not, please provide guidance as to what else would be needed to earn the ID credit.

Low-Water Nursery Growing System for Plants Used in Landscaping The Southface Eco-Office project is requesting an Innovation and Design credit for the use of Gro-Eco plants in their landscaping. Growing plants for market in this manner requires four and a half times less water daily, and requires up to thirty percent less growing time when compared to traditional methods using overhead irrigation. The estimated water savings for the 400 plants used on site, with an average growing period of a year, was almost 70,000 gallons. The Gro-Eco system uses raised beds that are built and covered with weed cloth. Pockets are then dug in the beds to accommodate nursery pots of various sizes - only the upper third of each pot extends above the top of the bed. Irrigation drip tape runs down each row of plants along the tops of the containers, while another drip tube, buried under the cloth in the center of the bed, helps keep the roots cool. Moderating the temperature of the roots improves the health of the plants and further reduces the amount of water needed. Auxiliary benefits of such a system include: thirty to forty percent less chemical use and drastically reduced runoff, elimination of retention ponds and nitrogen leaching, less need for fungicide due to the elimination of excess moisture on leaves, lower energy costs, and less invasive site design due to the flexibility in drainage topography. For more information on the Gro-Eco process, please view the Florida Agriculture video produced for the 2007 Environmental Leadership Award. http://www.florida-agriculture.com/news/agen_fraleighnursery.htm The requirements for this credit would be to document all plants obtained from Gro-Eco for use on the Eco-Office project, and to provide evidence of the estimated water savings being claimed.

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.

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.

Innovation and Design 1- Biodiesel for Construction fleet We are seeking approval for an ID Innovation and Design credit for mandating all vehicles and on-site equipment operated during construction to run on B20 Biodiesel fuel instead of diesel. INTENT Reduce air pollution and health impact associated with construction transportation. REQUIREMENTS Project construction vehicles and on-site equipment are required to use B20 as primary fuel source. Supplier transportation vehicles would be required to provide proof of purchase for another trip equal or more in distance. CREDIT DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTALS - Written contract between construction managers and biofuel supplier to maintain provision of Biodiesel B20 storage on site. - Proof of purchase from sub contractors and material suppliers for distance travelled for said project. APPROACH AND IMPLEMENTATION All vehicles built after 1990 have the ability to run B20 without requiring any retrofit to use B20. On site storage of Biodiesel B20 upto 500 gallons will ensure all construction vehicles and on site equipment have direct access for refueling. Sub contractor vehicles need to submit receipts as proof of purchase. All other vehicles arriving at the site without using B20 will be required to purchase B20 for equal or more distance. Local biofuel suppliers have been identified and to be introduced to all subcontractors. A detailed education and training session will be carried out with General Contractor and sub-contractors prior to commencement of the project. Partnership with local groups like Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition, Federal Department of Energy and Clean-Cities will introduce the idea of using bidiesel to the community. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES - 1 unit of energy used to produce biodiesel B100 gives output of 3.24 units of fuel energy, diesel outputs 0.8 fuel energy. - Petroleum based diesel is a non-renewable fuel. - Construction vehicles travel through local communities causing smog and ground level ozone due to the air pollutants and particulate matter emitted. - EPA\'s study carried out in 2002 notes B20 blend of biodiesel vehicles are observed to emit 20% less Hydrocarbons and 12% less Carbon Monoxide (CO), and 12% less Particulate Matter. - Non-road engines are also expected to emit less Particulate Matter (PM) and CO when operated on Biodiesel B20 blend. - Biodiesel is produced from agricultural resources. They are renewable, local and cause less pollution in production and transportation. Purchase and use of Biodiesel supports the local economy and farmers growing the crop. HEALTH ISSUES - As per research carried out by EPA, the impact of biodiesel on total toxics is beneficial, i.e. total toxics are on average reduced when biodiesel is added to conventional diesel fuel. - B20 reduces emission of cancer causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (nPAH) as compared to diesel operated engines. - Other chemicals borne off petroleum based diesel like formaldehyde and benzene are absent in Biodiesel.

TITLE: Environmentally-friendly, non-hazardous transformer oil INTENT: Eliminate the use of commonly used hazardous materials REQUIREMENTS: Replace hazardous, non-renewable transformer oils with a safe, environmentally friendly substitute. SUBMITTALS: Provide a LEED Letter Template, signed by the electrical engineer or responsible party, listing the product substituted for the commonly used hazardous substance. Provide product literature showing the material is non-hazardous, and environmentally friendly. DESIGN APPROACH: The project is installing a new transformer able to use an environmentally friendly, non-hazardous transformer oil. The specified equipment is a 2000 kVA, exterior, fluid cooled utility transformer. This transformer steps down the 22.9 kV campus distribution voltage to 460/277 volts for utilization within the building. The specified and installed transformer contains 640 gallons of Envirotemp FR3 oil. Envirotemp FR3 oil is derived from 100% edible seed oils and food grade additives. This product meets the U.S. EPA criteria for "Ultimate Biodegradability" classification. Additional testing for acute aquatic toxicity and oral LD50 tests have proven the non-toxic qualities of this fluid. This oil is also exempt from the Federal Regulation of Used Oils. For most power system installations, the serving utility company provides and installs the electrical service transformer. At the University of Florida, the campus power distribution is owned and maintained by the University. As a consequence, each construction project purchases and installs the exterior utility transformer and makes the connections to the campus power distribution network. Until recently, the only choice for the transformer insulating and cooling fluid was petroleum-based products such as mineral oil. At this project, the LEED team and Owner took advantage of the new, plant based oils, now available to be specified in the utility transformer purchased and installed for this project.

This project utilizes a parallel water distribution system (Viega\'s Manabloc) for domestic water on all lavatories, mop sinks, and water coolers (water closets are served by grey water). The design uses two strategically placed manifolds located close to the hot water recirculation loop. Individual supply lines from the manifolds are routed the shortest possible distance to each fixtures (hot and cold) in a home-run style minimizing lengths to

The project team is seeking clarification to the requirements for Building Shell Commissioning outlined in the Innovation in Design Credit Catalog from March 2008. The credit is found on page 14 of that document and states: Building Shell Commissioning (approved) Requirements: Commission the building envelope in addition to a "fair amount of attention paid to the shell design during the design review process".
Submittals:

• Narrative describing commissioning process and issues found
• Building shell construction checklist Our project will create a mock up of the façade and a third party will test for air tightness testing and moisture management. Revisions to the façade design will be incorporated, as necessary, based upon the results of the mock-up test. Once construction has begun and the façade is in place, the same testing agency will visit the site 3 times and test 4 areas during each visit to ensure the façade is performing as designed. The areas will be selected at random and the general contractor will not know in advance where the spot checking will take place. The agency shall report any deficiencies to the general contractor and will re-test the area to ensure corrections were made. Once the façade is complete, the agency will perform thermal imaging and report any areas where the change in temperature is greater than 1 degree Celsius. The testing will be performed in accordance with the following standards:
• ASTM E 283 Standard Test Method for Determining Rate of Air Leakage Through Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors Under Specified Pressure Differences Across the Specimen. ASTM E 330 Standard Test Method for Structural Performance of Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls, and Doors by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.
• ASTM E 331 Standard Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air Pressure Difference.
• AAMA 501.1-94 Standard Test Method for Exterior Windows, Curtain Walls and Doors for Water Penetration Using Dynamic Pressure

We would like confirmation that the above mentioned procedures would merit an Innovation in Design credit or what additional testing would be required to earn a credit.

This project involves the construction of a land mark addition to one of the world\'s premier art museums. As such a world famous architect based out of Paris, France was contracted to design the 260,000 square foot addition. We would like to propose an innovation in design credit based on electronic transmission of submittal review packages with the assumption that we will be saving sending hardcopies back and forth to Europe. Would the following be considered for an innovation credit? Credit Intent: Reduce the project\'s carbon footprint Credit Requirements: 1. Document the total number of submittal packages reviewed by the architect. For the purposes of the calculations, we will assume a standard submittal package size of 10 pages of 11x17 paper, and five copies of each submittal 2. Based on the above assumption, calculate a total weight of submittal packages that would have been sent to Europe. 3. Provide evidence of the weight capacity and fuel use of a standard aircraft used to ship packages to Europe. 4. Indicate the total savings of harmful emissions from NOT shipping hard copies of the submittal packages. As a side note, the use of electronic transmission not only reduces the project\'s carbon footprint, but has the added benefit of faster review of the submittals, likely reducing the overall time of construction.

Our project is a three story laboratory facility in the city of Port St. Lucie Florida. The project has used an exterior coating system with a higher heat reflectance value than the values of conventional coatings. This credit interpretation request is to inquire about submitting the coating system used, to apply for a credit for reduced heat island effect for non-roof surfaces. The Total Solar Reflectance (TSR) values of the exterior coatings used in the building were tested using a D&S reflectometer according to ASTM C1549-04. The TSR value of the BML-01 "White" color used was 82.9% and the TSR value for the PPG522-3 "Water Chestnut" color used was 74.5%. To prove merit for one point under LEED, we have followed the guidelines of the LEED reference guide to document Sustainable Sites Credit 7.1-Heat island effect non-roof. The baseline case and design case were calculated using the exterior wall surface area and 50% of the site hardscape area. The baseline case was calculated using 43.7% solar reflectance for conventional beige paint to match the color used in the building and 35% for new gray concrete hardscape. The design case was calculated using 74.5% solar reflectance for the Water Chestnut coating used and 5% for new asphalt hardscape. Using Ecotect and site specific data the building was modeled with the correct north orientation. Ecotect calculated the incident solar radiation that strikes the north, south, east and west walls, and the hardscape surfaces annually in Wh. The incident solar radiation value for the four facades and the hardscape were added, and multiplied by the solar reflectance values to determine the site reflected solar energy. The analysis showed that 61% of solar energy would have been reflected using conventional paint and new gray concrete, but instead we are reflecting 77% of the total solar energy incident on the site using a coating with a higher heat reflectance value. We would like to know if this approach of using exterior coatings with higher reflectance values to lower heat island effect on non-roof surfaces will be acceptable to document one innovation in design point.

Transportation Management Plan The INTENT of this innovation credit is to provide occupants of the building additional options for Alternate Transportation through the use of a Transportation Management Plan. The proposed REQUIREMENTS are to include the following features in the Transportation Management Plan: Rideshare Matching Assistance, Subsidized Regional Transit Pass ( In lieu of providing 3% with Alternative Fuel Vehicles ), Bike Subsidy and User Groups, Amtrak Subsidy, Guaranteed Ride Home Program. The required SUBMITTALS would require all features listed in the Requirements to be summarized in a narrative and in the form of the LEED letter templates. Possible DESIGN APPROACHES would include working with the local Transportation Management Association or local agency to figure out which options are best suited for the occupants of the building. The following paragraphs further explain of how the requirements will be met. Per the Transportation Management Plan filed with the City of Sacramento, and DPR\'\'s subsequent commitment to participate in and financially support the South Natomas Transportation Management Association (TMA), the following programs and services will be available to all DPR South Natomas employees as well as employees of any subtenant occupying 2480 Natomas Park Drive. Rideshare Matching Assistance The South Natomas TMA supports and uses the regional carpool database, www.1800COMMUTE.org to provide matches for short-term emergencies or long term carpool arrangements. Additionally, we will provide personalized transit trip planning assistance, providing employees a detailed explanation of how to take the bus from home to work, and back again. Prior to DPR relocating to the new South Natomas facility, all occupants will provide their names and nearest cross streets, so that carpool database will generate a personalized transit trip and/or carpool matchlist for each occupant of the building. Subsidized Regional Transit Passes We have a cooperative agreement with Regional Transit to provide photo identification Regional Transit passes to ALL member employees. This is similar to the requirement in SS4.3 to provide alternate fuel vehicles for 3% of the building. By subsidizing the Transit Pass for ALL occupants we feel that we are meeting the intent of the Alternate Transportation credits. This RT pass is valid on Regional Transit light rail and buses for both commute and non-commute trips. YoloBus, Placer County Transit and also accept this pass. Bike Subsidy and Users Group The Bike Users Group is a result of the Bucks for Bikes Program, which provides South Natomas TMA members commute bike purchase subsidies. The South Natomas BUG also provides a voice for cyclists throughout the South Natomas area, advocating safer trails and road conditions, and supporting education for current bicycle commuters and encouragement for fellow cyclists new to commuting by bike. DPR\'\'s bike lockers will complement the employees\'\' participation in our bike-related activities and support bicycle commuting. Amtrak Capitol Corridor Subsidy We offer up to 10 monthly subsidies of $28 each, or the full fare, whichever is lower, to member employees for reimbursement of an Amtrak Capitol Corridor monthly pass or multi-ride ticket. Employees have the option of either transferring to RT # 88/87 (with their Regional Transit pass) to connect to/from the Amtrak station and South Natomas or riding a bike through Discovery Park. (Amtrak has generous facilities for riders to bring bikes on board). Guaranteed Ride Home Program This program provides employees who rideshare two or more days per week and experience a mid-day emergency, or who have to work unexpected overtime, with a free guaranteed ride home using a taxi or rental car service up to 6 times per year.

This is not for ID but for a Administrative CIR, as there was not a Adminstrative section listed on the LEED on-line submittal options. 03/23/2007 Credit Interpretation Request Our project is a 310,796 s.f. mixed-use project. It is designed as a podium structure with subterranean parking. The mixed-use element includes 298,296 s.f. of residential and 12,500 s.f. of tenant. The entire project have been designed and constructed to potentially achieve various LEED v2.2 credits. The tenant space will consist retail, but the spaces will not be fully designed until they are leased. The owner would like to achieve LEED certification prior to the build-out of the tenant space. Based on several previous CIR rulings, we would like to create guidelines for the future retail to support the LEED credits that we have attempted to secure in the constructed space. This guideline will include "specific performance goals, information, and resource leads, as well as required elements where applicable". Some of the credits that we are pursuing will require us to assume a hypothetical maximum or minimum (whatever is most restrictive) occupant load to calculate usage rates for the entire building. (Example: Innovative Waste Water Reduction WE Cr. 2 sewage conveyance reduction requires an assumed fixture count for the future tenant space) Our project is registered under LEED -NC v2.2. We are trying to confirm that the approach we are proposing will be acceptable for a LEED certification submission in the near future. Please refer to Administrative CIR Rulings dated 2/22/2005,10/4/2004, 5/24/2004, and 5/17/2002.

We would like to establish a precedent for using the LEED Innovation in Design (ID) Credit: Design for Health Through Increased Physical Activity on LEED projects across LEED Rating Systems. 1. Intent of CreditPromote the health and fitness of residents and staff through building design and operation, while achieving synergistic environmental benefits.2. Why this Credit is NeededRegular physical activity is associated with reduced rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and reduced health care costs. Obesity, and with it type 2 diabetes, are epidemic in adults and children, and are rising rapidly in the U.S. These conditions, along with cardiovascular disease and cancer, are leading causes of death and health care costs in the U.S. Physical inactivity and poor diets are second only to tobacco. LEED has taken an early leadership role in banning indoor smoking to control environmental tobacco smoke as a perquisite in 2000. As the leading causes of premature deaths in the U.S. Cardiovascular diseases have also now overtaken infectious diseases as the leading causes of death globally, physical activity in our built environment can help slow society\'s second biggest killer, inactivity.Research has shown that improvements in building design and operation have measurable impacts on occupant physical activity, and are important, alongside neighborhood design, for reducing health problems associated with physical inactivity. 3. LEED Projects Already Approved with ID Credit: Design for Health Through Increased Physical ActivityThe LEED (ID) Credit: Design for Health Through Increased Physical Activity has already been implemented and approved on several LEED projects such as Via Verde & Riverside Health Center, which were both LEED NC projects, and 2 Gotham which was a LEED CI project. Sample Submittals for LEED (ID) Credit: Design for Health Through Increased Physical Activity:http://brightpower.biz/greenbuilding/ID-designforhealth http://www.1100architect.com/ (see "Burn Calories not Energy" in the "Sustainability" section)4. Development of CreditThis ID Credit was developed as part of the Active Design Guidelines (www.nyc.gov/adg) by an interagency team including the Active Design Team, which provides technical assistance to LEED projects to assist them in implementing Active Design and The LEED (ID) Credit: Design for Health Through Increased Physical Activity on LEED projects.5. Synergistic Benefits in the Design For Health Through Increased Physical Activity Strategies:* Recreation time spent in physical activity rather than TV viewing lowers energy consumption as TVs are projected to overtake refrigerators as the main source of household appliance electricity use in New York State* Elevators routinely account for 3-10% of a building\'s total energy use, by promoting use of pedestrian modes of vertical circulation such as stairs and ramps over motorized modes of vertical circulation such as elevators, escalators, and moving platforms, energy use can be greatly reduced. In Riverside Healthcare, which previously earned this LEED ID Credit Design For Health Through Increased Physical Activity, the facility found that elevator energy use during non-operational times (10 pm to 6 am) was 35% of elevator energy use during building operation times, suggesting an energy savings of up 65%, if elevators are not routinely used. * Energy savings are expected to be a supplement to the other primary benefits of this proposal, which are health benefits for occupants and the surrounding community, and benefits to society in reducing health burdens and health care costs (akin to the LEED Prerequisites for Environmental Tobacco Smoke and credits for Low-VOC finishes).Articles documenting benefits related to Green Building & Physical Activity:http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=77#public_health Quantifiable Benefits Matrix &Associated Reference List:http://brightpower.biz/files/Quantitative%20Benefits%20Matrix.pdf http://brightpower.biz/files/Design%20for%20Health%20-%20Reference%20Lis... 6. Further Information about Health & Active Design in Green BuildingThe Active Design Team recently hosted a webinar from USGBC\'s headquarters in D.C. about the LEED (ID) Credit: Design for Health Through Increased Physical Activity and benefits of physical activity through routine daily use of our built environment.Health and Active Design through Green Building Webinar:https://video.webcasts.com/events/usgb001/37845

INTRODUCTION This project is a new multi-story, high-rise inpatient healthcare facility which will use a variety exterior cladding materials. While Energy & Atmosphere Prerequisite 1 refers to the building envelope as "an important component of a facility which impacts energy consumption, occupant comfort and indoor air quality," this prerequisite does not provide guidance or measurable goals for improving the building envelope through commissioning. In order to address items that go beyond the scope of EAp1 such as quality control, maintainability, rain penetration control, mold prevention, building longevity, and ultimately building sustainability, we propose an innovation strategy using NIBS Guideline 3-2006 to direct the envelope commissioning process. This strategy shall follow commissioning metrics including documentation, performance criteria, test procedures, and checklists. Specifically, the process shall explore requirements such as the impact of the building exterior enclosure on visual comfort, and IAQ. Documentation including a summary of the assumptions for accessibility to building exterior enclosure systems (maintenance, cleaning, etc.), and allowable ranges of operations for the building exterior enclosure (number of days/year that the owner is willing to accept condensation, etc), quantify goals and provide the owner with enhanced control of the building. With incorporation of the building envelope into the commissioning process, we propose this innovation credit will improve the inter-relationship of the exterior enclosure system with other building systems and ultimately ensure adequate and quality functioning of the exterior enclosure system throughout its expected service life. INTENT Verify that the building exterior enclosure systems are designed, installed, and perform according to the OPR, BOD, and construction documents. BENEFITS OF COMMISSIONING THE BUILDING ENVELOPE Benefits of building envelope commissioning include: better building documentation, improved coordination of envelope components, enhanced resistance to water infiltration, improved maintainability, improved indoor environmental quality and verification that the systems perform in accordance with the OPR. REQUIREMENTS 1. Adherence to commissioning requirements and activities. Inclusion of building envelope quality assurance criteria and documentation emphasizing: a. Visual comfort and indoor air quality b. Rain penetration control c. Durability d. Constructability e. Maintainability f. Sustainability 2. Field review of aesthetic and functional mock-up(s), including review of both the unique interface conditions and general interface conditions. Verify the design intent is met and the level of water and air tightness of the exterior enclosure is as specified in the OPR. 3. Periodic construction monitoring, especially during roof transition/ roof termination installations, initial installation of sealants, and the specific project interfacing conditions (below grade waterproofing, differing material interfaces - green roofs and fenestration expansion joints, etc). 4. Performance testing of building envelope, including but not limited to: a. Infrared scanning of constructed building to identify thermal leakage. b. Water infiltration testing to identify leakage and prevent heat, air, moisture, and mold (HAMM) issues which will improve IAQ. c. Additional testing as identified per envelop system. 5. Validation that performance parameters for each exterior enclosure system meet the OPR. 6. Development of a Systems Manual for each major building exterior enclosure system, including but not limited to: a. Roof/Garden Roof b. Exterior walls c. Windows d. Doors e. Sealants and expansion joints f. Control joints g. Flashings 7. Training: maintenance of the exterior enclosure (window washing, inspecting and repairing joints/weather-tight seals, etc). We intend for the Enhanced Building Envelope Commissioning credit to follow the same basic scope parameters as EAp1 (design review not required, etc.). Given this, we propose that this credit will not be contingent on any other credits including EAc3. Please confirm all the above strategies could constitute a valid ID credit. If denied, please state under which conditions the credit could be achieved.

The goal of this CIR request is to confirm that it is viable for a project filing under LEED-NC v.2.2 to look to credits and credit requirements under LEED-EB v.2.0 (specifically three credits under the heading of Building Operation & Maintenance) as the basis of one of its ID credits. Specifically, a large private university in the mid-west has a growing commitment to sustainability and green design. It is currently constructing several new dormitories and student support/activity spaces (5 buildings total) which are targeting LEED-NC v. 2.2 Silver at a minimum. This university realizes that sustainable practices don\'t end when construction of these new dormitories and buildings is complete and they receive their LEED certification. Consistent with their plans to use the LEED for Existing Buildings program in the future to enhance campus operations and maintenance of buildings, this university plans to extend sustainable practices into the life and maintenance of these new dormitories and student support/activity buildings by adapting "appropriate operations and maintenance of buildings and building systems so that they continue to deliver target building performance goals over the long term." (LEED for Existing Buildings v 2.0 Reference Guide, page 213.) Also important, this university is looking to its experiences building and implementing a long-term Building Operation and Maintenance Plan at these new dormitories and student support/activity buildings as a test case for all five of its campuses. Basis of Building Operation & Maintenance at these new Dormitories and Student Support/Activity Buildings: This university looks to LEED-EB v. 2.0 for the basic standards in it Building Operations and Maintenance Program: Specifically: 1. LEED-EB, v 2.0 EA Credit 3.1: Building Operation & Maintenance, Staff Education; 2. LEED-EB, v2.0 EA Credit 3.2: Building Operation & Maintenance, Building Systems Maintenance; and 3. LEED-EB, v2.0 EA Credit 3.3: Building Operation & Maintenance, Building Systems Monitoring; This university also looks to LEED-NC v. 2.2 standards and monitoring criteria. Specifically: 1. LEED-NC, v2.2 EA Credit 3: Enhanced Commissioning; 2. LEED-NC, v2.2 EA Credit 5: Measurement & Verification; and 3. LEED-NC, v2.2 EQ Credit 1: Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring. Action Plan: Within the context of the above LEED-EB v. 2.0 and LEED-NC v. 2.2 standards, Building Operations and Maintenance at this university will follow the following four basic strategies: 1. Commissioning, through design and 10 months into occupancy; 2. Maintenance & Operations Staff Continuing Education and Training; 3. Building Systems Maintenance; and 4. Building Systems Monitoring (M&V, Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring, Johnson Controls). In terms of the ID credit filing for this project, the project team describes how this university and this new dormitory and student support/activities spaces project meets and, in some cases, exceeds the credit criteria for the above three LEED-EB EA Credits 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3. Is this a viable ID credit for its LEED-NC v. 2.2 filing?

This CIR is concerned with the integrity of LEED boundary when office spaces and laboratory spaces designed in same building, take place concurrently and adjacent to one another. The GSF of our project is around 211,144 sq.ft - excluding mechanical room and parking space - which comprises the main lab volume of 57,899 sq.ft (19,353 sq.ft underground, 38,546 sq. ft above ground) and office volume 153,245 sq.ft all above ground) which goes up to 7 floor levels above ground and 3 levels below ground. The above ground levels will be occupied by office spaces, part of laboratory spaces and supporting facilities mainly. The below ground levels will be occupied by part of laboratory spaces, car parking, mechanical plant room and back of house (BOH) areas. The entire building will be developed and occupied by single Ownership as the goal is to pursue LEED NC 2.2 Platinum level by all necessary measures. Our project team wants to clarify that Is it possible to have a LEED boundary which covers only certain portion of the building? 1. If it is possible..... 1) In what way, the demarcation and zoning of the boundary has to be made between each program-> Lab and Office? (Separated by each floor level? Or Grouped together as either above or underground level?) 2) How shared facilities such as parking spaces, mechanical rooms, restrooms are attributed for each program and to what extent, it should demonstrate physical barrier? 3) How outdoor landscape area and open space should be designated using GSF ratio of each program? 2. If it is NOT possible.. 1) How should the special circumstances of the Lab be addressed in LEED rating system? (EA and IEQ) 2) Can Lab21 Environmental Performance Criteria contribute to additional LEED point? Or officially considered as credit reference? The main reason why we would intend to exclude the Lab zone from the LEED boundary can be summarized as below 1. Most of the tests within the Lab require non-traditional lab facilities related to construction industries and deal with hard construction materials. 2. The Lab building itself is meant to be acting as a test-bed for on-site experiments which requires flexible fa

INTENT The construction phase has many opportunities to improve and should be more greatly weighted to drive new innovations and processes. With most of the scoring based on design aspects, there is not a strong push for contractors to implement new strategies. This is further evidenced in the fact that there are few credits that are construction activity based. One area that has not been addressed is the impact of temporary buildings servicing the project. Many of the same challenges, and thus opportunities, exist during the construction process as they do during the design, construction and life of a building. We propose the use of "green" trailers during construction on LEED projects to reduce the ecological footprint of these facilities. APPROACH Through the use of green trailers we will reduce energy use, raise awareness and educate our staff and project partners, improve occupant comfort, and reduce the ecological footprint of the trailer\'s infrastructure (i.e fewer replacements of lighting, heating equipment, etc.) The trailer will, at minimum, be constructed with the following components: motion sensors for lighting in the project offices T-8 lighting fixtures bulbs for reduced electricity use, programmable thermostats for thermal comfort control increased weather stripping to reduce heating and cooling loss Increase window area to allow for daylighting in the space Further Measures: Project trailers will also aim to reduce water usage, either through the installation of added low-flow fixtures or alternatively through a written Water Conservation Plan for the project site and trailers. Air quality is being addressed through improved filtration and material waste reduction through an Office Supply Selection & Waste Reduction plan for the project offices. Proposed Submittals: - Proof of onsite signage regarding water conservation or water restriction guidelines/regulations when low-flow fixtures not installed - Comparisons of energy use between regular and "green" trailer - Documentation of energy bills (or statement from client regarding increased energy cost when power being drawn from existing system) providing level of use - Narrative on Further Measures and use of green trailers in general We believe that Green Trailers are a true innovation in project delivery that not only aims to reduce energy use onsite and throughout construction, but also educate and change behavior through the consistent application of LEED principals across all project activities. Through the development of three different trailer models of increasing efficiency and overall performance, we also endeavor to push the industry as a whole toward more efficient equipment and offices during the construction process.

Green Advantage certification

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

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.

We propose that a LEED Innovation & Design Process (IDP) point be awarded to any project that combines the two transportation strategies of public transportation and third party car sharing from a company like WeCar by Enterprise (http://www.wecar.com/) or an equivalent program. By providing the car sharing program MORE employees can utilize public transportation because employees will be less tempted to drive their own cars to work for out of office meetings/business that may not be accessible by public transportation and will also reduce parking demand in the vicinity of the tenant space. The tenant owner would pay for a monthly public transportation pass (or equivalent) to employees and also offer a third party car sharing program in which cars are strategically placed around the city; accessed electronically by participants; booked online; available 24 hours a day seven days a week and utilize hybrid cars. Below is an outline of the potential Innovation Credit. Intent: Reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use. Promote use of public transportation and car sharing. Proposed requirements for compliance: Tenant to promote use of public transportation by offering to employees a stipend to cover the cost of a monthly public transportation pass cost or equivalent. AND Offer a third party car sharing program to employees for business related travel. The car sharing program will utilize fuel efficient hybrid automobiles and demonstrate that there will be enough cars available in the area to supplement the need from the tenant space. Proposed submittals to demonstrate compliance: Car sharing lease agreement, area plan showing location of cars realtive to tenant space, and signed letter from owner stating that they will provide a stipend for employees to purchase a monthly public transportation pass or equivalent. Technologies and Strategies: Perform a transportation survey of potential tenant occupants to identify transportation needs. Choose a building near mass transit and located near a car sharing program. Considerations: Offering to pay for staff members public transportation cost will help promote use of public transportation and reduce carbon emissions. Car sharing is becoming a popular way to pool transportation resources and have access to an automobile without owning one.

Fly Ash Blended Cement We are looking to score one innovation credit for the use of fly ash blended cement. However, we are looking to use approximately 10% of normal, non-blended cement (300 cy out of a total of 3,000 cy)due to coordination and timing issues. If we then use approximately 90% blended cement, would we still be eligible for the innovation credit?

We are requesting confirmation of the intent, requirements, and documentation for an Innovation in Design point that we wish to include in a forthcoming LEED design submittal. The project is a 500,000 SF replacement hospital with both inpatient and outpatient services that will be built in phases on a large site in a business park. We have developed a comprehensive master plan that will accommodate the growth and future expansion of the hospital for several decades. We believe the project merits the award of an Innovation in Design point for the conservation of resources because the project has been designed to accommodate future expansion in a flexible and adaptable manner. This design approach will facilitate the efficient use of resources over the life of the facility because the first phase of our building has been designed to accommodate future changes and building additions in a manner that will minimize the need to demolish and remodel significant portions of the first phase of our project as the campus is expanded over the next fifty years. We propose to meet the intent, and requirements of the 2007 Green Guide for Health Care (GGHC) v2.2 MRc7.1, Resource Use: Design for Flexibility credit. We propose to meet a minimum of (3) out of the (8) goals that are listed as the goals in this GGHC credit to fulfill the requirements of this Innovation point. We propose to submit this with our LEED Design submittal, and we will document the point with floor plans, site plans, and calculations to confirm compliance with the GGHC point requirements. Since this point addresses a unique environmental attribute, that is not currently included in LEED, we believe it merits an ID point that is not contingent on the approval of any other points in our LEED submittal. Please confirm that our proposal warrants an Innovation in Design point.

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.

Can a project team earn an Innovation credit for increasing the efficiency of necessary energy use during construction?

It appears that most data centers that have recently pursued LEED certification have been successful using a \'mixed use\' model, in which the data center is a component of a larger office building. Based on this model and the definition of \'Process Load\' in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-99 ("energy consumed in support of a manufacturing, industrial or commercial process other than conditioning spaces and maintaining comfort and amenities for the occupants of a building"), it is our interpretation that the energy required to power and cool the data center electronics is not included in the baseline energy calculation under the Energy & Atmosphere credit category. (Ref: CIR 4/11/2003 and Ruling 5/5/2003). This leads us to believe that an appropriate venue for credit contribution associated with data center energy reduction initiatives is in the Innovation & Design category. With the rise in bandwidth requirements, optical fiber versus copper has significant energy savings advantages. Energy savings associated with power and cooling of a 10Gbyte/s optical network vs. 10G copper network can range from 75-85% depending on port count. Further, innovative high fiber count pre-terminated optical solutions vs. traditional patch-cord solutions reduce cabling congestion and optimize air flow in the server racks and raceways further reducing cooling energy requirements. Will Innovation & Design credits be considered for the following? 1. Installed cabling infrastructure that provides improved energy efficiency over another. 2. A Pre-Terminated high fiber count optical solution vs. Patch-Cord optical solution.

This request seeks ID credit approval for an energy- and resource-saving, paperless, Web-based collaboration solution for architecture, engineering and construction project team members from multiple organizations (i.e. owner, construction management firm, general contractor, architecture firm, engineering firm, subcontractors, suppliers, etc.): our Virtual Project Office. We have used our experience with delivering consulting services and training on project management technologies to develop this customizable, easy-to-use Microsoft SharePoint-based tool; it is a private, secure, project-specific Web site. Our innovative solution helps project participants efficiently share and process vital documents like drawings, RFIs and contracts--all while slashing printing, shipping and travel energy- and resource-usage. Owners and contractors from multiple organizations can collaborate to make informed and timely decisions when they exchange and store data in a project\'s own secure, neutral, Web-based \'office,\' rather than using paper to print draft after draft of large files (i.e. drawings, specs, contracts, change notices, payment estimates, submittals, RFIs, correspondence, safety bulletins, contact directories, schedules, calendars, announcements, transmittals, progress photos, progress reports, meeting minutes, etc.) Any and every process our project requires can, and will, be incorporated into our Virtual Project Office. For example, when the project team is ready to request bids from contractors, we will use our paperless, Web-based Virtual Project Office to issue Requests for Proposals (RFPs), provide bidding instructions, and announce up-to-date questions and answers. We will be able to post downloadable construction documents such as drawings and project specs. Contractors will then upload their bids electronically, automatically notifying the bid manager--via e-mail--of their submission. Housing all bidding information in one secure, collaborative online workspace dramatically reduces the typical energy and resource consumption of the bidding process, supports confident contract-award decisions, and gets the project off to a successful start. We will use our collaboration solution to: Connect team members across organizational and geographic boundaries so they can collaborate regardless of their time and place of work--without spending energy, resources, money or time on paper, shipping or travel. Streamline review-and-approval processes (i.e. RFPs, RFIs, submittals, change notices, payment estimates, etc.) and make them electronic, eliminating the energy costs and delays of printing and shipping multiple copies of paper documents back and forth among project participants. Notify collaborators automatically via (paperless) e-mail when virtual documents are added and updated. Reduce energy- and resource-consuming litigation by mitigating all parties\' risk exposure with automatic auditing of revisions, ball-in-court requests, and responses. Protect private information using our secure, neutral collaboration platform, limiting each party\'s vulnerability to energy- and resource-consuming claims. Take advantage of seamless interoperability, configuration, training and support--eliminating potential energy and resource expenditures associated with printing and shipping training manuals and/or booking travel for consultants, instructors and attendees. Archive automatically--online--to incorporate Best Practices and Lessons Learned as standards, and build on the project team\'s successes.

The purpose of this CIR is to request approval for one ID credit for an innovative approach to material reduction by using QuietRock soundproof drywall in lieu of multiple layers of traditional drywall. INTENT: To minimize the total quantity of new gypsum wallboard (drywall) used in acoustically sensitive buildings through accurate performance specifications, enhanced materials, and efficient design. The innovative approach will be applied to walls and partitions specified as acoustically high performance for interoffice privacy and/or noise control (sound transmission class 50 or higher). In some cases, a single layer of soundproof drywall can be used to replace up to five layers of traditional drywall. This product and design approach will result in a significant reduction in the total embodied energy of the materials used in the building. (The BEES software from NIST has reported that a single panel of drywall represents between 150,000 to 300,000 Btu\'s of embodied energy). REQUIREMENT: Minimize amount of building materials used by designing walls meeting the sound isolation requirement with QuietRock soundproof drywall. Demonstrate at least a 20% savings in the quantity of gypsum wallboard used compared to the baseline design using conventional, techniques and materials. SUBMITTALS: Architectural plans, details and specifications, a letter signed by the architect or acoustical engineer outlining the acoustical performance requirements identified in the design, the measures implemented in the approach, photographs of soundproofing measures under construction, bills of sale of soundproofing drywall materials purchased, and calculations demonstrating at least a 20% savings in the quantity of drywall used compared with conventional, baseline construction techniques and materials. DESIGN APPROACH: For a two-story multi-purpose commercial building, areas of the floor plan require additional noise control (due to amplified lecture halls or private workspaces). Well established performance specifications required that these walls perform to an STC 50 or higher. These partitions have been designed using QuietRock, an innovative soundproof drywall, so that an over 20% material reduction is achieved. The process was as follows: 1. All walls with a sound isolation requirement have been reviewed by a qualified professional to assess/confirm minimum performance requirements and alternate, material-optimized assemblies were recommended. 2. Acoustical walls requiring multiple layers of gypsum drywall have been redesigned using layer(s) of soundproof drywalls in their place. 3. Architectural details have been added that address acoustical seal and closure best practices for optimal sound isolation. 4. Per CIR 12/6/2002 and 1/9/2003, the basic steps for Boeing to achieve an ID Credit for Material Reduction will be: - Provide documentation, such as a narrative and drawings, to prove on the validity of the baseline to which the project is compared. - Provide a convincing and thorough analysis of this condition by a knowledgeable professional, such as an acoustical engineer or an architect. - The actual bill of materials purchased and a spreadsheet comparing quantities & costs. - A letter signed by a responsible party enumerating and certifying the product and building methods. Should this credit be audited, the applicant also should be prepared to provide photographs of the soundproof wallboard installation in the field.

The New Census Bureau Headquarters Office Building has purchased its officer furniture from Knoll, Inc. whose system furniture is certified by GREENGUARD. The materials specified and utilized for the assembly of the office furniture are environmental sound furniture which includes high recycled content, local/regionally manufacture materials, and local/regionally extracted materials. The design strategies were based on the following life cycle analysis: Low impact materials, clean manufacturing, healthy workplace/indoor air quality, waste reduction/efficient use of resources, durability/extended product life, reuse and refurbishment, ease of disassembly and material product recyclability. INTENT: Reduce the use of materials and finishes assemblies that may release indoor air contaminates that are odorous or potentially irritating and might be deleterious to the installer and occupant health, comfort, and well being. REQUIREMENTS: - Use office furnishings whose components meet the LEED version 2.1 requirements. - Eliminate toxins from the manufacturing process. Lead, heavy metals and hazardous chlorinated compound are completely eliminated from the manufacturing processes. - VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are eliminated from the manufacturing processes. - Water bases paints and adhesives are used for the assembly of office furniture. - 100% percent recyclable fabric is used on all furniture. - All furniture used is GREENGUARD certified. - GREENGUARD certified products will help reduce indoor air pollution and create a healthier interior environment.

Credit Interpretation Request: Exceptional Construction Waste Management and Neighborhood Rebuilding Intent: The intent of the proposed innovation in design credit is to show exemplary urban redevelopment building reuse efforts and exceptional construction waste management. The project is a 13 level healthcare facility located in an urban setting in the northeastern United States. The hospital is sited in a mixed-use community complete with institutional and commercial facilities, as well as residential. The sought innovation in design is for the relocation of six residential structures on the project site that were completely reused and re-sited to areas of the neighborhood that were missing buildings. Through the creation of the project, the homes were completely recycled, and an urban neighborhood was renewed and strengthened. Design Approach: The neighborhood rebuilding innovation in design credit brings together several aspects of the project\'s sustainable design goals. The first is urban redevelopment. The project is an expansion of an existing urban healthcare facility. The hospital will utilize amenities and infrastructure available to the existing facilities rather than build on Greenfield site at the urban fringe. The hospital is committed to making a positive impact on the neighborhood it serves, and rebuilding the neighborhood is aligned with this strategy. The site is conveniently located within a few hundred feet of train, bus and shuttle lines thus reducing the need for automobile traffic and associated pollution and augmenting a pedestrian friendly area. It is a hospital goal to maintain high-density development without adversely impacting the surrounding neighborhood. The six houses occupied two back-to-back city blocks across the street from the existing hospital. All six houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over time the two blocks where the homes were located deteriorated. Two of the relocated houses had been separated from the rest of the residential part of this neighborhood by three vacant lots and a surface parking lot. The two homes are now located in a completely residential part of the neighborhood. One of the houses was an infill of a vacant, run down lot and provided a needed facelift to the South side of this street. The other house was relocated to a short block that had two houses on each side of a vacant lot, strengthening the residential presence on this street. The remaining four houses replaced the surface parking lot filling on the block to make it entirely residential, rejuvenating the area. All of the houses were moved and interspersed with five vacant lots. Specific environmental advantages not otherwise recognized by LEED and exceeding measurement thresholds set forth by LEED: Relocating the houses helped mitigate the negative impacts vacant lots can create such as the dumping of trash, vandalism, squatting, loitering, etc. The relocation effort of the six houses has a net positive impact on the construction waste management calculations. The homes will be included in the calculations for Materials and Resources credits 2.1 and 2.2: Construction Waste Management. The goal of the project is to exceed the 75% total of recycling/salvaging construction waste for the project by 15% so that in total 90% of construction waste will be recycled or salvaged. The total cost relocating the six houses was approximately 2.5 million dollars. Proposed submittals to demonstrate compliance: (1) Construction waste calculations will be provided. (2) The six historic residential structures were moved in a manner consistent with Moving Historic Buildings by John Obed Curtis (US Department of the Interior, 1979) and were properly documented for the rehabilitation/reconstruction of historic features prior to moving the buildings. (3) Before and after maps will be provided with the submission.

On-site combustion of natural gas releases climate-changing greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere, and Energy and Atmosphere Credit 6 (Green Power) only addresses electric power sources, not on-site natural gas use. GHG emissions are the largest environmental impact associated with burning fossil fuels, and purchasing high-quality greenhouse gas emissions offsets will significantly and quantifiably reduce greenhouse gas emissions beyond purchase of renewable power, further reducing the climate impact of a building\'s energy use. Therefore we propose an Innovation in Design Credit for balancing out the greenhouse gas impacts of a building\'s natural gas use as follows: Intent: Reduce climate impacts associated with a building\'s fossil fuel energy use. Requirement: Participate in a program with rigorous standards that balances out 100% of the climate impact of the building\'s actual natural gas use by purchasing an equivalent number of high-quality greenhouse gas emission reductions for a period of two years. Submittals: Provide a copy of the energy bill verifying enrollment in the program; provide a letter from the owner committing to participation in the program for a period of at least two years. Design Approach: Participate in Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)\'s ClimateSmartT program (http://www.pge.com/climatesmart), through which we achieve a greenhouse gas offset equal to 100% of the emissions from our building\'s natural gas use. 100% of our building\'s natural gas supply comes from PG&E, and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our natural gas use are calculated based on the actual amount of natural gas our building uses each month, and the greenhouse gas intensity of PG&E\'s natural gas supply. The independently certified emission rate is 13.446 lbs carbon dioxide (CO2) per therm. We pay PG&E to purchase greenhouse gas emission reductions on our behalf from new projects (after December 14, 2006) that would not have otherwise occurred. The projects from which PG&E purchases reductions must demonstrate that they are real, additional, verifiable, and permanent, and the projects must not be counted towards any GHG emission reduction caps specified in any mandatory local, state, national or international GHG regulatory structure or cap-and-trade program, or in any voluntary cap-and-trade program. The projects are also independently verified, audited, and registered with the California Climate Action Registry ("Registry") and all emission reductions are permanently retired in the Registry\'s publicly accessible Climate Action Reserve tracking database. Projects must be based in California and meet the stringent requirements of one of the Registry\'s project protocols, which include capturing methane gas from dairy farms or landfills and conservation-based forest management. All projects that PG&E invests in absorb or reduce GHG emissions from the atmosphere; the amount of emission reductions purchased through the program on our behalf is equal to the actual amount of GHG emissions from our building\'s natural gas use. Purchasing a percentage of renewable energy under the Green Power credit lowers the climate impact of energy use only by the amount of green power purchased. This program goes further by offsetting 100% of the actual greenhouse gas emissions associated with our building\'s natural gas use, making our natural gas energy use "climate neutral."

The Innovation in Design Credit Catalog describes a potential ID credit as Common Area Services. The intent of that credit is to demonstrate innovative performance by enhancing the quality of life for campus occupants while reducing vehicular traffic out of campus. CREDIT REQUIREMENTS: The requirements appear very specific and include requirements to incorporate a comprehensive design for a centralized facility to house a cafeteria, gym, travel agency, credit union, printing/publishing services as well as laundry services. While our project includes many of these specific items, a cafeteria, a wellness suite, and potential for travel planning and purchase in the computer lab, it would be redundant for our facility to provide other services provided elsewhere on campus, such as laundry facilities and gymnasium. The Student Center has been designed with the intent to enhance the quality of campus life, build community between students, faculty, staff and the community, and bring a large number of facilities and services under one roof. Prior to designing this building, when interviewed, students complained that there was nothing to do outside of classes and they wanted healthier food choices. The New Student Center was designed to minimize the need for students (as well as visitors, faculty and staff, during office hours) to leave campus to go to Easton Mall and other places to obtain the described services. In addition to the items listed above, the building will provide a convenience store, a bookstore, study and social lounges, a campus radio station, a computer lab for personal usage, small, medium and large meeting rooms s available for on-campus group meetings, and the project encloses the pedestrian access to the gym, basketball courts, dance area, showers and lockers in an adjoining facility less than 200 feet away. PROJECT APPROACH TO ACHIEVING CREDIT: In providing the documentation for this innovative design credit, we propose to: - Estimate the reduction of vehicular usage by providing these additional services to the campus and surrounding community by the addition of this new building. - Calculate the environmental benefits and the reduction of impacts in comparison to a conventional campus complex including how many people visit each facility/day and the subsequent reduction in CO2. - In addition, we will provide an itemized list of other facilities and services currently available on campus within walking distance of the new student center.

The City of Richmond, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is undergoing an important redevelopment of its centrally located Civic Center Complex. This revitalization is a multi-phase project involving several buildings and parking structures and will act as a community showcase for energy and environmental leadership. As part of this effort, every attempt has been made to maximize the potential for energy efficiency and for renewable energy in the form of solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels. The existing buildings that make up the Civic Center Complex are currently individually metered for electric services from the local utility, PG&E. The key buildings involved in the first phase of work are the City Hall and the Hall of Justice which will have 2000kva combined electrical loads. Our project will include installing a 12kV system to loop several existing buildings together including these two buildings, providing two primary benefits to the City: (1) it will consolidate several buildings\' loads to a common meter at a higher voltage service, and (2) allow us to install additional PV panels. The latter is important as the Hall of Justice lacks adequate available roof space for much PV. By looping this building with other nearby buildings with the 12kV system, we can install PV on another building on the loop, the Auditorium, and permanently assign the generated power to the Hall of Justice. The Auditorium provides ample rooftop area to site enough PV panels to meet at least 7% of the proposed load for the Hall of Justice. An individual meter for the PV system will track its production of electricity. The 12kV loop also provides measurable innovative energy efficiency performance benefits by replacing the single source feeds that are now fed from the existing Hall of Justice at 208/120V with a primary based distribution system to each building. This will reduce the line losses in the Complex saving considerable energy not accounted for in other energy efficiency calculations for this project. Based on voltage drop calculations and a rough distance between the involved buildings, the energy savings will be on the order of 100 KW at full facility load. The 12kV loop is also being designed to accommodate future buildings, greatly adding to the reduction of total line losses when complete and allowing us greater flexibility for future siting of additional PV. Our question is if the 12kV loop will qualify as an innovation credit for innovative energy efficiency performance under the LEED guidelines.

The following Innovation & Design CIR is being submitted to assess whether the following criteria could qualify for a ID credit if all standards are met and documentation recieved. ID Credit Title: Low Emitting Materials: Building Insulation Narrative Statement of Credit Intent: Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating, and/or harmful to the comfort and well being of installers and occupants. Demonstrate that for all insulations used in the project that none of the insulations contain urea formaldehyde resins. Submit manufacturer / MSDS information, and material invoices indicating the purchase and delivery for all insulation materials Narrative Statement Describing Credit Requirements: Building insulation products used in the building shall contain no added urea formaldehyde resins. Building insulation products include: thermal batt insulations, sound attenuation batt insulations, rigid insulations, blown-in insulations, and foamed-in-place insulations. Narrative Describing Project\'s Approach to the Credit: Formaldehyde is a well-known carcinogen and is highly toxic, having been linked to respiratory ailments and throat cancer. Further eliminate the use of urea formaldehyde from the building by eliminating the use of insulation containing urea formaldehyde. The project will be specifying a batt insulation (both thermal and sound attenuating) that is formaldehyde-free. Batt type (blanket) insulation is used extensively throughout this project. Also, the project will be using a foamed-in-place insulation injected into the cores of the masonry block after masonry work has been completed. Many foamed in place insulations used in masonry applications use a urea formaldehyde resin as one of their components. These are classified as urea formaldehyde foam insulations (UFFIs). UFFIs were banned in 1982, but later that ban was over turned in 1983. Since then, UFFIs have been banned in several states. The state that this project is located in does not have a ban on this material. The foamed-in-place insulation used for this project will not contain urea formaldehyde. Other rigid insulations such as polyisocyanurate and extruded / expanded polystyrene do not contain urea formaldehyde in their manufacturer. This project is specified to use extruded / expanded polystyrene for rigid insulations.

Clerestory to bring natural light into subterranean space: exceptional IEQ Our project is a 250,000SF subterranean sports facility. Due to the site and security constraints, we are unable to incorporate windows in the space. However, the design team feels strongly about the importance of natural light, especially in a sports facility, where users are exercising and relaxing. Therefore, in the design, we introduce 4 clerestories, designed with internal reflectors, along the sports facility to bring in natural light. As a result, the daylight factors of the major interior spaces are as follows: Natatorium: 7% Indoor track: 29% Indoor basketball court: 14% This is remarkable results for an underground facility. the clerestories also serves as fresh air intakes for the mechanical systems, therefore reducing the need of constructing a separate aerial way. We strongly believe that this will be qualified for an Innovation and Design Credit.

Credit Interpretation Request This is a general guidance Credit Interpretation Request, not specifically addressing ID credit. This credit interpretation was filed under ID because there was not an appropriate category. We are requesting a ruling on the application of NCv2.2 for the future interior fit-out of a project owned, occupied and operated by a single tenant. Our project is a four story, 155,000 sq.ft, commercial office building in the midst of construction. Although the project was initially intended to be complete in its entirety, the client has chosen to isolate a portion of the interior fit-out on the 4th floor for future fit-out. All exterior roof, walls, glazing, sun screens, etc. for the entire building and the interior fit-out for floors 1, 2, 3 and over 50% of the 4th floor will be installed prior to occupancy. The remaining unfinished interior is approx. 16,500 s.f. or 9.5% of the total building s.f. The furniture fit-out, interior walls, interior finishes, raised flooring, under floor air distribution, plumbing, ceilings, lighting and all technology will be completed at a future date. The unfinished space will only consist of the shell, sprinkler system and emergency egress route per code. 1. Could you please confirm that our proposed compliance path is acceptable. a. Based on other CIR rulings we feel it is appropriate to proceed with certification of the project under the LEED-NCv2.2 Rating System. b. Our initial calculations for the Energy modeling and the FTE were based on a completed building. Our intent is to use the total FTE and entire build-out of MEP systems for the whole building (including future fit-out) in an effort to pursue prerequisites and credits. c. Regarding materials, finishes, plumbing fixtures, luminaire, furniture etc., include only materials installed as part of the final project and exclude any future fit-out materials from calculations and credit templates. d. We will develop a set of Tenant Guidelines -as indicated in the CIR ruling amended on 6/23/2007- Please note that 100% of this project is and will be single owner occupied. 2. Could you please help define the guidelines and options in pursuing LEED NCv2.2 certification, and provide us with direction regarding steps needed to document the exclusion of the future fit-out. For example, is it accurate to assume that, a. Sustainable Sites Credits will not be affected by the future interior fit-out exclusion since the FTE of the whole building (100% completed) will be used in required calculations. b. Water Efficiency Credits 3.1 and 3.2 calculations will only include the 90% completed building since fixtures to the future fit-out space will not be installed at occupancy. c. Energy & Atmosphere calculations will be based on the whole (100%) building. i. Please note: How would Enhanced Commissioning and M&V be executed when only 90% of the building is complete during initial occupancy? d. Materials & Resources calculations will not include materials for the future fit-out space. e. Indoor Environmental Quality Credits will include the whole building except for the following credits: EQc 4 (which pertains to material selection), EQc 6 and EQc7 (which relate to controllability of systems and Thermal Comfort) and EQc 8. i. Daylight and Views have been carefully considered throughout the building. The Glazing Factor Calculation of the total building (including the future fit-out) demonstrates that the project complies with EQc8.1 and EQc8.2. Therefore, do we calculate the entire building as if it were 100% complete? If not, is the area of the future fit-out space ignored altogether or is the area defined as "Non-Occupied Space"?