SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser expert
emily reese moody
LEED AP BD+C, GGP, GPCP, ENV SP, Fitwel Ambassador, GCP
Jacobs
Sustainability Director, Certifications & Compliance
SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser’s viewpoint
Explore this LEED credit
Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To minimize effects on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats by reducing heat islands.
Requirements
Choose one of the following options:
Option 1. Nonroof and Roof (2 points except Healthcare, 1 point Healthcare)
Meet the following criterion:
| Area of Nonroof Measures | Area of High-Reflectance Roof | Area of Vegetated Roof | Total Site Paving Area | Total Roof Area | ||||
| —————— | + | —————— | + | —————— | ≥ | + | ||
| 0.5 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
Alternatively, an SRI and SR weighted average approach may be used to calculate compliance.
Use any combination of the following strategies.
Nonroof measures
- Use the existing plant material or install plants that provide shade over paving areas (including playgrounds) on the site within 10 years of planting. Install vegetated planters. Plants must be in place at the time of occupancy permit and cannot include artificial turf.
- Provide shade with structures covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, and wind turbines.
- Provide shade with architectural devices or structures. If the device or structure is a roof, it shall have an aged solar reflectance (SR) value of at least 0.28 as measured in accordance with ANSI/CRRC S100. If the device or structure is not a roof, or if aged solar reflectance information is not available, it shall have at installation an initial SR of at least 0.33 as measured in accordance with ANSI/CRRC S100.
- Provide shade with vegetated structures.
- Use paving materials with an initial solar reflectance (SR) value of at least 0.33.
- Use an open-grid pavement system (at least 50% unbound).
High-reflectance roof
Use roofing materials that have an aged SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table 1. If aged SRI is not available, the roofing material shall have an initial SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table 1.
Table 1. Minimum solar reflectance index value, by roof slope
Roof area that consists of functional, usable spaces (such as helipads, recreation courts, and areas covered by equipment, solar panels, and appurtenances) may meet the requirements of nonroof measures.
Vegetated Roof
Install a vegetated roof using native or adapted plant species.
OR
Option 2. Parking under Cover (1 point)
Place a minimum of 75% of parking spaces under cover. Any roof used to shade or cover parking must (1) have a three-year aged SRI of at least 32 (if three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SRI of at least 39 at installation), (2) be a vegetated roof, or (3) be covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, and wind turbines.
The credit calculations must include all existing and new off-street parking spaces that are leased or owned by the project, including parking that is outside the project boundary but is used by the project. On-street parking in public rights-of-way is excluded from these calculations.
See all forum discussions about this credit »What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
See all forum discussions about this credit »Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To minimize effects on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats by reducing heat islands.
Requirements
Choose one of the following options:
Option 1. Nonroof and Roof (2 points except Healthcare, 1 point Healthcare)
Meet the following criterion:
| Area of Nonroof Measures | Area of High-Reflectance Roof | Area of Vegetated Roof | Total Site Paving Area | Total Roof Area | ||||
| —————— | + | —————— | + | —————— | ≥ | + | ||
| 0.5 | 0.75 | 0.75 |
Alternatively, an SRI and SR weighted average approach may be used to calculate compliance.
Use any combination of the following strategies.
Nonroof measures
- Use the existing plant material or install plants that provide shade over paving areas (including playgrounds) on the site within 10 years of planting. Install vegetated planters. Plants must be in place at the time of occupancy permit and cannot include artificial turf.
- Provide shade with structures covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, and wind turbines.
- Provide shade with architectural devices or structures. If the device or structure is a roof, it shall have an aged solar reflectance (SR) value of at least 0.28 as measured in accordance with ANSI/CRRC S100. If the device or structure is not a roof, or if aged solar reflectance information is not available, it shall have at installation an initial SR of at least 0.33 as measured in accordance with ANSI/CRRC S100.
- Provide shade with vegetated structures.
- Use paving materials with an initial solar reflectance (SR) value of at least 0.33.
- Use an open-grid pavement system (at least 50% unbound).
High-reflectance roof
Use roofing materials that have an aged SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table 1. If aged SRI is not available, the roofing material shall have an initial SRI equal to or greater than the values in Table 1.
Table 1. Minimum solar reflectance index value, by roof slope
Roof area that consists of functional, usable spaces (such as helipads, recreation courts, and areas covered by equipment, solar panels, and appurtenances) may meet the requirements of nonroof measures.
Vegetated Roof
Install a vegetated roof using native or adapted plant species.
OR
Option 2. Parking under Cover (1 point)
Place a minimum of 75% of parking spaces under cover. Any roof used to shade or cover parking must (1) have a three-year aged SRI of at least 32 (if three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SRI of at least 39 at installation), (2) be a vegetated roof, or (3) be covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, and wind turbines.
The credit calculations must include all existing and new off-street parking spaces that are leased or owned by the project, including parking that is outside the project boundary but is used by the project. On-street parking in public rights-of-way is excluded from these calculations.
LEEDuser expert
emily reese moody
LEED AP BD+C, GGP, GPCP, ENV SP, Fitwel Ambassador, GCP
Jacobs
Sustainability Director, Certifications & Compliance