We recently had to redraw our LEED project boundary when we realized we had not included the geothermal field that is being created as part of the building's energy system. The field is located across the road from the project. The road is not part of the project, will not be maintained as part of the project site, etc. However. Do I need to include the road surface as hardscape when I go to calculating SSc7.1-heat island effect - non-roof? Thank you. em
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Nina Bradstreet
P.E., LEED AP+NCBCJ Engineers
20 thumbs up
November 16, 2010 - 9:10 am
That's a tough one - the wells are across the street but the piping has to get from the wells to the building equipment . What path does it take? I think you could create a contiguos boundary from the field if you incorporate the piping path. Do you plan to re-habilitate the field afterwards and not build on it?
Elizabeth McPherson
PrincipalMcPherson Environmental Resources
39 thumbs up
November 16, 2010 - 9:23 am
Thanks for the response. The pipes all cross in the same general area so yes, incorporating the piping path "only" looks like a good idea. I wanted to avoid claiming the road at all since we are using only high SRI paving materials for all our hardscape, and we would be candidates for exemplary performance for 100% heat island effect reduction; but this may nix that. We will not be building on the field after the system is in place. Thanks for your insight.
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11477 thumbs up
November 16, 2010 - 12:18 pm
You may be able to include the field in your LEED boundary non-contiguously. See USGBC's MPR Supplemental Guidance doc. And let us know how it goes.
Maura Adams
Environmental Stewardship Manager177 thumbs up
January 13, 2011 - 9:22 am
Similar question - we had to re-route part of a private road and move a playing field across the street. The road existed already, just shifted a bit. Does this have to be included as hardscape?
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11477 thumbs up
January 13, 2011 - 10:46 am
Maura, if it's in your LEED boundary (which you and David discussed on the MPR forum), and it's hardscape, I'm not sure of what argument you would use for not counting it as hardscape? This would particularly be true if it's a private road owned by the project owner.