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NC-2009 WEc1:Water Efficient Landscaping

Option 2, path 1 - 50% reduction of total water applied

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Lise Dannesboe
Sustainability Manager
COWI
LEEDuser Premium Member
54 thumbs up

HI! We would like to pursue Option 2, path 1 and dimension the rainwater tank for supplying 100% of the irrigation needs. I just came across Equation 7 Percentage Reduction of Total Water (Portable AND reuse, %), which has to be 50% or more. This means, that there has to be a 50% reduction of Design (TWA) compared to Baseline (TWA). The only way to do that is to adjust irrigation efficiency, controller efficiency, species factor, density factor and microclimate factor. Is that correct? Thanks

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William Weaver
LEED Fellow, WELL AP
JLL
LEEDuser Basic Member
125 thumbs up

Thu, 06/05/2014 - 18:51

To effect the total water applied, you can do any combination of strategies including changes in landscape type (effecting species factor and density factor), irrigation type, and controller efficiency. Please note that the microclimate factor cannot change - it must be consistent between the baseline and design cases. Please also note that you can assign sprinkler as the irrigation type for all landscape types in the baseline case.
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Lise Dannesboe
Sustainability Manager
COWI
LEEDuser Premium Member
54 thumbs up

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 08:55

Thanks William. So I got that correct, that it is NOT possible to ONLY rely on installing measures for water-reuse (using rainwater for 100% for irrigation needs). In order to score 4 points you ALSO have to minimize the rainwater required by 50% with regard to the baseline. I am asking because I think that this is not really cleary stated in the credit language, but is part of the formula (calculation). Thanks.

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 13:27

Correct, a minimum 50% reduction in potable water is required in order to pursue Option 2 Path 1 (no potable water use).
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Lise Dannesboe
Sustainability Manager
COWI
LEEDuser Premium Member
54 thumbs up

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 13:42

Thanks Carlie, but isn't that a contradiction: minimizing portable water, if I don't use portable water to start with? I understood that a minimum of 50% reduction in total water (in this case rainwater) is required in order to pursue Option 2 Path 1.

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 14:19

Hi Juliane, The credit intent here is an "efficiency first" approach; to reduce the amount of water needed for landscaping (potable or nonpotable) in an effort to use alternative sources of water (i.e. rainwater) wisely. Hope helpful!
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Lise Dannesboe
Sustainability Manager
COWI
LEEDuser Premium Member
54 thumbs up

Fri, 06/06/2014 - 14:27

Hi Charlie, yes I understand that. The case is just that we have a lot of rainwater, that we need to tread locally (pursuing credits under Stormwater Management) and we would rather like to use on the plants, than finding other ways to get rid of it.

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