WEc1 - BD+C 2009

Thanks for the input - hopefully they will see the confusion in their statement. Having worked on LEED projects for 10 years I realize that Option 1 is embedded (essentially) in Option 2, but the wording is awkward in that saying both Opt 1 and Opt 2 are earned could confuse you at the number of points earned. We'll count of 4 for this project!

Out of curiosity I sent emails to both GBCI (via certification@gbci.org AND via the inquiry page of a project) and USGBC (via leedinfo@usgbc.org) requesting clarification for the number of points that could be earned if both credits were achieved. Does it surprise anyone that I got 2 different answers...from GBCI? GBCI response via certification@gbci.org : "Thank you for your inquiry regarding LEED BD+C 2009, WEc1. We apologize for the delay as we are experiencing high technical email volumes. A maximum of four points can be earned for WEc1. The footnote you cite is essentially attempting to say (admittedly not very clearly) that to meet Option 2, Option 1 must first be met. We trust this will help you with your process and thank you for your interest in LEED Rating Systems." GBCI response via project page: " Thank you for the inquiry. I apologize for the delayed response, and any inconvenience it may have caused. To answer your question concerning the amount of points awarded for WEc1, you are correct. When the percent potable water reduction is 100%, and the total water reduction for the project is greater than or equal to 50%, this would yield 6 points (2 for Option 1, and 4 for Option 2)." I think it is safe to move forward and assume a max of 4 points can be earned. I have not received an answer from USGBC.

Wanted to share with you all the clarification response I received from GBCI regarding this issue: To clarify, the proper response on this issue is that projects can only achieve a maximum of 4 points for WEc1 in the LEED 2009 BD+C rating systems. The wording of the footnote in the reference guide that you cited can be a bit confusing on the matter, but the maximum point value is noted at the top of page 179 where it states that 2-4 points are available for WE Credit 1. The total number of possible points for this credit (2-4 points) is also noted in the LEED-NC 2009 credit checklist (http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=5719), and in the LEED-NC 2009 WEc1 Form in LEED Online v3 (www.leedonline.com).