Any idea if we would have to pay a second registration fee? The GBCI website just says "Contact GBCI."

Yes, this credit does focus on efficiency, but does still allow the use of non-potable water. Notice that the rating system intent states "To increase water efficiency within buildings...." and does not mention potable water, so please consider the reference guide revisions as neccessary to align with the rating system language.

However, the "Potential Technologies and Strategies" section of the Rating System documents do still include "Consider using alternative on-site sources of water...." and thus it is still a potential strategy for earning this credit. It is an alternative compliance path and the submittal requirements for this will be included in the revised WEp1 Additional Guidance, which will be available soon.

ShaVon Diaz
LEED Specialist, USGBC

From the current FAQ located here: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=5732

Are international projects eligible to earn bonus points via RPCs?
In the first iteration of RPCs, international projects cannot earn the associated bonus points. USGBC is, however, considering the best method to provide similar incentive for projects in areas that are not defined by U.S. ZIP codes.

I can't imagine the USGBC taking out non-potable water consumption out of it without giving some other incentive to pursue collection. Rainwater harvesting costs money and it's a good thing. If they disallow deduction then there isn't an incentive of doing this. It may be an oversight?

Tristan, is it possible to get a feed of these posts? Saw this thanks to the email blast, and it looks like there's a bunch of good content worth keeping up on.

Julian,
Yes, there's a steep learning curve for new team members using LEED Online v3. A couple of suggestions that may help:

- The forms do get saved online, so can be partially completed and finished at a later date. The entries in the form fields are saved in the LOL database, but you're correct you can't save a working copy of the credit form locally on your computer. You can print a completed form for your reference, however.

- It can be very helpful to bring everyone who's working on documentation in for a meeting, gather around a projector, and walk through the LEEDOnline forms on screen. Point out how to access the scorecard and forms, how they get saved, and what happens when you return to a form still in progress. Note that people will see different credits depending on what's been assigned by the project administrator.

- Point out the version number at the bottom corner of the credit forms - ones marked "Beta" or with low numbers can be buggy. Sometimes logging out and back in can clear up some of the bugs. If a form just won't work use the check box option at the end of a credit form that allows for an alternative compliance path - explain in the narrative what's not working, and how you believe your documentation is complete. Note that some forms aren't complete until a supporting document is uploaded or all the right boxes are checked. If you have to put a check mark on a statement that isn't really true to get the form to work, use the alternative narrative at the end to explain.

- If you are overseeing the submission of all the documentation, you may want to review everyone's credit forms for completeness and consistency before each credit is marked complete.

- To review the credit forms, you can print each one out, mark them up with corrections, and return those to your team members for revision when they log in and update them on line.

- To reduce paper use, some offices have print drivers installed that allow users to print a document from the web browser window and create a PDF file - Bluebeam is one such program. This allows you to "save" a local copy of the completed form on your computer instead of making a printed hard copy. A PDF editing program like Bluebeam then allows you to mark-up the PDF of the completed credit form with your own notes and corrections and email it to the team member.

- Lots of people have done this process successfully, but most have probably run into some confusion or frustration at one point or another. Plan to spend some time getting familiar with the interface so you can coach the rest of the team.

- The sooner you get team members to log in to LEED online and start their documentation the better. Soon they may be working on other projects and it quickly gets harder to get their attention, find the necessary documentation and remember the relevant details. Many project managers will withhold payment until LEED documentation is submitted. Remind the team that the LEED reviewers will usually ask for clarifications and additional documentation on some credits after the initial review, often1 - 2 months after submission, so plan accordingly.

- Others may have additional suggestions for making the process go more smoothly - feel free to add any!

Natesan, there were some statistics that came out a couple years ago from USGBC on LEED-NC v2.2 of 350 projects and which credits were most often attempted. However, I don't know if those numbers were published anywhere and if they're still available. If they are, I don't know if the place.
Did you have any specific questions? Maybe I can help.
Also, if you review LEEDuser's recommendations on each of the LEED-NC v2.2 credits, you'll find that we often discuss which credits are harder or less common to achieve, and vice versa.

Charlie, great question.
The mode of transport is not covered under the requirements for SSp1 and MRc2, the credits you are referring to.
Your best bet is to formulate a innovation credit following the guidelines of IDc1. This is not an easy task but may be doable if you can demonstrate an environmental benefit and try to make this comprehensive in some way for the project. Check out our IDc1 guidance for more info.

Summer, I am quite sure this question is answered during the Q&A portion of our LEED CMP webinar.
I would also suggest that you post this question to the forum associated with that webinar.

Jean - I won't hazard a guess/opinion as to relative costs of NC vs EBOM (I think these differ radically from project to project and building to building, and it's probably not helpful to even theorize), but I do think its important to note that even though the marketplace may presently perceive a LEED plaque as a LEED plaque and not fully grasp the distinctions between rating systems, the differences from a user/owner perspective are substantial. An NC plaque says something about the design of the building and the construction of the building - but nothing about the function. EBOM is the inverse - it speaks only to the function of the building (over a discrete period of time) and says little or nothing about design/construction. Also, you'll note that an NC plaque is forever - once D&C is done, that plaque is permanent. An EBOM certification represents a finite time period. So one might argue that an NC certification says less about a building but for a longer time, while an EBOM certification says more about a building, but for a shorter time. Although there would probably be a lot of reasonable counterarguments to that sentence. . .