The higher the amount for reused furniture, the higher the number for Total Division 12, therefore more difficult to obtain the 30%.
Ex. New Furniture is 400,000 and Reused Furniture is 150,000
Scenario #1 $150,000/$400,000 = 37.5%
Scenario #2 $150,000/$550,000 = 27.2%
It seems as though the more your reused is worth, the lower your percentage goes if you include the New PLUS the Reused amount. Am I supposed to include the Reused amount as part of the total Furniture cost for the project? I cannot exclude it from the template.
Thanks!
Michelle Bracewell-Musson
Owner, LEED APGreen Expectations Sustainability Solutions
119 thumbs up
February 9, 2013 - 10:26 am
To further this, I want to know why we have to include the Reused amount in the Total when in fact, we haven't had to pay 1 cent for it? :/
Tristan Roberts
RepresentativeVermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
11478 thumbs up
February 9, 2013 - 10:36 am
Michelle, I hink you are simply running up against the cold reality of the mathematics, but this is how all LEED MR calculations are done.The LEED-compliant portion goes in the numerator and the total—compliant plus non-compliant—is in the denominator. If you're finding the math is not resulting in hitting your target, well, that's a good reason to increase your efforts to comply with the credit through reuse, with reduction of new purchases being the flip side of the same coin.What other way could compliance be demonstrated? If there is no price assigned to the reused furniture, then it either has no value in your calcs, or you need some other measure, like weight or volume, or pieces.If the value of reuse is not in the demoninator, then you'll get absurd results, like 2,000% of your furniture budget being LEED compliant. How could LEED set a target for credit compliance with no upward limit?
Michelle Bracewell-Musson
Owner, LEED APGreen Expectations Sustainability Solutions
119 thumbs up
February 9, 2013 - 11:04 am
ThanksTristan,
I guess I get that part of it. However, I think overall, more people would attempt this credit (16% actually earn it), and in the long run, the total amount of reused furniture would be higher, due to people not giving up as the bar is too high.
I would love to study the stats on this credit and have a trial period where the other option is offered. This is the basis for putting something on sale. Try, see if it works, then get hooked on doing it all the time. Seems to be priced out of the market. Hmmm, either way I earned the credit.
Good discussion with some friends over a couple of drinks!
Your thoughts?
Sonrisa Lucero
Owner / Energy Engineer / Sustainability ConsultantSustainnovations, LLC
138 thumbs up
March 8, 2013 - 5:32 pm
Michelle,
While it is true you include the total cost of new and reused in your denominator, in your example, it looks like you were increasing the amount of NEW furniture, not REUSED. In both secenarios, you have the resused portion as $150,000, but your denominator increased in Scenario #2.
If the added difference ($150000) between the two scenarios was given to the REUSED furniture, your Scenario #2 would actually be: ($150,000 + $150,000)/$550,000 = $300,000/$550,000 = 55%