Our project has 73.7% Energy Star Certified roof area and 26.3% terraced roof area, therefore we fall just short of the required 75%. Energy Star has not certified any terrace pavers. The pavers we specified are light colored but are not highly reflective in order to eliminate glare and heat gain on the interior. We have reflectivity information from the paver manufacturer but are not sure whether we can use pavers to determine the net average reflectance since the credit states that we must be using Energy Star certified products. Also, most flat roofing systems that are Energy Star certified will have a small number of pavers installed over the system to be used for roof access. Do we have to deal with these pavers in our calculations? Additionally, we have 387 sf (1.1% of the roof area) of large, permanent planters located on the occupied and unoccupied terraces that will be maintained by the base building facilities staff. By using the calculation provided in the credit ruling dated 2/11/2003, (Reflective roof area/0.75) + (Planted roof area/0.5)
Based on the calculations provided and the assertion that the project uses both Energy Star roofing and vegetated planters, USGBC considers the award of this credit likely. Make sure that your LEED application documents that the planters are indeed vegetated. The planter\'s contribution to reduced heat island effect is a direct result of the vegetation they contain. USGBC echoes the project team\'s skepticism about the emmissivity and reflectivity of the roof pavers. If available, include manufacturer data that documents compliance with both Energy Star requirements and 0.9 emissivity.