The S.T. Dana Building project is a renovation project located in the central quadrangle (the Diag) of the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The site area defined for the project is the site surrounding the existing building which was directly affected by the construction project. In general terms, the site consists of a narrow band of space around the building and additional areas that were contained within construction staging areas for the project. This site definition is being applied consistently to all aspects of the LEED submission.
The LEED application for the project includes documentation for the award of Sustainable Site Credit 8, Light Pollution Reduction. The project incorporates the replacement of exterior lighting over the two principal building entrances, areas approximately twenty feet square (20Æ x 20Æ). This is the full extent of exterior lighting undertaken as part of the Dana Building renovation project.
The design of the replacement fixtures meets applicable IESNA requirements. The LEED application includes all required calculations and documentation showing compliance with IESNA for both interior fixtures casting light out windows and the exterior lighting at the building entrances replaced as part of the project.
The basis of this inquiry addresses other, pre-existing, exterior lighting located within the defined LEED project site that is not being replaced as part of the renovation project. There are two types. First, attached to the building are bracket-mounted lights above each of two secondary doorways. These lights have not been replaced as part of the renovation project. Second, is a series of low pole fixtures lighting the pedestrian pathways around the building. The pole fixtures have not been replaced as part of the renovation project.
The proposed light fixture replacement does achieve light pollution reduction within the limitations of the project scope. Following the no action / no credit philosophy, it is our position that no action regarding exterior lighting that is beyond the scope of the LEED renovation project means no penalty either. Can the project be awarded Sustainable Site Credit 8 for replacement of the two main entrance fixtures alone?
The intent of the credit addresses a project's "building and site." The bracket-mounted lights above the secondary doorways are part of the building, and thus certainly need to meet the LEED requirements. Site/pathway lighting is not as straightforward a scenario.
Your building project is within a university campus context and thus site lighting choices are possibly controlled by a central design plan for reasons such as security and consistent aesthetics. Granted this situation presents challenges in applying LEED-NC, but SSc8 is about delivering a specific type of lighting performance for the entire project, not for selected pieces of it. As stated in your narrative, the ôsite definition is being applied consistently to all aspects of the LEED submissionö û as USGBC requires.
Given the projectÆs context, however, USGBC is willing to offer an alternative compliance path on university campuses for existing site lighting that falls within the site boundaries per the LEED application (in this case, the low pole fixtures that are not slated for replacement) IF it is shown that the Campus Exterior Lighting Master Plan (if it exists) has been officially upgraded to a SSc8-compliant level (assumably after the low pole fixtures were installed) by the time of LEED application submittal û whether or not it has been inspired by striving for this LEED point. In addition, since the "property boundary" in this case is created for administrative purposes only ùdefined for the project's scope (as well as LEED application) ù the SSc8 requirements relating to the property line need only be followed for the REAL campus property boundary, rather than the PROJECT boundary. This compromise ensures that all future site lighting installations on the campus will serve the intent of the credit and thus achieve performance beyond what would be accomplished through solely replacing the project siteÆs pole fixtures.
If no Campus Exterior Lighting Master Plan exists, or it has not been updated to comply with SSc8, then the site lighting in question must be changed to comply with SSc8 in order to achieve the credit. Look into the possibility of retrofitting (via lumen and shielding changes), or replacing the fixtures outright.
Applicable Internationally.