We are building a new hospital in Oak Bluffs, MA, the Martha\'s Vineyard Hospital. We are registered with LEED under NC2.2 We are installing a 45 KW solar photovoltaic system on the project. An inherent quality to a hospital is the facility being in operation 24 hours per day, and due to that and other hospital specific qualities, we use more energy for example than a commercial office building. QUESTION----can we submit under ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE for this credit, and use the GREEN GUIDE FOR HEALTHCARE as a basis for this credit, in lieu of the LEED NC2.2 requirements? We are spending $400,000 on a 45KW solar PV system, we do not meet LEED NC2.2 requirements, but will likely meet the Green Guide for Healthcare EA credit 2 requirements.
The applicant is requesting that the renewable energy requirements from the Green Guide for Healthcare be used in lieu of the requirements in the LEED-NC v2.2 Reference Guide for EAc2. This approach is not acceptable. All project teams registered under the LEED-NC v2.2 rating system must satisfy the requirements of EAc2 to achieve points for on-site renewable energy. Green Guide for Healthcare is not an equivalent rating system to LEED-NC v2.2. LEED for Healthcare will specifically focus on healthcare projects and is expected to be launched in Summer 2009 pending USGBC approval.