As long as the project has been actively implementing an ESC plan during the current development of the project site, you should be okay. If that's not the case, then the outcome will depend on project specifics, and you will likely need official guidance from GBCI.
Ideally, use your cameras to imprint a visible date on a corner of the image. Most cameras offer this option. Digital files also typically encode a date when the file was created, or encode that date in the file name, and while these methods aren't ideal, some project teams have reported success submitting this type of documentation.
This prerequisite offers several options for documentation, including date-stamped photographs, a narrative describing the ESC plan implementation, or a builder declaration of periodic inspection and documentation of ESC implementation. You can rely on project specifics to choose the best option for you—LEED has no preference.
LEED does not offer specific requirements on ESC control measures, beyond the standards that it references, and the documentation requirements. LEEDuser recommends working with a civil engineer who understands the LEED and EPA requirements, and relying on the professional judgment of the engineer for specific technical questions. LEEDuser has not heard that LEED reviewers are deeply scrutinizing ESC plans and coming back with highly technical questions.
BMPs for steep slopes should address soil retention, but not water retention. These could include silt fencing and straw wattles, hydro seeding and stabilized mulching, geotextiles and mats, and most importantly, preservation of natural vegetation.
No. You must always do an ESC plan according to the credit requirements. We have yet to hear of a project that didn't have some issues to address. See the above section titled "Zero lot lines."
Usually the answer to this question is "maybe." There are very few preapproved innovation strategies (education is one of them—see above), so with all but a few it is hard to say definitively whether or not it will be approved on a LEED project. However, there are some reliable guidelines that any project should consider:
Thermostats alone do not meet this definition. LEED Interpretation 10242, issued 10/1/12, clarifies what is expected:
If your space shares a central HVAC plant you need to model the whole building. Consider using energy modeling software, like eQuest, that can separately account for the energy use of the base building separately from your project space by adding additional electricity and gas meters for each space within the model. This is easier and more accurate to model and more likely to be accepted by GBCI reviewers.
USGBC has published alternative compliance guidance for projects outside of the U.S. and outlines the following alternatives to the MERV 13 rating.
Equivalent filtration media Class F7 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779–2002, Particulate air filters for general ventilation, Determination of the filtration performance.Equivalent filtration media with a minimum duct spot efficiency of 80% or higher and greater than 98% arrestance on a particle size of 3–10μg.