Are solar panels always excluded from the roof area for the purposes of the credit calculations?

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Yes, solar panels, including building integrated solar panels are treated the same as mechanical equipment and other roof appurtenances and are excluded from the credit applicable roof area. For example, if you have a 10,000 ft2 roof and 5,000 ft2 is covered by solar panels, only the remaining 5,000 ft2 of uncovered roof area is considered in the credit calculations.

We’re working on an international project and having a hard time finding a coating with a published value for Solar Reflectance Index. If the coating is white, can we assume that it qualifies?

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It is not possible to assume that a light-colored roof or coating has a compliant or high SRI value. The SRI for different products vary even if they have a similar looking color. The SRI value of any coating has to been verified through manufacturer data or independent testing.

We own our water meters and the manufacturer of the submeter does not provide documentation recommending a calibration interval. How can we document that we’ve met the calibration requirements?

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Unfortunately, there is no specific guidance on how to go about this. Some recommended approaches that may be accepted are as follows:

The water utility for the project building supplies electronic readings of whole building water consumption at least weekly that the project team can access. Will the electronic readings suffice for the required documentation for WEc1?

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Yes. If you can set up automatic electronic meter readings, it is probably more preferable than having to take weekly manual readings, so it’s not a problem for documenting this credt.

What is the best way to track the monthly and annual water consumption summaries for the whole-building and subsystem water meters?

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If the project building’s water consumption is being tracked in Energy Star Portfolio Manager, you can export the data to use for the monthly and annual summaries. If not, you can log monthly and annual summaries in a spreadsheet.

What kind of meter reading documentation is required to meet the items requested on the credit form? The LEED Online credit form requests both weekly readings, and then also monthly and annual summaries.

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There are two kinds of documentation related to meter readings that need to be provided in order to comply with the requirements of WEc1: one is to provide a record that water meter readings were read at least on a weekly basis and the other is to compile those weekly readings into monthly and annual summaries. This documentation must cover the entire performance period for this credit.

We can't get weekly readings from the main building water meter. However we can take daily readings from a water subsystem (e.g. irrigation or cooling tower makeup). Can we pursue Option 2 (water subsystem metering) without pursing Option 1 (whole buildin

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Unfortunately, no. The rating system language explicitly states that in order to meet he requirements of Option 2, the project building must first meet the requirements of Option 1. Also remember, if you want to install a whole-building water meter at the project building, do it before the beginning of the performance period.

The LEED Reference Guide says we need to account for seasonal variations in commuting behavior, but doesn’t offer any guidance on how to do this. What should I do?

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The geographic location of your project will determine how this will be addressed, and that is why the Reference Guide leaves room for project-specific approaches. Consider how the weather influences commuter choices in your area, and how you can modify your survey timing or strategy accordingly. For example, if you have plenty of parking capacity, occupants may switch their commuting mode per weather conditions or season. A few ideas to consider are as follows:

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