Minimum Program Requirements

The official page about MPRs from USGBC, links to a document that lists the requirements for all LEED 2009 rating systems; and another one that provides supplemental guidance on how those requirements are to be implemented in practice. The MPRs themselves are locked in until the next version of LEED comes out, but the Supplemental Guidance doc will be updated periodically--share your feedback and suggestions in the comments below!

SonicLQ: Reconnecting Acoustics and Airtightness

Early on in our work on energy-efficient homes, the connection between airtightness and sound centered on airport noise; now a new technology reconnects acoustics and air leakage
by Peter Yost

Back in the early days of airport noise mitigation programs, there was a pretty strong link between air leakage and sound. A document titled “Tips for Insulating Your Home Against Aircraft Noise” noted, “Sound travels from the exterior to the interior of the home in two ways: through solid structural elements and through the air…. Wherever air can infiltrate a home, sound can as well.”

Read more »

Pete’s Puzzle: Mold on Painted Clapboards is Food for Thought

There is mold on the factory-primed, latex top-coated wood clapboards on the south but not the north side of our house
by Peter Yost

[bg-slideshow]

Whenever my wife starts a conversation with, “OK, Mr. Building Scientist,” I know I am in some kind of trouble. That proved to be the case one day when we were out hanging laundry on the south side of our house.

Read more »

Filling out this PI form

Use this form to provide GBCI with a description of your project. Remember, your LEED reviewer may have never seen anything on your project before, and only has a short period of time to review it. Give them a little context by providing background information about the history of the building, the LEED project team, and your project highlights.

Filling out this PI form

Use this form to provide basic details about how your building is used and occupied. Remember that the rest of your LEED application needs to be consistent with the information that you provide on this form.  For example, the occupancy values indicated on the PIf3 form need to be reflected in your WEp1 documentation.

Filling out this PI form

Use this form to provide basic details about your project building and site. Remember that the rest of your LEED application needs to be consistent with the information that you provide on this form. For example, the energy sources indicated on the PIf2 form need to be reflected in your EAp2 documentation. Also avoid showing a mismatch between the gross floor area (or site area) shown in PIf2, and the various energy credits (or sites credits).