Teams can earn a basketful of points based on the daily transit service available to your project. If your building is located in a metropolitan area with multiple modes of transportation, and has functional entries within a quarter- to half-mile walking distance of transit stops, you’re likely to achieve this credit.
Walking distance is critical—LEED reviewers will want to see an accessible route, so don’t try to cross a highway with no crosswalks.
This credit rewards projects for preserving greenfield areas and revegetating previously disturbed portions of the site with native and adapted species.
This credit can be earned by any building, even those that don’t have large amounts of vegetation onsite. Projects that do have sufficient vegetation onsite can earn two points, while projects that pursue the financial support option max out at one point.
This prerequisite is very easy to achieve. Teams need to provide space to store recyclables within the building, and provide waste haulers with easy access to collect materials. Projects are not required to provide a specific amount of space, although the LEED Reference Guide does include recommended square footages based on building size.
To ensure the space is large enough, consider how much space is needed to meet the building’s anticipated recycling needs, and even consider getting recommendations from your hauler.
This prerequisite is very easy to achieve. Teams need to provide space to store recyclables within the building, and provide waste haulers with easy access to collect materials. Projects are not required to provide a specific amount of space, although the LEED Reference Guide does include recommended square footages based on building size.
To ensure the space is large enough, consider how much space is needed to meet the building’s anticipated recycling needs, and even consider getting recommendations from your hauler.
Any project can earn this credit, and it’s readily achievable for teams that take an integrated approach from the project onset. The credit requires early analysis of energy or water systems, or early site selection, health and wellness, or equity considerations, in order to identify synergies within the project design that can optimize energy and water performance.
Any project can earn this credit, and it’s readily achievable for teams that take an integrated approach from the project onset. The credit requires early analysis of energy and water systems in order to identify synergies within the project design that can optimize energy and water performance.
If your project has an ample amount of surrounding site area, this may be a straightforward credit for you. This credit encourages projects to not only set aside open space, but to ensure that it’s accessible and promotes outdoor recreation for building users.
If your project has an ample amount of surrounding site area, this may be a straightforward credit for you. This credit encourages projects to not only set aside open space, but to ensure that it’s accessible and promotes outdoor recreation for building users.
An asphalt playground, however, won’t cut it. Teams must dedicate a percentage of the open space to vegetation. There are plenty of great options for outdoor recreation that can help you achieve this credit, so get creative with your site.
Formerly “Green Vehicles” in LEED v4, this credit now encourages electric vehicles exclusively—no more hybrids or other efficient cars that burn conventional fuels. To earn this point, project teams need to install either electric-vehicle-charging stations in 5% of all spaces or electric-vehicle-charging infrastructure in 10% of all spaces.
For projects that provide lots of parking, this credit should be straightforward to implement. It may be more difficult for projects with limited parking to carve out space for charging stations.