If a tenant or group of tenants uses their own hauler to manage waste or recyclables, and they make up less than 10% of the total floor area of the project building, you may completely exclude those waste amounts from your tracking.

In multi-tenant buildings, investigate the individual tenants’ waste-diversion needs and communicate the building’s overall goals for waste diversion. Effective programs for managing diversion of shredded office paper will be especially important.

Consider operating procedures that foster increased diversion rates and minimize waste generation, including:

It’s a good idea to conduct a waste audit, in conjunction with MRc6: Solid Waste Management—Waste Stream Audit, to investigate the contents of the current waste stream, identify opportunities for increased diversion rates, and generate ideas to foster higher diversion rates. This optional activity can significantly improve recycling rates in your building.

Develop a solid waste management policy for ongoing consumables in conjunction with MRp2: Solid Waste Management Policy.

Use your energy model to review envelope thermal and hygrothermal performance. In a heating climate, thick insulation inside the air barrier may cause condensation problems. Consider an exterior thermal barrier to protect the air barrier and to prevent condensation inside the wall cavity. Identify thermal bridges in the walls and windows that could leak heat from inside. Add thermal breaks, such as neoprene gaskets, on shelf angles, silicone beading on window frames, and use other techniques to prevent leakage from the envelope. 

One complete run of your energy model should be completed during design development to make sure the design is reducing annual energy cost by your targeted amount. This is the time when simplified models used to inform early design decisions should be replaced by a more comprehensive detailed model. Run two or three alternatives to help the designers finalize envelope and system selection. Common measures to consider include high-performance windows, additional roof insulation, and more efficient boilers. 

Option 1: Whole Building Energy Simulation

Some easily implemented strategies include: 

daylighting and controls, especially if you are pursuing IEQc6.1: Controllability of Systems—Lighting;
installing Energy Star appliances;
energy recovery ventilation, which is especially useful in moderate to harsher climates; 
and variable speed controls on pumps and fans.

If you are pursuing an additional point or two by complying with Section 3, select the strategies you anticipate pursuing.