Appliance and process water uses such as clothes washers, dishwashers, cooling tower makeup, and others, are not included in the LEED water use reduction calculations for this credit.
If the project team is committed to creating a comprehensive transportation management plan to qualify for an Exemplary Performance point through IDc1, dedicating the resources upfront to develop and implement new programs makes sense, as it will be folded into the broader transportation plan.
Consider the feasibility of each option based on your site location. Is your project located in a dense urban environment where most people commute to work via mass transit, or are you in a suburban or rural area where most people drive to work, and may appreciate a vehicle-sharing program? Also consider things like whether there are alternative-fuel vehicles used by occupants or whether occupants tend to use low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles. These types of questions will help to determine an appropriate approach to this credit.
Establishing a regular shuttle for building occupants to a transportation hub (for alternative compliance when a project doesn’t meet the basic credit requirements) can add additional costs. However, making commuting easier for your employees, or making your building more accessible to customers can pay off in productivity or sales.
Selecting a site with easy access to public transportation is the easiest way to earn this credit, so ideally this credit will be considered during site selection. Projects located in dense urban areas generally can qualify, whereas projects located in rural or suburban areas, where public transportation infrastructure is not as developed, may need to facilitate access to existing mass transit nearby (via an alternative compliance including shuttle service), which may in some cases be difficult or expensive.
Calculating irrigation water use is not required for this credit; however, understanding how indoor water use compares to outdoor water use can help you gauge where to focus your reduction efforts for the greatest benefit. Some water-saving strategies address both indoor and outdoor water needs holistically. For example, if you treat your wastewater onsite, you can use the treated water to irrigate your landscape as well as to flush toilets.
USGBC does not explicitly require you to set to the LEED boundary to match your entire scope of work, so you have some discretion in setting a project boundary that may impact achievement of this credit. However, it is a best practice to simply designate the LEED boundary so that it reflects your project scope,
If you need to modify existing hardscapes to meet the prescriptive goals of the credit, you can face added costs.