Credit achievement rate
XX%
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LEEDuser expert
Crissy Tsai
Webcor Builders
Sustainability Coordinator
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce heat islands1 to minimize impacts on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats.
Requirements
Option 1
Use any combination of the following strategies for 50% of the site hardscape (including roads, sidewalks, courtyards and parking lots):- Provide shade from the existing tree canopy or within 5 years of landscape installation. Landscaping (trees) must be in place at the time of occupancy.
- Provide shade from structures covered by solar panels that produce energy used to offset some nonrenewable resource use.
- Provide shade from architectural devices or structures that have a solar reflectance index2 (SRI) of at least 29.
- Use hardscape materials with an SRI of at least 29.
- Use an open-grid pavement system (at least 50% pervious).
OR
Option 2
Place a minimum of 50% of parking spaces under cover3. Any roof used to shade or cover parking must have an SRI of at least 29, be a vegetated green roof or be covered by solar panels that produce energy used to offset some nonrenewable resource use.SITES-LEED Equivalency
This LEED credit (or a component of this credit) has been established as equivalent to a SITES v2 credit or component. For more information on using the equivalency as a substitution in your LEED or SITES project, see this article and guidance document.What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
I do not know the SRI value of my hardscape materials. What can I do?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
How do I find a lab for getting SRI values? What will it cost?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
I have a mix of various hardscape types with different SRI values. Can I apply a weighted average to see if my project complies?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
Should I use the SRI value of new or weathered concrete for my project?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
What is hardscape? Is a gravel surface considered hardscape? How about artificial turf? Wood? Tennis courts?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
There is a reflecting pool on our site. What is the SRI of water? Should we include that in our calculations?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
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Should I consider motorbikes and parking spaces for them under this credit? What about fleet vehicles? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
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Projects that provide covered parking are eligible for points under this credit, but what if a project provides no parking? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
Checklists
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Documentation toolkit
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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce heat islands1 to minimize impacts on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats.
Requirements
Option 1
Use any combination of the following strategies for 50% of the site hardscape (including roads, sidewalks, courtyards and parking lots):- Provide shade from the existing tree canopy or within 5 years of landscape installation. Landscaping (trees) must be in place at the time of occupancy.
- Provide shade from structures covered by solar panels that produce energy used to offset some nonrenewable resource use.
- Provide shade from architectural devices or structures that have a solar reflectance index2 (SRI) of at least 29.
- Use hardscape materials with an SRI of at least 29.
- Use an open-grid pavement system (at least 50% pervious).
OR
Option 2
Place a minimum of 50% of parking spaces under cover3. Any roof used to shade or cover parking must have an SRI of at least 29, be a vegetated green roof or be covered by solar panels that produce energy used to offset some nonrenewable resource use.SITES-LEED Equivalency
This LEED credit (or a component of this credit) has been established as equivalent to a SITES v2 credit or component. For more information on using the equivalency as a substitution in your LEED or SITES project, see this article and guidance document.XX%
Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »
Got the gist of SSc7.1 but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Premium members get:
- Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
- Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
- Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
- Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
- All checklists organized by project phase.
- On-the-fly suggestions of useful items from the Documentation Toolkit and Credit Language.
In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
I do not know the SRI value of my hardscape materials. What can I do?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
How do I find a lab for getting SRI values? What will it cost?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
I have a mix of various hardscape types with different SRI values. Can I apply a weighted average to see if my project complies?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
Should I use the SRI value of new or weathered concrete for my project?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
What is hardscape? Is a gravel surface considered hardscape? How about artificial turf? Wood? Tennis courts?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
There is a reflecting pool on our site. What is the SRI of water? Should we include that in our calculations?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
Should I consider motorbikes and parking spaces for them under this credit? What about fleet vehicles? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
Projects that provide covered parking are eligible for points under this credit, but what if a project provides no parking? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
LEEDuser expert
Crissy Tsai
Webcor Builders
Sustainability Coordinator
