How to Cheat* at LEED: Part 2

Now that all of you who read the first column in this series think you are experts at working the LEED for HomesLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED for Homes is the residential green building program from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). While this program is primarily designed for and applicable to new home projects, major gut rehabs can qualify. system, I will show you some of the points that are much harder to qualify for along with a few that are pretty easy, but they are not very obvious and you have to know about them to take them.

For Experts Only – The Tough Credits

1. Design CharretteMeeting at the beginning of an integrative design process that sets the stage for cooperation and collaboration among all participants, including the design team, engineers, contractors, clients, and any others involved in the project. Early involvement of the entire project team is fundamental to the successful use of a systems approach to green building. . It’s always a good idea to have a design charrette, but not always feasible on single-family projects, although the time and money spent to hold one will probably pay off in both first costInitial cost of buying or building something; does not include operating costs. and operating energy savings. If you are doing a large development or a multifamily building, one charrette can cover all the homes and almost guarantees you a better project, money and energy savings, and a point on your score.

2. Design for Solar Orientation. The Anazasi did it almost a thousand years ago; I think we should be able to figure out how to design with sun in mind and pick up a point in the process. Why is this one so difficult?

3. Efficient hot water distribution. To get the 2 points for this you have to be very careful about where you locate all your hot water fixtures — preferably they will be close together — and make sure that the plumbing is designed to keep wasted water at a minimum. This can be tough, but if you design with an efficient hot water system in mind, it can be done.

4. Backdraft potential test. If you install unsealed fireplaces and wood stoves (not a good idea in a high performance house), you can get an extra point if you have a (very complicated) third-party test performed proving that it can’t backdraft. If you have a monster range hood without makeup air, don’t even bother with this one — it won’t pass.

5. Test ventilation and duct systems. If you have a third-party rater test the required whole-house, bathroom, and kitchen vent systems, and if the rater confirms that they meet ASHRAE 62.2A standard for residential mechanical ventilation systems established by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Among other requirements, the standard requires a home to have a mechanical ventilation system capable of ventilating at a rate of 1 cfm for every 100 square feet of occupiable space plus 7.5 cfm per occupant. requirements, you can pick up 2 points. You can pick up another point for testing and balancing the HVAC(Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning). Collectively, the mechanical systems that heat, ventilate, and cool a building. duct system and confirming that it meets the designed flows at each register. Keep in mind that these tests aren’t inexpensive, and if they don’t come out right, you don’t get the points.

Documentation – Everyone’s Albatross

Just like voting in Chicago, do your LEED documentation early and often. The biggest problem that project teams have is getting their documentation together. When done as the job progresses, it doesn’t become a huge mountain to climb at the end, when everyone has moved on. I am the rater on projects that have been finished, sold, and occupied for over a year, and I'm still waiting on paperwork from my clients. If you pay for the certification, you may as well go ahead and get it.

Exemplary or “Double Secret” Credits – Needles in the Haystack

Throughout the LEED for Homes rating system there are points for “Exemplary Performance.” When you have done more than enough work to max out the points available in certain credits, you can take extra points in the ID section, although you can only take a total of 4 ID points, so don’t overdo it without getting the credit.

1. High-Performance Clothes Washer. If you use the performance path (as many people do) and you put in a very efficient clothes washer, you get to take 1½ ID credits. If you try to put in anything but 1 point in an ID credit line on the spreadsheet, you get an error message, but it will accept the 1.5 points and move on.

2. Extra Pest Control. Once you max out your 2 points in this category, you can take ½ point for each item, up to a total of 1 ID point.

3. Extra Irrigation Measures. Just like Pest Control, after you max out this credit, you can take ½ point, up to a maximum of 2 points in the ID section.

4. Framing Efficiencies. Following on the heels of Pest Control and Irrigation, if you max out the framing efficiency credits you can take extra points in the ID section.

And Don’t Forget the Prerequisites!

LEED does have a few critical prerequisites – no matter how well you do, if you miss just one of these, you are out of luck. Make sure you understand what is required and that it gets done in the field.

1. Durability evaluation form and checklist. I have problems with this particular requirement of the program, but it’s a rule that you have to follow.

2. Erosion control. Most of this is a code requirement, but if it isn’t where you are, make sure to do it.

3. No invasive plants. Get the list from your extension service and make sure none get planted on your site.

4. Energy StarLabeling system sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy for labeling the most energy-efficient products on the market; applies to a wide range of products, from computers and office equipment to refrigerators and air conditioners.. Unless you use the prescriptive path, the house must meet the requirements for the Energy Star HomesA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program to promote the construction of new homes that are at least 15% more energy-efficient than homes that minimally comply with the 2004 International Residential Code. Energy Star Home requirements vary by climate. program, although it doesn’t actually have to be labeled as such. Until the new LEED for Homes version is released next year, you don’t need to move to Energy Star Version 2.5 or 3, but that will likely be required in late 2012.

5. Framing waste order factor. This calculation has to be done for each project. I am dubious of its value, but you’ve gotta do it.

6. FSCNonprofit organization that promotes forestry practices that are sustainable from environmental and social standpoints; FSC certification on a wood product is an indicator that the wood came from a well-managed forest. letter to vendors. Write it and send it out to everyone who sells you wood for the job.

7. Waste management planning and documentation. Check into recycling opportunities and either save all your dump manifests or get monthly reports from you haulers and recyclers.

8. Combustion venting. Doors on all fireplaces and wood stoves, no ventless heaters or fireplaces, and no open-combustion appliances or heaters connected to the living space. This helps to keep you from killing your clients.

9. Basic ventilation. Hire an HVAC contractor who knows his stuff or buy the ASHRAEAmerican Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). International organization dedicated to the advancement of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration through research, standards writing, publishing, and continuing education. Membership is open to anyone in the HVAC&R field; the organization has about 50,000 members. 62.2 standard, read it and follow it. It’s not that difficult.

10. Manual D duct design. Although this is a code requirement, it's often neglected. Use the same knowledgeable HVAC contractor, or better yet, hire an independent consultant to design and size the system and then put it out for pricing. Then make sure they do what it says.

11. RadonColorless, odorless, short-lived radioactive gas that can seep into homes and result in lung cancer risk. Radon and its decay products emit cancer-causing alpha, beta, and gamma particles. vents in zone 1. If your building is in a radon hazard area, you have to put the vent system in under the slab or in the crawl space. If you forget, you are in for an expensive surprise at the end of the job.

12. No HVAC in the Garage. Keep the furnace and ducts out of the garage; see Combustion Venting above about not killing your clients.

13. Operations training. You have to either spend an hour with your client or have an outline for an hour of training and have a written owner’s manual. That's a good business policy, and the hour you spend with them will probably save you lots of phone calls in the future.

*Are We Really Cheating?

Well, no, we’re not cheating to get certification. But LEED is a complex animal, takes some effort to figure out, and requires somewhere between a little and whole lot of extra time and energy to manage, depending on how organized your operation is.

Larger contractors with administrative staff and architectural firms that are used to the documentation requirements of commercial projects tend to have an easier time keeping up with everything. Smaller single-family builders, particularly in the current economic climate, often struggling just to keep each job on track and on budget, have more trouble keeping up with the documentation and required field operations to meet certification.

LEED is not for the faint of heart or those with weak administrative skills. But it can help make a home better and give the project team some ammunition for future marketing when followed through to completion.