USGBC LEED-AP-BD+C - LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C)

Materials and Resources Credit, Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - Sourcing of Raw Materials, Option 2. Leadership Extraction Practices

Natural rubber flooring is a bio-based material that can contribute to the achievement of Option 2 of the Sourcing of Raw Materials credit, which requires using products that meet at least one of the responsible extraction criteria for at least 25%, by cost, of the total value of permanently installed building products in the project1. By meeting the Sustainable Agriculture Standard (SAN), the natural rubber flooring demonstrates that it has been produced in a way that conserves biodiversity, protects natural resources, and enhances social and economic well-being2. Therefore, the cost of the substituted flooring ($80,000) can be counted towards the credit threshold.

According to the LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, the Location and Transportation Credit, Bicycle Facilities has two options: Option 1. Bicycle Network and Storage and Option 2. Reduced Parking Footprint. Option 1 requires the project to provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors, and long-term bicycle storage for at least 5% of all regular building occupants. Short-term bicycle storage must be within 100 ft (30 m) walking distance of any main entrance, and long-term bicycle storage must be within 300 ft (90 m) walking or bicycling distance of any functional entry. Option 2 requires the project to provide short-term bicycle storage for at least 2.5% of all peak visitors, and long-term bicycle storage for at least 5% of all regular building occupants, and also reduce the total parking capacity by at least 20% from the base ratios. Both options can earn one point under this credit1.

If a commercial building is considered to have 100 peak visitors in a day, the minimum number of short-term bicycle storage spaces that must be provided to earn one point under Option 1 or Option 2 is 2.5% of 100, which is 2.5, rounded up to 3. However, the project must also provide long-term bicycle storage for at least 5% of all regular building occupants, which is not given in the question. Therefore, the correct answer is C, five, which is the minimum number of short-term bicycle storage spaces that must be provided to earn one point under Option 1 or Option 2, regardless of the number of regular building occupants. References: LEED v4: Building Design + Construction Guide, Location and Transportation Credit, Bicycle Facilities, Requirements1

According to the LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED AP BD+C) V4 resources, the Water Efficiency Prerequisite for Indoor Water Use Reduction requires the project to reduce aggregate water consumption by 20% from the baseline. Therefore, the project can meet this prerequisite with a 24% water reduction. However, to earn points under the Water Efficiency Credit for Indoor Water Use Reduction, the project needs to achieve a higher level of water reduction, ranging from 25% to 50%. The credit awards points based on the percentage of water reduction achieved, as shown in Table 1. Thus, the project may pursue this credit if it can further reduce its water consumption by installing more efficient fixtures and fittings, appliances, equipment and processes.

The Location and Transportation Credit, Bicycle Facilities, requires the project team to provide a vicinity map that shows the bicycle network, the route and the distance along the network to eligible destination(s) for all LEED Building Design and Construction projects. The vicinity map is a supporting material that demonstrates that the project site is within a 200-yard (180-meter) walking distance of a bicycle network that connects to at least one of the following: diverse uses, public transportation, recreation facilities, or schools1. The vicinity map must also show the scale and the north arrow, and indicate the project site and the eligible destination(s)2. The photographs of bicycle network signage and directional signposts, the photographs of the installed bicycle storage and shower facilities, and the manufacturer specifications for the chosen bicycle storage facilities are not required for the bicycle network, but for the bicycle storage and shower facilities.

In the Integrative Process, the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) should be created during the predesign phase and edited throughout the project (C). The OPR documents the owner’s goals and objectives, guiding design decisions to align with these priorities. Updating the OPR as necessary ensures that project design and construction remain aligned with the owner’s vision and LEED requirements.

Natural daylighting can reduce the electricity use for artificial lighting, which is one of the major components of operational energy cost for buildings. By having the lights off or dimmed when sufficient daylight is available, the project can save energy and money. The other options are not necessarily true or relevant for natural daylighting. Heat gain and passive solar heating depend on the orientation, shading, and insulation of the windows, not just the amount of daylight. Reduction in lighting fixture use may reduce re-lamping, but that is not a significant factor in operational energy cost compared to electricity use. References: EA Credit Optimize Energy Performance, EQ Credit Daylight, LEED v4 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction123

This building classification requires the energy model to determine the predicted power usage effectiveness (PUE) for Energy and Atmosphere Prerequisite, Minimum Energy Performance, because data centers have high energy intensity and cooling demand, and PUE is a metric that measures how efficiently a data center uses energy12.

For Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Advanced Energy Metering, the minimum amount of time that the metering system should store data is 36 months. This is to ensure that the data can be used for long-term analysis and verification of energy performance1. The credit also requires that the metering system be capable of transmitting data to a remote location and reporting energy use at least hourly1. References: Advanced energy metering

ENERGY STAR® (C) provides tools recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) that assist with energy management strategies, benchmarking, and procurement guidelines. ENERGY STAR offers resources for energy performance benchmarking, operational efficiency, and product standards, which help project managers optimize energy use in line with LEED requirements. Green Seal (A) and SCAQMD (B) focus on materials and emissions, while SMACNA (D) provides guidelines for air quality management.

This option requires the project to provide safe collection, storage, and disposal for electronic waste, such as computers, monitors, printers, and batteries, because it contains hazardous materials that can harm human health and the environment if not handled properly1. Electronic waste can be recycled or reused by certified e-waste recyclers or manufacturers2.