The LEED Process: Design and Construction Credit Submissions

For a construction project to obtain LEED certification at any of the four levels (Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum) two important steps are required: Design Credit Submission and Construction Credit Submission.

These two submission steps occur at distinct moments in a project’s construction period:

• Design Credit Submission - After design is complete and construction started
  
• Construction Credit Submission - After construction is finished

At each of these stages, the project team submits the credits that pertain to each stage to LEED-Online; the USGBC web-based credit management tool.

The Solera project – now under construction for one year – recently completed its Design Credit Submission. The following credits were included in this submission:

Sustainable Sites Credits:
SS 1: Site Selection
SS 2: Development
SS 4.1: Alternative Transportation, Public Access
SS 4.2: Alternative Transportation, Bike Storage
SS 4.3: Alternative Transportation, Low Emitting Vehicles
SS 4.4: Alternative Transportation, Parking Capacity
SS 7.1: Heat Island Effect, Non-Roof
SS 7.2: Heat Island Effect, Roof

Water Efficiency Credits:
WE 1.1: Water Efficient Landscaping, Reduce 50%
WE 1.2: Water Efficient Landscaping, No Potable
WE 3.1 & 3.2: Water Use Reduction, 20% & 30%

Energy and Atmosphere:
EA Pre-req 2: Minimum Energy Performance
EA Pre-req 3: Fundamental Refrigerant Management
EA 1: Optimize Energy Performance

Materials and Resources:
MR Pre-req 1: Storage & Collection of Recyclables

Indoor Environmental Quality:
Pre-req 1: Minimum IAQ Performance
EQ 6.1: Controllability of Systems: Lighting
EQ 6.2: Controllability of Systems: Thermal Control
EQ 7.1: Thermal Comfort: Design
EQ 8.1: Daylighting & Views: 75% of Spaces

In addition to the above standard Design Credits, the Solera team also submitted four Innovation in Design credits.

The GBCI, the Green Building Certification Institute, is currently reviewing Solera’s Design Credit Submission. The GBCI is the third-party entity that USGBC created to review all LEED applications. Ideally all credits that the Solera team submitted will be accepted. However, in the event that any credits are denied, the Solera team will have the ability to make additions and/or edits to the submission to ensure that the Solera project achieves all 28 Design Credits.

Solera anticipates completing the Construction Credit Submission in August or September 2010, after construction is complete and building operations are underway.