Changes to LEED Professional Accreditation

The USGBC has recently approved the latest standard LEED 2009, and now they are also unveiling a new accreditation program for professionals. There are going to be some changes in LEED 2009 for sure, but one major change is how the accreditation process is going to work. The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), formed by the USGBC, has been in charge of implementing these changes and helping professionals learn more about LEED.

Accreditation Program Changes

Here are the major changes from the old AP program to the new one:

There will be three levels of accreditation, called tiers (see below).

All exam levels will have eligibility requirements

As the standards evolve, additional testing will be required, in addition to continuing education hours. $50 credential maintenance fees occur every two years.

Levels of Accreditation

The three tiers, according to GBCI, are as follows:

Tier I
LEED Green Associate: Evoking good environmental practice and being the first step in the LEED professionals career pathway the LEED Green Associate credential attests to demonstrated knowledge and skill in understanding and supporting green design, construction, and operations.

Tier II
LEED AP+ : The LEED AP+ credential signifies an extraordinary depth of knowledge in green building practices and specialization in a particular field: commercial building design & construction, commercial operations & maintenance, commercial interiors, residential design & construction, and neighborhood development.

TIER III
LEED AP Fellow: LEED Fellows enter an elite class of leading professionals who are distinguished by their years of experience and a peer review of their project portfolio. Fellows contribute to the standards of practice and body of knowledge for achieving continuous improvement in the green building field.

Specialty Tracks

There are also 5 specialty tracks to pursue (for LEED AP+):

• Operations and Maintenance (old EB) 2009 O&M
• Residential Design and Construction (HOMES) 2009 HOMES
• Building Design and Construction (old NC) 2009 BD&C
• Interior Design and Construction (old CI) 2009 ID&C
• Neighborhood Development (ND) 2010 ND
  

Continuing Education Requirements

LEED Green Associate: 15 hours required every two years, 3 of which must be from an approved program specific to the LEED Rating System, credit categories, and LEED updates

LEED AP+: 30 hours required every two years, 6 of which must be from an approved program specific to the LEED Rating System, credit categories, and LEED updates

LEED Fellow: information not available at this time

Changes to the Exam Format

There are a few changes to the exam format itself. For LEED Green Associates, the exam is computer-issued, multiple choice, and takes up to 2.5 hours. The LEED AP+ exam has two parts, the core exam (same as the LEED Green Associates exam) and a specialty examination on one of tracks listed above. The LEED AP+ exam may last 4 hours. If only one portion of the exam is passed, you have three chances and one year to retake that portion until you pass. Qualifications for LEED Fellow are still under development.

Credential Fees

In addition to seminars, study guides, and handbooks, the following costs apply:

LEED Green Associate: $50 application fee; $150 USGBC National Member fee per exam appointment ($200 for non-members); $50 maintenance fee (every two years).

LEED AP+: $100 application fee; $300 USGBC National Member fee per exam appointment ($450 for non-members); $50 maintenance fee (every two years). Additional specialty exams are each $150.00 members ($200.00 non-members) plus the application fee.

LEED Fellow: $50 maintenance fee (every two years); other requirements are currently being developed.

Existing LEED AP's

If you are currently a LEED AP, you will now be known as a "Legacy LEED AP" and have two years to "opt in" to the new system, beginning June 2009. Until you opt in your status will be listed as inactive. You must sign the disciplinary policy and agree to complete the required hours of credential maintenance to officially opt in (30 hours continuing education every 2 years, 6 of which must be LEED-based). Once opted in, you will be able to use the new LEED AP+ designation and be listed in the active registry (after the second exam is passed). If you choose to not opt in, your LEED AP status will be listed as inactive until June 2011, at which point you will be required to fulfill eligibility requirements and retake the test. The fee for opting in is waived until June 2011, at which point it becomes $50 for credential maintenance every two years (same maintenance fee as for non-current LEED AP's).

To obtain additional designation as a LEED AP+ (ie, pursue a specialty track), a current LEED AP that has opted in only has to take the specialty track portion of the test. This costs $150 for USGBC National members and $250 for non-members for each exam appointment.

Timeline

The beta testing for Tier 1 (LEED Green Associate), and also LEED AP Operations and Maintenance exam will begin in February 2009. More beta exams will be launched first and second quarter of 2009. Stay tuned for more information as it develops.

For more information on the new LEED Accreditation, visit GBCI or email exam@gbci.org.

Local Materials in LEED

I hope this post helps to answer any questions about how LEED addresses 'local' materials.

LEED-New Construction (Credits MR 5.1 and 5.2) requires that the product be extracted, processed, AND manufactured within a 500 mile radius of the site. Either 10% (or more) or 20% (or more) of total materials in the whole project have to fit this criteria, based on cost of materials. If only a certain percentage of a product fits these qualifications, then that percentage of the total price of that product is used in the calculations of total materials cost in the project.

LEED-Homes (Credit MR 2.2) requires that the product be extracted, processed, AND manufactured within a 500 mile radius of the site. LEED-H bases this per building component and not as a percentage of total materials in the project. In this way, components would not need to rely on other products in the project to qualify for local credits. At least 90% of the component per weight or volume must meet the local criteria to qualify.

Click image to enlarge

Here's a link to a report we did on local materials that also highlights how other green building programs address "local": http://www.dovetailinc.org/reportView.php?action=displayReport&reportID=95

Sourcing FSC for LEED

Understanding how FSC and LEED work together can be complicated, and trying to source FSC can be downright frustrating.

Here are some sources and tips to make the most of your FSC-sourcing experience for a LEED project. The first places to start are the Designing and Building with FSC Guide and FSC's LEED webpage.

1. Confirm which LEED program your client is trying to achieve

Each LEED program has different requirements for obtaining points through wood materials. While most have similar criteria relating to FSC, a few are a little different.

Below is a simplified view of the FSC "certified wood" credits within LEED. See specific program guides for detailed information. The USGBC has recently updated some of the standards overall, so make sure you are working from the most recent version.

• All programs require that tropical hardwoods must be FSC-certified (no points are rewarded), while other FSC-related credits are voluntary and qualify for additional points.
  

• LEED-Homes recognizes different building components separately and requires that a component be made of 90% FSC-certified material to get the FSC "certified wood" credit. This 90% is calculated by weight or volume.

• LEED-New Construction, LEED Core & Shell, LEED-Schools, LEED-Retail, and LEED-Commercial Interiors require that at least 50% of the combined total of all wood building materials be FSC-certified (by cost) to achieve the FSC "certified wood" credit. This includes all permanent fixtures in the building, and can include furniture if it is included consistently in other MR credits not related to reuse or waste management.

• LEED-Existing Buildings and LEED-Neighborhood Development have no credits for FSC-certified components.

• LEED-Healthcare is currently under construction and will most likely have its own set of FSC-related standards.

Understanding the basics of LEED will be also be a valuable asset on future projects. Some contractors are even becoming LEED Accredited Professionals to enhance understanding and get an edge in the market. Click here for some tips on taking the LEED-AP exam.

2. Identify your FSC Chain-of-Custody number.

Your chain-of-custody number is necessary to prove your product's FSC authenticity on the LEED submittal.

Does your product even need FSC Chain-of-Custody certification? To sell a product as FSC, your company must hold CoC certificates for FSC wood products that your company has changed in any way from the time it became your inventory. This sometimes includes distributors and retailers, but not always. Go to FSC's FAQ regarding the LEED certified wood credit page for certification requirements.

Are you looking to become FSC certified? Visit FSC's "Getting Certified" webpage for more information, or go directly to the list of FSC Certifiers to set up an audit. One tip: get multiple quotes from different certifiers as prices can differ between auditing companies and per location. The FSC Chain-of-Custody Fact Sheet can also answer any and all questions about the auditing process.

Are you a small business owner? Chain-of-custody group certification can be a way to lessen the initial and annual costs of FSC certification, and link you to other FSC-certified companies.

Can you use the FSC logo on your product, website, or marketing materials? Read FSC's Clarification and Guidance to Trademark Use to find out. Proper logo placement is very important. If you are unsure, contact your FSC auditor.

Still want to learn more about FSC? Changes to FSC criteria just happened recently. Read more on documents related to FSC, the complete FSC certification standards and policies, or any of Dovetail Partners' Reports on FSC-certification.

3. Research what FSC materials are available in your area

FSC-certified high-character birch from Aitkin County, Minnesota;
created by Custom Creations

To maximize financial benefits and provide high-quality FSC-certified materials, first find out what is available in your region, and then use that material.

Designers often specify FSC-certified clear-grade wood without realizing that it may not be readily available - yet. Sometimes in sustainably-managed forests smaller diameter trees are harvested first to encourage forest diversity and allow medium-sized trees to grow larger. This can give the impression that FSC has to cost a lot more or that there is no FSC available, when character-grade material might be readily available locally at a fraction of the cost. Shopping according to what is available increases your chances of securing an FSC product, and buying locally supports your local economy, reduces costs, achieves LEED points and decreases environmental impacts from transportation.

This FSC-certified basswood ceiling and birch staircase from Aikin County, MN demonstrate how
character-grade material creates a beautiful impact

Here are a few resources for finding FSC-certified wood*:

FSC search engine
Forest Certification Resource Center (Metafore)
Smartguide to Sourcing Green Building Products
Sustainable Woods Network
Healthy Forests Healthy Communities
Upper Mississippi Certified Forests Products Group

(*Please note: these databases may only search manufacturers and distributors, not retailers. To find products carried by your local retailer, contact them directly. Remember that a product made from FSC-wood that was purchased from a retailer without chain-of-custody certificate may not be called an FSC product [even if your company is has its own CoC] because it breaks the chain)

Image courtesy of Dovetail Partners, Inc.

Finding local FSC is not easy for everyone. Forest ownership patterns in the US have influenced the concentration of FSC forests. For example, areas with a large number of family forests or Federal Forests may not have a lot of FSC. Small group certification can help small businesses and family forest landowners increase the amount of FSC-managed forests and create a centralized hub of FSC wood product supply. Currently there is no comprehensive list of group certificates, but you can find out more about group certification and see some examples at the Family Forest Alliance.

The amount of federal forestland in your state may also reflect a limited supply of FSC (National Forests currently cannot be FSC-certified). This is understandably a very controversial debate. If you would like to see National Forests in your area become FSC certified, talk to the National Forest Service and also to FSC-US. For an example of a drafted letter concerning this topic, go here.

If there is still no FSC in your region, there may be products from other sustainable forestry programs in your area, such as SFI, PEFC, CSA, and ATFS. While LEED does not recognize any other sustainable forestry standards besides FSC at this time, the other certification systems may still fit your sustainability criteria. You may also be able to obtain points through the "regional materials" credit by using one of these alternatives if they are local. To see detailed reports on the different certification systems and their own specific criteria, go here.

Greenbush Update - The Waiting Game

Before, we were waiting for the final drawings to be done (our architects pushed it through remarkably fast, so thank you!), and now we're playing the waiting game again.

Rendering for Greenbush, MN project, via Vivus Arhictecture + Design

This will hopefully meet the LEED-H criteria once it is built, use local materials, and also teach the local community and contractors about green building.

As I posted earlier, we are currently waiting for construction bids to come back. It is hunting season in Minnesota so we're expecting the first bids to come in by December 1st.

We are also exploring options for financing the construction loan. We have had one amazing person offer a personal donation but we will only use that if we cannot obtain the construction loan through the bank. The housing market has changed so drastically in the last 18 months and it is not as easy to get a fully-covered construction loan as it used to be, even for a green, energy-efficient house. We still need to sell the house eventually and the market isn't as promising as we'd like. The hope is to pre-sell the home first to someone working at the Central Boiler plant, since their expansion was what initially prompted the need for housing in that area.

In the meantime, I am going over the LEED-H criteria in anticipation of questions, questions, and questions!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Call for LEED Providers

USGBC announces a call for new LEED for Homes Certification Providers.

The attached Request for Qualifications (RFQ) includes background information on the LEED for Homes Program, the submittal instructions for organizations interested in applying to be selected as LEED for Homes Certification Providers, and a six-page submittal form.

USGBC plans to establish contractual relationships with approximately 20 new LEED for Homes Certification Providers. These Providers will be the primary verification and certification agents for the LEED for Homes program, with USGBC providing quality assurance oversight. Each Provider organization will be responsible for the selection, training, scheduling, and quality assurance of a team of in-field inspectors and/or green raters.

Submittals are due to USGBC by 5 PM EDT on Wednesday, November 28, 2007. Submittals that are not complete will be disqualified.

If you have questions, please send them to homes@committees.usgbc.org

In the LEED-Homes pilot program there were initially only 12 providers to be "responsible for selecting appropriate pilot projects and verifying that the homes were built to meet the requirements of the rating system". The provider for the Greenbush LEED-H project has done very well to accommodate our needs, but I have heard that for other projects it can be a challenge, both in terms of scheduling and location.

This is an interesting issue that green building programs face; to truly be a third-party certification system, certifiers should not technically be from either side of the camp (the agency that creates the certification standards nor the builder of the project), and yet they should be knowledgeable enough of both sides to certify a project. Ensuring there are enough qualified certifying bodies can be a demanding goal to achieve.

Now that the USGBC is launching LEED for Homes, they are calling for more providers. This will hopefully make the program accessible to more people in more regions.


By the way, if you are a USGBC member, voting for LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) and LEED-H is now open. Voting ends Monday, November 26, 2007 at 5:00 PM EST.

Greenbush Update

Last week on November 1st, the team met with local builders, contractors, and community members about the Greenbush project. Complete sets of blueprints as well as criteria and information about LEED for Homes was provided.

It is about to be hunting season, so the contractors will have one month to put together their bids.

Our initial thought was to have an open bidding process, but because of the turnout and loyalty from people since the beginning, only interested parties will have the opportunity to bid.

We have hired NWCAA to act as the supervisor on the project. We are still looking for a general contractor, which caused some initial confusion as to who was available to bid. We are encouraging each submitting general contractor needs to seek proposals from each subcontractor/contractor that has been involved so far, not just the ones they are used to working with. Once the proposals come in, we may go over everything and change subcontractors or even add more to make sure the project gets the most economic development impact. This is not a normal route for building construction, and makes some GCs wary, understandably so. However, this is why we hired Tim from NWCAA to supervise the GC.

This project is not "normal" and is attempting a different structure in order to reach the greatest amount of people. Aitkin was the same way - lots of questions and concerns and changes - and in the end, it worked out great.

One other concern expressed was the amount of work involved in documenting for LEED. After we choose all contractors, we will be holding a meeting with our LEED provider, who can hopefully answer some of their questions and spell the benefit for them. They have no problem understanding why energy-efficiency and "green" is good, but the documentation process seems like a bit much, so far.

Overall, the reception of the blueprints was positive, and the group seems anxious to get started!

Minnesota Climate Change Initiatives

Taking steps for climate change has reached the local level in a big way. Mayors and cities councils in Minnesota (and across the world) have declared their intentions of working with a number of programs, which are going to have some impacts on how buildings are built in Minnesota.

Below is the list of Minnesota cities and counties that have formally declared their intent through the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, the Sierra Club's Cool Counties or Cool Cities, and/or Cities for Climate Protection in an effort to lessen their local contribution to global climate change:

Apple Valley
Aurora
Bemidji
Buhl
Burnsville
Chisholm
Duluth
Eagan
Eden Prairie
Edina

Hennepin County

Hibbing

Hutchinson
International Falls
Lake City
Mahtomedi
Milan
Minneapolis
Mountain Iron
Ramsey County

Red Wing
Rochester
Roseville
Sauk Rapids
St. Paul
Sunfish Lake
Tower
Turtle River
Virginia
White Bear Lake
Winona

In addition, Minnesota also recently became the seventh state to pass the “Next Generation Energy Act of 2007” into policy, which sets a state goal of certifying 100 commercial buildings to the Green Globes or U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standard by December 31, 2010. The bill also mandates utilities to include in their conservation improvement plans programs that facilitate professional engineering verification to qualify a building as Green Globes-certified, Energy Star-labeled or LEED-certified.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more great Minnesota initiatives, and if you can, attend the Mayors' Forum on Green Initiatives on November 27, 2007, 3:45 - 6:00 p.m. at the University of Minnesota to see more on what is happening in the Twin Cities regarding green initiatives. Click here for more information.

Do you know of any local climate change initiatives not mentioned here? Let me know!

And great job, Minnesota!

Building Materials and LEED

I wanted to pass this great information along; it is not new information but sometimes it helps to see it all in one place.

Salvaged Wood from Minnesota

Inhabitat has a great comprehensive working list of what one should look for when choosing building materials. Be sure to check out Part One for specifics on LEED-Homes and material selection.

Green Building 101: Materials and Resources Part One
Green Building 101: Materials and Resources Part Two

And don't forget about the option of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). While definitely not the most simple way to choose materials, it is the most complete way to ensure that your structure will use the least amount of embodied energy via materials.

And if all else fails and everything seems too complicated, remember that choosing something locally is always a good choice.

Credits WE 3.1 & WE 3.2, Indoor Water Use

One challenge I've heard voiced about LEED is that regional needs are not weighted fairly enough. For example, water consumption reduction is vastly more crucial in the dry Southwestern part of the US than in the lush Pacific Northwest, but currently LEED gives the same points for all areas across the US and has no prerequisites to follow on water consumption for dryer areas. LEED does require that at least 3 points are achieved through the Water Efficiency (WE) category.

Here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes we don't have large issues with water consumption, but that doesn't mean that we won't some day or that it's not important.

This specific category has a maximum of 6 points. We are trying for 4 of the 6.



As you can see, we're choosing two from the WE 3.1 credit, and one from the WE 3.2 credit. This is the wording used in our construction specifications concerning water fixtures:

All indoor water-using structures must meet the following requirements:

• Lavatory faucets average flow rate must be less than or equal to 2.0 GPM
• Showerhead average flow rates must be less than or equal to 2.0 GPM
• Toilets, including dual flush toilets, must have an average flow rate that is less than or equal to 1.1 GPF

Note: We have not signed up for WE 1.1, which is a rainwater harvesting system, but we may include a rain barrel or look into this further later.

Credit SS 2.2, Basic Landscaping Design

This credit is worth 2 points, essentially 1 point for the backyard and 1 point for the front yard. If only the front yard will be landscaped, only 1 point will be awarded for this credit.*

The Greenbush project is going for 2 points. I have included this verbiage into the architectural specs:

Turf (grass) will be drought-resistant turf only and will not be planted in shaded areas or areas with a slope of greater than 25%. Mulch and soil will be added when needed to help reduce erosion and maintain soil temperature. The landscaping itself should minimize water use and synthetic chemicals.

It is the duty of the landscape architect to sign off on this credit; this project so far does not have a landscape architect as we are trying to replicate what a typical person in a rural community would do. I imagine an architect or the builder would be sufficient to sign off.

The main idea for the landscaping so far is to clear as little trees and damage the site minimally during construction as possible. Hopefully this will keep the need for additional planting to a minimum. Not only will this help with stormwater management, but it will cut down on costs as well. The planting we will do will probably include native spreading plants such as wild ginger.

*It is important to note that if only one yard is landscaped that a plan must be in place for the rest of the site to be landscaped in the future. The soil must be stable enough to handle erosion runoff until it is landscaped.

The miracle floor plan

I am calling this the miracle floor plan because of all of the amazing things packed into it at a miraculous 1,306 square feet (well below the asking median for LEED-H 3-bedroom criteria!). It meets everything the community is asking for, including "universal design" principles (design elements that can sustain many different ages and needs). Now... what will the price be to construct it?

Here are the features of the LEED-H home in Greenbush:

• 3 bedrooms, 2 baths
• 1,306 sq.ft.
• One level open floor plan (universal design)
  
• Front porch that faces the corner of Minnesota St. and Silver Spruce Ct.
• Sealed front entryway to minimize energy loss
• In-floor radiant heat system
• Central Boiler fireplace (local company)
  
• Passive solar site orientation
• Sun room on the south side to maximize passive solar heating, with door toward yard or optional deck area
• Large overhangs on the south side for passive cooling in the summer
• Marvin windows in each room for daylighting
• Solartube in the interior bathroom
• Cross-ventilation
• 36” doors (universal design)
  
• Recycling storage
• Mudroom for extra storage, and to keep particles from entering the house
• Detached garage to keep chemicals from entering the house
• Garage-connecting breezeway connecting located west of the home
• Fresh air intake system
• On-demand water heaters
• Advanced framing techniques, ie. the house is designed in 4’ increments to match plywood sheet sizes
• His and hers closets in the master bedroom
• Built-in desks in some bedrooms (built by a local contractor)
• Built-in computer desk in the main living space for the family to share
• Local materials as much as possible, FSC-certified wood when possible
• LEED-Home certification
• Energy Star Home certification

This list doesn't include half of the criteria that is included for LEED-H, but is more an advertising tool for the house. Don't forget, we have to sell it after it's built!

Credit ID 2.4, Third party durability inspection

The LEED provider has given me a durability inspection checklist to complete prior to construction.

The builder will complete the durability inspection checklist, which the provider will use to verify durable construction implementation.

The LEED-H Provider is going to go over this durability checklist with me shortly. At first glance, it seems a little bit confusing but he assures me that once we've gone through it, it's a piece of cake. I think this is a great attribute to the LEED program in general, because what good is going green if it is not a durable product in the end?

When we go through the checklist, I'll repost. Until then, I've included it as part of the architectural specs as a mandatory requirement and attached the durability pages (pages 36-39 in the LEED-H manual) for further reference.

Credit ID 2.3, prerequisite, Quality management plan

Prior to construction, the builder will have a quality management program in place to address durability issues.

This quality management program will address any issues we find with the durability evaluation. I have added this quality management program into the architectural specs. I'll repost once the program is actually completed.

Credit ID 2.2, prerequisite, Indoor moisture control

Incorporate the following for indoor moisture control for all wet rooms.

Indoor moisture control specifications for this credit have been integrated into the construction plans through the following language:

• Use non-paper faced backer board on walls of shower, bathtub, and spa areas
• Use water resistant flooring in all bathrooms, kitchens, and spa areas, and within 3 feet of exterior doors; no carpet in these areas.
• For any water heater installed, install a drain and a drain pan. Tankless water heaters exempt.
• For any washer installed, install a drain and a drain pan or an accessible, single-throw supply valve.

Because of the open floor plan, hardwood floors usually continue from the living/dining area into the kitchen. I confirmed with our LEED Provider that treated hardwood fulfills this "water resistant" criteria. This credit is mainly to keep carpet out of these moisture-prone places.

Credit ID 2.1, prerequisite, Durability planning-Preconstruction.

Complete durability evaluation to identify moderate to high risk durability issues, determine strategies to these challenges, incorporate these strategies into project documentation and implementation.

I've included this as part of the pre-construction requirements in the architectural specs.

Credit ID 1.3, Design Charrette

Conduct a full day design meeting, preferably in the preliminary design phase, with project team members, with a goal to optimize green performance of the building as a whole, drawing upon the expertise of the whole project team.

I anticipate this to be both one of the most difficult and most fun parts of the LEED-H process. Sometimes people love it because their opinions are never asked, and they feel valued and incorporated instead of being just another link of the chain. Sometimes people feel insulted when asked to change the way they currently do something, but the team can work together . The first time someone attends a design "charrette", they may think it's weird, but generally people really warm up to the idea.

This credit is not mandatory, but it is important as part of the integrated design process, so I am including it in the language for the project specs. It's also worth one LEED point. I copied the language from above and pasted it into the project specifications to make it a pre-construction requirement.

Credit ID 1.2, Integrated design team

Assemble a design team to perform integrated functions.

I have incorporated this credit into the construction specifics by using the following language:

I. Meet with team members that fulfill at least three of the following expertise:

• -architectural/residential design
• -landscape design, civil engineering, habitat restoration, land planning
• -green building/sustainable design
• -mechanical or energy engineering
• -building science or performance testing

II. Actively involve members mentioned above in at least three of the following:

• -Conceptual/schematic design
• -LEED planning
• -Preliminary design
• -Energy/envelope design or analysis
• -Design development
• -Final design, working drawings or specifications
• -Construction

III. Conduct monthly meetings with team members on project updates, challenges, solutions, and next steps.

Our project team will have no problem meeting the criteria and the design development portions, but the monthly meetings will most likely be via teleconference due to distance. I really like this idea - so high-tech, but also so green!

Author's note:
(This is a pilot and a great deal of flexibility has been given. This is not business as usual and the limitations cannot be anticipated when the program fully launches in a couple of months. LEED expects to add more people to cover a larger portion of the US in the future. I applaud LEED for giving us this flexibility in the project, thank you!)

Credit ID 1.1, prerequisite, Preliminary rating

Prior to construction, have a preliminary design meeting to discuss LEED ratings.

This meeting is important, and mandatory. It has been included into the project specifications as a requirement prior to construction, as follows:

A meeting will be conducted comprised of the entire design team, including LEED provider, energy rater, and LEED rater. Due to distance some may attend via phone.* The meeting will discuss what LEED rating the project is attempting to achieve (Silver, as of now), which credits will be achieved, and who is responsible for documentation of each credit. This meeting will also cover the rating system overview (pages 18-20 of LEED-H guidelines), builder participation roadmap (page 11), LEED-H project checklist, project specifications, and the home size adjuster (pages 22-24).

We are planning this meeting for sometime very shortly!

*(This is a pilot and a great deal of flexibility has been given. This is not business as usual and will be not be the norm when the program launches completely in a couple of months. LEED expects to add more people to cover a larger portion of the country sometime in the future.)

Credit SS 2.1, prerequisite, Invasive plants

No invasive plant species shall be integrated into the landscape.

An invasive plant is a non-native species that was introduced into a habitat, usually by humans, and causes ecological or economic problems. Not all exotic or non-native species are harmful; some can even be beneficial, but it is important to not place something into an area that might potentially harm it later. Personally, I prefer local species anyway because they last longer in their own habitat and require less maintenance.

If you are a landscape architect, you might already have a list of local invasive species on-hand. But, I’m trying to do this like an everyday person, so as part of this LEED credit, I need to create my own invasive species list to add to the construction specifications.

LEED recommends contacting the Agricultural Cooperative Extension Service to find a list of invasive species. While this might work well for other regions, I came up with very little helpful information for Minnesota by using this suggestion. For Minnesota, this deals with specifically agricultural invasive species only and does not address the multilayer natural habitat of our lakes and rivers, forests, and prairies. Thankfully, we do have other great resources elsewhere.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources publishes great anotated information on invasive species, for both terrestrial and aquatic species, and they have a huge comprehensive invasive species list that covers agriculture, woodlands, and water. They even have an invasive species program, which not only deals with plants, but also wildlife and insect invasive species. I was surprised to find Queen Anne's Lace on the invasive species list; I see it grow in the wild so often I had assumed it was local. Now I understand why there are so many.

Did you know that it is against the law to introduce certain plants into the wild? For Minnesota, the following plants are prohibited:

African oxygen weed (Lagarosiphon major)
aquarium watermoss or giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta)
Australian stone crop (Crassula helmsii)
curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus)
Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
European frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae)
flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus)
hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)
Indian swampweed (Hygrophila polysperma)
purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria, Lythrum virgatum, or any variety, hybrid, or cultivar thereof)
water aloe or water soldiers (Stratiotes aloides)
water chestnut (Trapa natans)

The following are legal and regulated; they can be purchased, carried, and transported, but not introduced into any habitat in Minnesota:

Carolina fanwort or fanwort (Cabomba caroliniana)
nonnative waterlilies (Nymphaea spp.)
parrot's feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum)
yellow iris or yellow flag (Iris pseudacoris)

The Greenbush project specifications for landscaping have not yet been completely written out but the invasive species list has now been written, assuring that our project is taking another step in the right direction toward having a small impact on the site. When choosing our landscaping, we will refer to this list.

Credit SS 1.2, Minimized site disturbance

Minimize site disturbance with a plan.

For this credit, during the construction phase, all workers must follow an outlined plan that specifically details what features where they can walk, where vehicles can park, and where on the site nothing should be disturbed. At least 40% of the site (not including the area beneath the house) must be undisturbed. This will minimize the impact to the site, disturb ecosystems less, and make it easier for landscaping to grow successfully.

In the last project, we specified that as many trees were to be left on site as possible. To accommodate this, the builder brought in a special smaller hauling truck that fit within a six foot perimeter outside the house footprint.

The Site Disturbance Plan for the Greenbush project looks like this:

Site Minimal Disturbance Plan

Refer to “no-disturbance zone” that is marked on the drawings and outlined on the site with markers. Construction vehicles cannot park or drive on these areas as it may impact the area for future landscaping. Plants and trees in this area must be preserved in total. Recycling and waste will be marked as well.

This will also include a drawing, which I am working on right now.