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Explore this LEED credit
Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To minimize effects on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats by reducing heat islands.
Requirements
Ensure that at least 50% of hardscapes and roofs, but not including common roads that serve multiple buildings, on the project site meet one or more of the following requirements. Points are awarded according to Table 1.
Table 1. Points for percentage area with shading or nonabsorptive material
| Percentage of hardscape area | Points |
|---|---|
| 50–75% | 1 |
| > 75% | 2 |
Option 1. Shading (1–2 points)
Locate trees or other plantings to provide shading of hardscapes. Shading should be calculated when the sun is directly overhead (noon on the summer solstice), based on ten years’ growth after installation.
AND/OR
Option 2. Nonabsorptive materials (1–2 points)
Install light-colored, high-albedo materials or vegetation-covered hardscapes. Acceptable strategies include the following:
- using ENERGY STAR qualified roof products in appropriately sloped applications applications (or performance equivalent for projects outside the U.S.);
- installing vegetated roofing;
- using open pavers (counting only the vegetation, not the pavers) or engineered grass pavers; and
- Use paving materials with a three-year aged solar reflectance (SR) of at least 0.28. If three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SR of at least 0.33 at installation.
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
See all forum discussions about this credit »Addenda
10/5/2018 – Updated: 11/6/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/1/2015
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:
Can v4 projects use typical solar reflectance (SR) values, or data from a previous project, for documentation of hardscape materials?
Ruling:
The following typical SR values can be used for standard nonroof materials, in lieu of project-specific testing data:
Typical Solar Reflectance Values for Standard Nonroof Materials
Gray cement concrete- Initial Solar Reflectance: 0.26, Three-Year Aged Solar Reflectance*: 0.18
White cement concrete- Initial Solar Reflectance: 0.70, Three-Year Aged Solar Reflectance*: 0.35
Asphalt concrete- Initial Solar Reflectance: 0.05, Three-Year Aged Solar Reflectance*: 0.10
*Three-year aged SR values are based on no cleaning.
Alternatively, documentation showing that the current concrete mix and sealant are equivalent to a tested mix and sealant from a previous project is acceptable, provided that all ingredients are the same and have not changed.
Campus Applicable
Yes
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To minimize effects on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats by reducing heat islands.
Requirements
Ensure that at least 50% of hardscapes and roofs, but not including common roads that serve multiple buildings, on the project site meet one or more of the following requirements. Points are awarded according to Table 1.
Table 1. Points for percentage area with shading or nonabsorptive material
| Percentage of hardscape area | Points |
|---|---|
| 50–75% | 1 |
| > 75% | 2 |
Option 1. Shading (1–2 points)
Locate trees or other plantings to provide shading of hardscapes. Shading should be calculated when the sun is directly overhead (noon on the summer solstice), based on ten years’ growth after installation.
AND/OR
Option 2. Nonabsorptive materials (1–2 points)
Install light-colored, high-albedo materials or vegetation-covered hardscapes. Acceptable strategies include the following:
- using ENERGY STAR qualified roof products in appropriately sloped applications applications (or performance equivalent for projects outside the U.S.);
- installing vegetated roofing;
- using open pavers (counting only the vegetation, not the pavers) or engineered grass pavers; and
- Use paving materials with a three-year aged solar reflectance (SR) of at least 0.28. If three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SR of at least 0.33 at installation.
