-
Time to get creative
This credit is your project’s opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the green building industry and to let your team contribute creative approaches to the field of sustainable design. It’s also a great way for your project to achieve up to four additional points.
Step-by-step credit help
Got the gist of the LEED credit but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Members get:
- Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
- Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
- Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
- Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
- All checklists organized by project phase.
- On-the-fly suggestions on useful items from the Documentation Toolkit, Resources, and Credit Language.
-
Credit language straight from USGBC
Need to check up on the exact LEED credit language from the LEED Rating System on the fly? LEEDuser includes the verbatim language. Members get:
- Easy access to the official LEED credit language with just a couple of clicks.
- On the jobsite without your bulky LEED Reference Guide? Check up on the credit language details here.
- Credit language content is used by permission of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Your credit-by-credit reference library
Why waste time chasing down referenced standards and supporting resources when LEEDuser links you directly to the ones you need? LEEDuser has gathered all the best tools out there and organized them by credit for easy reference. Members get links to:
- Organizations that can give information or help on a credit.
- Standards or studies that are key reference points for credits and prerequisites.
- Articles that help explain important topics.
- Key documents or references for credit inputs.
- Software tools you can use to run calculations or simulations.
Documentation Toolkit
In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
Sign in for complete access
Not a member yet? LEEDuser membership gives you access to all credit tips, checklists, documentation samples, and more.
Monthly Individual Membership (auto-renews):
Access to all content, cancel anytime—$9.95/month
Annual Individual Membership (auto-renews):
Access to all content, cancel anytime—$99.95/year
Annual Team Membership:
Access for up to 10 members—$349.95/year





8 Comments
ID Catalog and precendence
Below is a response I received from a reviewer concerning a credit I took directly from the ID catalog which indicated that the credit along with supporting documents was acceptable. The reviewer disagrees:
"Additional project documents confirming that the elevator specified in the documentation from the Preliminary Review will be installed and an excerpt from the ID Credit Catalog have been provided. However, the ID Credit Catalog is meant as a brainstorming tool only to assist project teams in the development of new ID credits. Although the strategy may have been considered an innovation when awarded previously, it does not set any precedent to be upheld during a LEED Certification Review."
Maybe there should be addenda to the catalog if credits will not be accepted. Not sure how I was able to get this credit on previous project which did not occur very long ago. Is there addenda for the catalog?
Lisa, there is no addenda for the catalogue. I would say the reviewer is technically correct in that the catalogue is not precedent-setting, and you can't rely on it for an ID credit. A LEED Interpretation is the more reliable, favored approach at this point (although it costs some $$).
That said, it would be nice if there was some consistency about what is approved and not. It's hard to tell from what you posted here if there is any technical significance in terms of what they objected to.
Exemplary performance limits for on-site renewables
In 2007 Schools, can we apply for two ID points if we get our on-site renewable production up to 22.5% (12.5% + 5% + 5%)? 25.5%? This seems like a possibility if I read correctly the limit of up to 3 credits, but I wanted to make sure I am reading the requirements correctly. Thanks so much.
The Exemplary PerformanceIn LEED, certain credits have established thresholds beyond basic credit achievement. Meeting these thresholds can earn additional points through Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) points. As a general rule of thumb, ID credits for exemplary performance are awarded for doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold. However, this rule varies on a case by case basis, so check the credit requirements. thresholds are usually given in the Reference Guide, and I don't have a 2007 Schools reference guide, so I can't check this.
However, I don't remember ever hearing of two EP points being allowed for the same credit, and this is not the case with EAc2 in LEED 2009. So unless you're reading this in the reference guide, I would say this is not possible.
Can you clarify or let me know your thoughts?
POE for ID credit?
I've read in the ID catalog that post occupancy evaluations are supported for Innovation credits, but in 2007 Schools, the IEQc7.2 credit for Thermal Comfort: Verification seems to duplicate this. Can anyone give me guidance on whether we can do a POE for schools 2007 and apply for an ID credit, perhaps with a more extensive process and follow up?
It would be tough to say without a more specific understanding of your intent and how you'd go about it. Since IEQc7.2 does entail a certain level of POE, you could not get an ID point simply for following those credit requirements. What did you have in mind? And, given the effort involved in an Innovation in Design credit, I would encourage you to think about why this makes sense and what benefit it brings your project?
Extensive Green Cleaning Policy
I have a client that has an extensive greencleaning policy that addresses the typical LEED-EB IEQ 3.1 High Performance Cleaning Program, but also includes 3.2 Custodial Effectiveness Assessment, and 3.6 Indoor Integrated Pest ManagementIntegrated pest management (IPM) is the coordinated use of knowledge about pests, the environment, and pest prevention and control methods to minimize pest infestation and damage by the most economical means while minimizing hazards to people, property, and the environment.. Can these each be applied for, for an ID credit for LEED for Schools (from 2007 not LEED 2009)? Is there a limitation for this?
Interesting question. I think you should be able to get credit for all three. However, almost nothing regarding IDc1 is precedent-setting, so there is no definite history to draw on to give you a definite answer. I'd see if your reviewer could tell you, or if not, I would submit a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide, or simply submit the credits. Let us know what happens!
Please register to use the forum.