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LEED v2009
Schools
Sustainable Sites
Alternative Transportation—Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles

LEED CREDIT

Schools-2009 SSc4.3: Alternative transportation - low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles 2 points

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Credit language

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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Option 1: Preferred or discounted parking
Provide preferred parking1 for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles2 for 5% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site and at least 1 designated carpool drop-off area for lowemitting and fuel-efficient vehicles.

OR

Option 2: Alternative fuel
Develop and implement a plan for the buses and maintenance vehicles serving the school to use 20% (by vehicles, fuel or both) natural gas, propane or biodiesel or to be low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles.


1For the purposes of this credit “preferred parking” refers to the parking spots that are closest to the main entrance of the project (exclusive of spaces designated for handicapped persons) or parking passes provided at a discounted price. To establish a meaningful incentive in all potential markets, the parking rate must be discounted at least 20%. The discounted rate must be available to all eligible customers (i.e. not limited to the number of customers equal to 5% of the vehicle parking capacity), publicly posted at the entrance of the parking area, and available for a minimum of 2 years.2For the purposes of this credit, low-emitting vehicles are defined as vehicles that are classified as Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) by the California Air Resources Board. Fuel-efficient vehicles are defined as vehicles that have achieved a minimum green score of 40 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual vehicle rating guide [Europe ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles] [South America ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles].

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Europe ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Projects in Europe may use vehicles meeting the Euro 6 limit values of Regulation (EC) No. 715/2007.[view:embed_resource=page_1=4887966]
South America ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Vehicles in South America may qualify as low-emitting and fuel-efficient by meeting both of the following conditions:
  1. A score of Four Stars or above from IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis - Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) Nota Verde Program.
  2. An A from INMETRO (Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia - National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology) Brazilian Labeling Program for Vehicles.
[view:embed_resource=page_1=4887966]
SITES-LEED Equivalency
This LEED credit (or a component of this credit) has been established as equivalent to a SITES v2 credit or component. For more information on using the equivalency as a substitution in your LEED or SITES project, see this article and guidance document.
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Frequently asked questions

Do all hybrid vehicles automatically qualify for this credit?

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Can a project pursue this credit via a combination of Option 1 (preferred parking) and Option 2 (alternative fueling stations)?

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How should the signage read for preferred parking spaces?

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For electric vehicle charging stations, how are the parameters established for fueling capacity?

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I am working on a project with no parking spaces allocated. Can I earn this credit?

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Our project is outside the U.S., and the LEED-approved ACEEE Green Score and CARB ratings and classifications don't apply to many vehicles. Is there another approach that is accepted?

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Should I consider motorbikes and parking spaces for them under this credit? What about fleet vehicles?

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Checklists

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Documentation toolkit

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Credit achievement rate

XX%

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LEEDuser expert

Ellen Mitchell

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Option 1: Preferred or discounted parking
Provide preferred parking1 for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles2 for 5% of the total vehicle parking capacity of the site and at least 1 designated carpool drop-off area for lowemitting and fuel-efficient vehicles.

OR

Option 2: Alternative fuel
Develop and implement a plan for the buses and maintenance vehicles serving the school to use 20% (by vehicles, fuel or both) natural gas, propane or biodiesel or to be low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles.


1For the purposes of this credit “preferred parking” refers to the parking spots that are closest to the main entrance of the project (exclusive of spaces designated for handicapped persons) or parking passes provided at a discounted price. To establish a meaningful incentive in all potential markets, the parking rate must be discounted at least 20%. The discounted rate must be available to all eligible customers (i.e. not limited to the number of customers equal to 5% of the vehicle parking capacity), publicly posted at the entrance of the parking area, and available for a minimum of 2 years.2For the purposes of this credit, low-emitting vehicles are defined as vehicles that are classified as Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) by the California Air Resources Board. Fuel-efficient vehicles are defined as vehicles that have achieved a minimum green score of 40 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual vehicle rating guide [Europe ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles] [South America ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles].

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Europe ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Projects in Europe may use vehicles meeting the Euro 6 limit values of Regulation (EC) No. 715/2007.[view:embed_resource=page_1=4887966]
South America ACP: Low-Emitting and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
Vehicles in South America may qualify as low-emitting and fuel-efficient by meeting both of the following conditions:
  1. A score of Four Stars or above from IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis - Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) Nota Verde Program.
  2. An A from INMETRO (Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia - National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology) Brazilian Labeling Program for Vehicles.
[view:embed_resource=page_1=4887966]
SITES-LEED Equivalency
This LEED credit (or a component of this credit) has been established as equivalent to a SITES v2 credit or component. For more information on using the equivalency as a substitution in your LEED or SITES project, see this article and guidance document.

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

Got the gist of SSc4.3 but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Premium 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 of useful items from the Documentation Toolkit and Credit Language.

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, 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.

Do all hybrid vehicles automatically qualify for this credit?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Can a project pursue this credit via a combination of Option 1 (preferred parking) and Option 2 (alternative fueling stations)?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

How should the signage read for preferred parking spaces?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

For electric vehicle charging stations, how are the parameters established for fueling capacity?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

I am working on a project with no parking spaces allocated. Can I earn this credit?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Our project is outside the U.S., and the LEED-approved ACEEE Green Score and CARB ratings and classifications don't apply to many vehicles. Is there another approach that is accepted?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

Should I consider motorbikes and parking spaces for them under this credit? What about fleet vehicles?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

LEEDuser expert

Ellen Mitchell

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Schools-2009 SSc4.3