LEED AP BD+C cheat sheet

In LEED v4 BD+C the Integrative Process is a 1-point credit; in LEED v4.1 BD+C it is elevated to a prerequisite (IPp1).

The credit requires two analyses completed before the end of schematic design: energy-related systems and water-related systems.

The energy analysis must compare at least two optional energy-related measures against a baseline using a simple box massing model.

The water analysis must use a simple water budget covering indoor demand, outdoor irrigation demand, process water, and supply sources.

Integrative process outcomes feed the Owner's Project Requirements (OPR) and Basis of Design (BOD), which are the foundation documents for commissioning.

The discovery-phase charrette convenes owner, architects, engineers, contractor, and operations/facilities staff before design decisions are locked in.

Influence over cost and performance peaks at pre-design and schematic design; the ability to change the project declines sharply after design development.

Typical synergies: daylighting reduces lighting power density, which reduces cooling load, which reduces HVAC capacity and first cost.

LEED v4 BD+C has no prerequisites in the Location and Transportation category; all LT credits are optional points.

LEED for Neighborhood Development location awards up to 16 points, the largest single credit value in the rating system.

Access to Quality Transit: main entrance within 1/4-mile walking distance of bus or BRT stops, or 1/2-mile of rail or ferry stations.

Surrounding Density and Diverse Uses: combined density of at least 25,000 sq ft/acre of buildable land, or at least 7 diverse uses within 1/2-mile walking distance.

Bicycle Facilities: short-term bicycle storage for 2.5% of peak visitors, long-term storage for 5% of regular building occupants, plus shower and changing facilities.

High Priority Site: brownfield, site in a distressed or low-income community, or infill site adjacent to existing development.

Reduced Parking Footprint: parking capacity at or below the local zoning minimum, with preferred spaces for carpools and green vehicles.

Sensitive Land Protection: avoid development on prime farmland, floodplains, habitat for threatened or endangered species, and within 100 ft of wetlands.

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention is the only Sustainable Sites prerequisite: an erosion and sedimentation control plan meeting the EPA Construction General Permit or stricter local equivalent.

The Site Assessment credit requires evaluation of topography, hydrology, climate, vegetation, soils, human health effects, and adjacent properties before design begins.

Protect or Restore Habitat limits site disturbance to 40 ft beyond the building footprint and 25 ft beyond hardscape, or restores native vegetation on 20% of site area.

Open Space: outdoor space at least 30% of total site area, with at least 25% of that space vegetated.

Rainwater Management: replicate natural hydrology by managing on site the runoff from the 95th percentile rainfall event (80th percentile in combined sewer areas).

Heat Island Reduction: nonroof measures on 50% of hardscape (solar reflectance 0.28 or shaded) and roof measures on 75% of roof area using high-SRI or vegetated roofing.

Light Pollution Reduction uses BUG (backlight, uplight, glare) ratings and light trespass limits from IES to control skyglow and spill onto adjacent sites.

LEED v4 BD+C Water Efficiency prerequisites: Outdoor Water Use Reduction (30% below baseline), Indoor Water Use Reduction (20% below baseline), and Building-Level Water Metering.

The indoor fixture baseline is derived from EPAct 1992 flow and flush rates; design case uses WaterSense-labeled or equivalent fixtures and fittings.

The outdoor irrigation baseline is generated by the EPA WaterSense Water Budget Tool using local evapotranspiration and precipitation data.

Percentage reduction formula: (baseline water use − design case water use) ÷ baseline water use × 100.

Captured rainwater, graywater, and recycled water used for irrigation or toilet flushing count toward the design-case reduction.

The Outdoor Water Use Reduction credit awards additional points up to 50% reduction; the Indoor Water Use Reduction credit awards up to 6 points.

Cooling Tower Water Use limits potable water consumed by towers by setting maximum cycles of concentration based on makeup water quality.

Occupancy assumptions matter: the indoor water calculator uses FTE occupants and peak transient occupants with default or project-specific durations of use.

LEED v4 BD+C Energy and Atmosphere prerequisites: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification, Minimum Energy Performance, Building-Level Energy Metering, and Fundamental Refrigerant Management.

Minimum Energy Performance uses ASHRAE 90.1-2010 as the baseline in LEED v4 (90.1-2016 in LEED v4.1) and requires whole-building energy simulation or the prescriptive AEDG compliance path.

Optimize Energy Performance is worth up to 18 points, scored on a sliding scale from 6% improvement over baseline (1 point) to 50% improvement (18 points).

Energy use intensity (EUI) = annual site energy consumption in kBtu ÷ gross floor area in square feet; source EUI converts site energy using site-to-source factors.

Fundamental Commissioning requires an independent commissioning authority to review OPR and BOD, write the Cx plan, verify installation, perform functional testing, and deliver a systems manual plus training.

Enhanced Commissioning adds design-phase review, contractor submittal review, and a post-occupancy review within 10 months of substantial completion.

Advanced Energy Metering requires end-use level metering of electricity, gas, and water with data recorded at one-hour intervals or less and reported monthly.

Fundamental Refrigerant Management prohibits CFC-based refrigerants in new HVAC&R systems and requires a phase-out plan where existing CFC equipment remains.

LEED v4 BD+C Materials and Resources prerequisites: Storage and Collection of Recyclables and Construction and Demolition Waste Management Planning.

The recyclables area must serve the entire building and accommodate paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals for the life of the building.

Construction and Demolition Waste Management: 50% diversion of nonhazardous waste earns 1 point, 75% earns 2 points; waste-to-energy does not count as diverted.

Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction offers options including historic building reuse, renovation of blighted buildings, salvage of 75% of existing structure and envelope, and whole-building LCA.

Whole-building LCA must show at least 10% reduction in three of six impact categories compared with a functionally equivalent baseline building.

Building Product Disclosure and Optimization - EPD: 20 different permanently installed products from at least 5 different manufacturers with environmental product declarations.

Material Ingredients credit requires chemical inventory reporting for 20 products from at least 5 manufacturers, or a documented material ingredient optimization path.

A product with a third-party verified EPD discloses life-cycle impacts such as global warming potential, ozone depletion, acidification, eutrophication, and smog formation.

LEED v4 BD+C Indoor Environmental Quality prerequisites: Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance (ASHRAE 62.1-2010), Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control, and Minimum Acoustic Performance for schools.

Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control prohibits smoking inside the building and within 25 ft of entries, operable windows, and outdoor air intakes.

Low-Emitting Materials credit covers seven categories, with VOC limits based on CDPH Standard Method v1.1-2010 and CARB ATCM for composite wood.

The Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan follows SMACNA guidelines: protect stored absorptive materials, use MERV 8 filters during construction and MERV 13 before occupancy.

The IAQ Assessment flush-out path requires 14,000 cu ft of outdoor air per sq ft of floor area delivered after construction and before occupancy.

Post-construction air testing thresholds include formaldehyde at or below 27 ppb and total volatile organic compounds at or below 500 micrograms per cubic meter.

Daylight credit: spatial daylight autonomy of 300 lux for 50% of occupied hours across 55% of floor area, with annual sunlight exposure limited to 10% of area.

Quality Views: direct line of sight to the outdoors from 75% of the regularly occupied floor area, excluding views to blank walls or fence lines.

The Innovation credit is worth a maximum of 6 points, one of which may be earned by having a LEED Accredited Professional with a specialty on the project team.

Innovation points are earned for measurable environmental performance using a strategy not addressed by any existing credit in the rating system.

Exemplary performance awards Innovation points when a project doubles a credit's threshold or reaches a defined upper tier stated in the rating system.

Approved pilot credits from the LEED pilot credit library may be attempted and, if achieved, counted toward Innovation points.

Each Innovation claim requires a written narrative describing the approach, the metric used, and the documentation verifying the outcome.

Innovation strategies cannot be duplicative: a strategy already counted in an existing credit cannot also earn an Innovation point.

Regional Priority credits are worth a maximum of 4 bonus points in a LEED BD+C project.

USGBC designates six Regional Priority credits for each zip code, based on the environmental priorities of that region.

A Regional Priority point is awarded only if the underlying credit is also achieved in the same project; it functions as a bonus multiplier.

Typical regional priorities include water conservation in arid regions, air quality in nonattainment areas, and habitat protection in ecologically sensitive zones.

Regional Priority credit selections are determined at registration by the project's zip code and cannot be freely chosen by the project team.

Because only four of the six designated credits can be claimed, projects typically pursue the four that align with their design strategy.

Community outreach is conducted during pre-design so that neighbors and stakeholders can influence site layout, access, and mitigation measures before permits are filed.

Site selection screening evaluates previously developed land, proximity to transit, prime farmland, floodplains, wetlands within 100 ft, and habitat for threatened species.

Transportation demand management measures such as transit passes, carpool programs, and bicycle infrastructure reduce vehicle miles traveled by building occupants.

Light pollution reduction controls skyglow, light trespass onto neighboring properties, and glare through fixture shielding, curfews, and BUG-rated luminaires.

Construction-period outreach addresses dust, noise, idling, haul routes, and erosion control, and often is formalized in a good-neighbor agreement.

Public education signage or a green building education program can communicate sustainable features to occupants and the surrounding community.

Adjacent property impacts analyzed during site assessment include shadowing, wind, noise, and views, which inform massing and landscape buffers.