LEED AP ID+C cheat sheet

LEED v4 ID+C projects have 110 points available; certification requires 40 points (Certified), 50 (Silver), 60 (Gold), or 80 (Platinum).

Minimum project size for ID+C is 250 sq ft (23 m²) of gross floor area within a single building.

Prerequisites are mandatory and worth zero points; failing any single prerequisite blocks certification regardless of points earned.

The LEED project boundary must capture the entire gross floor area of the interior space being certified; partial or phased areas are registered as separate projects.

A Credit Interpretation Request (CIR) is filed through LEED Online when credit requirements are ambiguous for a specific project; the ruling is published and used as precedent.

Appeal decisions on review findings proceed in two stages: a preliminary appeal and then a final appeal.

Certified projects may pursue recertification; O+M projects recertify annually, while other rating systems recertify on a multi-year cycle.

Review documentation is submitted in phases (design and construction), and any credit attempted but undocumented is scored as not achieved.

The Integrative Process credit in LEED v4 ID+C is worth 1 point within the 110-point total.

Integrated design assembles owner, architect, engineers, contractor, commissioning authority, and facility operators before schematic design.

A goal-setting workshop/charrette held in pre-design establishes measurable targets for energy, water, IEQ, and materials while changes are least expensive.

Simple box (massing-level) energy modeling occurs before design decisions are locked, comparing orientation, envelope, window-to-wall ratio, and loads.

Water systems analysis is performed in parallel with the energy analysis so supply, demand, and reuse strategies are evaluated together.

Engaging the commissioning authority during design enables design reviews and prevents late-stage functional performance failures.

Integrated analysis commonly right-sizes HVAC and lighting equipment, so first cost can fall while performance improves.

Cross-credit synergies to test early: daylighting affects lighting power, cooling load, and IEQ credit compliance simultaneously.

ID+C Location and Transportation credits cover LEED ND location, surrounding density and diverse uses, access to quality transit, bicycle facilities, reduced parking footprint, and green vehicles.

Quality transit walking distances: ¼ mile (400 m) to a bus or BRT stop and ½ mile (800 m) to a rail station.

The diverse uses option requires at least 10 diverse uses within ½ mile (800 m) walking distance, drawn from multiple use categories.

Bicycle facilities: long-term storage for 5% of regular building occupants and short-term storage for 2.5% of peak visitors, each with a minimum of four spaces.

Reduced parking footprint is earned by providing no new parking or by limiting capacity below local zoning minimums or the ITE baseline.

A project located in a LEED for Neighborhood Development certified area can earn LT points through the ND location credit path.

When transit service is unavailable or insufficient, the surrounding density and diverse uses credit is the alternative location-based path.

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

Heat island reduction thresholds: solar reflectance index (SRI) ≥ 78 for low-slope roofs (≤2:12), SRI ≥ 29 for steep-slope roofs, and solar reflectance ≥ 29 for hardscape.

Hardscape heat island compliance alternatives include open-grid pavement with ≥50% unbound area, shade from tree canopy or structures, and high-reflectance paving.

Light pollution reduction addresses uplight and glare ratings for exterior fixtures and requires reducing or shielding interior lighting after hours.

Rainwater management replicates natural site hydrology, managing the 95th percentile rainfall event with green infrastructure and low-impact development.

The site assessment credit requires documenting topography, hydrology, climate, vegetation, soils, and human health effects before design decisions.

The tenant design and construction guidelines credit requires written guidance and lease language so future fit-outs preserve the building's sustainability measures.

The Indoor Water Use Reduction prerequisite requires at least 20% aggregate reduction below the calculated baseline for fixtures, fittings, and appliances.

EPAct 1992 baseline rates used in LEED calculations: water closets 1.6 gpf, urinals 1.0 gpf, lavatory faucets 2.2 gpm at 60 psi, kitchen faucets 2.2 gpm, showerheads 2.5 gpm at 80 psi.

Water use reduction credits tier upward beyond the prerequisite (25%, 30%, 35%, 40% and higher), with points increasing at each tier.

Occupant counts used in water calculations must be consistent with those used for the Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance prerequisite.

Cooling tower water use is reduced by increasing cycles of concentration, which cuts blowdown and makeup water demand.

Process water (e.g., cooling, equipment, irrigation within the project boundary) is calculated separately from indoor domestic water use.

Permanent water metering supports ongoing verification that installed efficiency measures perform as modeled.

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

Minimum Energy Performance compares the proposed design to an ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G baseline on a cost basis and requires a demonstrated improvement.

Optimize Energy Performance awards points for progressively larger percentage improvements; the highest tiers require whole-building energy simulation.

Advanced Energy Metering requires permanent meters on all end uses representing 10% or more of annual consumption, with data recorded at hourly or shorter intervals.

Fundamental commissioning scope covers HVAC&R, lighting and controls, domestic hot water, and renewable energy systems.

Enhanced commissioning requires a commissioning authority independent of design and construction who reviews the OPR and BOD, verifies performance, performs seasonal testing, and delivers a systems manual with training.

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

Green power and carbon offsets credits require a multi-year (two-year) purchase contract, with renewable energy certificates meeting recognized certification standards.

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

Construction and demolition waste credit tiers: 1 point for 50% diversion and 2 points for 75% diversion from landfill or incineration, counting salvaged and recycled material.

Building product disclosure (EPD) option 1 requires at least 20 different permanently installed products from at least 5 different manufacturers with published environmental product declarations.

Sourcing of raw materials option 1 requires 20 products from 5 manufacturers with responsible extraction reporting; option 2 rewards leadership extraction (recycled, reused, FSC-certified wood).

Material ingredients option 1 requires 20 products from 5 manufacturers with chemical inventory reporting or health product declarations; option 2 rewards optimized ingredient screening.

Recycled content is valued as post-consumer content plus half of pre-consumer content, measured as a percentage of total materials cost against 10% and 20% thresholds.

Interiors life-cycle impact reduction awards points for reusing existing interior nonstructural elements (walls, floors, ceilings, doors) at 25%, 50%, and 75% thresholds.

Recyclable storage must be a dedicated area sized for projected occupant loads and serving paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals.

IEQ prerequisites in ID+C: Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance (ASHRAE 62.1-2010) and Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control.

Enhanced IAQ strategies include increased outdoor air ventilation rates, MERV 13 or better filtration, and exterior entryway systems to capture dirt and pollutants.

Low-emitting materials VOC limits: flat paints ≤ 50 g/L, non-flat paints ≤ 150 g/L, with separate limits for adhesives, sealants, flooring, ceilings, insulation, and furniture; composite wood must contain no added urea-formaldehyde.

IAQ assessment air concentration limits: formaldehyde 27 ppb, TVOC 500 µg/m³, carbon monoxide 9 ppm, PM10 50 µg/m³.

Flush-out alternative to air testing: 14,000 ft³ of outdoor air per ft² of floor area before occupancy, or 3,500 ft³/ft² for a post-occupancy flush-out.

Thermal comfort credit requires compliance with ASHRAE 55 and provides monitoring or controls for temperature and humidity.

Quality views require a direct line of sight to perimeter vision glazing from 75% of the regularly occupied floor area.

Acoustic performance addresses background noise levels, sound transmission class between spaces, and reverberation time in enclosed rooms.

Green cleaning requires a written policy, certified cleaning products and equipment, and entryway matting systems.

The Innovation category totals 6 points in ID+C: up to 5 for innovation/exemplary performance credits plus 1 for a LEED Accredited Professional on the project team.

The LEED AP point requires a principal project team member holding the LEED AP credential with the specialty matching the rating system.

Exemplary performance is demonstrated by exceeding the highest tier of an existing credit, commonly doubling the threshold or reaching the next increment beyond the maximum.

Pilot credits act as alternative compliance paths and can be used to earn Innovation credit within the five-credit cap.

Each innovation credit submittal must state the intent, the proposed requirement, the referenced credit or strategy, and the measurable outcome.

Green building education is a common innovation credit: publicly visible signage, tours, or outreach explaining the project's strategies and performance.

An innovation strategy must be significantly better than an existing requirement; duplicating an existing prerequisite or credit earns no points.

Project surroundings performance is captured through LT (density, diverse uses, transit, parking) and SS (light pollution, habitat, rainwater) credits rather than a separate category.

Community connectivity is measured by proximity from the main entrance to community resources and services via safe pedestrian routes.

Public outreach is typically satisfied through the innovation credit for green building education: signage, tours, websites, or published performance data.

Tenant engagement is delivered through design and construction guidelines and lease language that bind future tenants and their contractors to sustainability requirements.

Impacts on neighbors are managed through light trespass and glare limits, construction activity pollution prevention, and noise control measures.

Stakeholder participation during the goal-setting charrette documents community and occupant priorities that shape credit selection.

Construction Activity Pollution Prevention protects adjacent properties and receiving waters by controlling erosion, sedimentation, and dust during the fit-out.