Sustainable Sites

SSp1 - Construction activity pollution prevention

The project team must develop and implement an Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (ESC) to reduce construction pollution, and must comply with the 2012 EPA General Construction permit or local code

Note: school and healthcare project are required to conduct a phase 1 environmental site assessment if contamination is suspected then a phase 2 environmental site assessment must be performed (SSp2)

Strategies to control Erosion and Sedimentation

-Temporary or permanent seeding to stabilize the soil

-Mulching using hay, grass or gravel to hold the soil

-Earth dike to divert runoff into sediment traps

-Straw bales

-Silt fence

-Erosion control blankets

-swales to divert surface water from hillside

SSc1 - Site Assessment (1 credit) 

This credit is a part of the integrative process and logically deals with determining existing site conditions.

Evaluation of these points: 

• topography

• hydrology

• climate

• vegetation

• soils

• human use

• human health effects

Topography

Contour mapping and slope stability risks.

Hydrology

Flood hazard areas, delineated wetlands and other bodies of water

Climate

Solar exposure, heat island effect potential, sun angles, winds, precipitation and temperature

Vegetation

plant types, tree mapping, threatened or endangered species, and unique habitat

Soils

Prime farmland, healthy soils, previous development, disturbed soils

Human Use

views, transportation infrastructure, adjacent properties and materials effects

Human health effect

proximity of vulnerable populations, and proximity to sources of air pollution

SSc2 - Site Development: Protect and Restore Habitat (2 credits)

conserve the existing natural features and restore what was originally on the site

• protect 40% of Greenfield area (if Greenfield exists) 

and

• restore 30% of developed land (including building footprint) with native/adaptive vegetation

or

• provide financial support ($0.4/sf) for total site area to a Land Trust Alliance organization within the same EPA ecoregion

  • land trust - non-profit organization that actively works to conserve land through conservation easement or acquisition.

SSc3 - Site Development: Maximize Open Space (1 credit) 

Open space is equal to the property area subtract the development hardscape footprint and is essentially the vegetated land on site.

1. 30% of site area (including building footprint) must be open space

   1. 25% of that open space must be vegetated or have a tree canopy

   2. outdoor space must be accessible and useable for building occupant

Projects that achieve a density of 1.5+ floor-area ratio (FAR), vegetated roofs can be used toward the minimum 25% vegetation requirement

vegetative roofs for SSc2 and SSc3

extensive green roof - vegetative roof not designed for human access and minimal maintenance

intensive green roof - vegetative roof with a variety of plants and human uses. Native and adaptive plants are encouraged

SSc4 - Rainwater Management (3 credits)

the amount of tax dollars and energy required to pump and treat storm water that runs off into our municipal water system.

Storm Water Management plan (SWP) often includes strategies to collect and reuse storm water to reduce that runoff from the site.

Strategies: 

1. use low impact development and green infrastructure

2. natural land cover condition management

Use Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure

Capture and treat 95th percentile rainfall events

2 points for 95th percentile and 3 points for 98th percentile

National pollutant discharge elimination system: use low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure to replicate natural site hydrology. 

Natural Land Cover Condition Management

Amount to manage = (Post Development Runoff - natural land cover condition runoff) 

• planting areas with native or adapted plant material

• installing a vegetated roof

• using permeable paving, consisting of porous above ground materials, a base layer designed to drain water away from the home, and a 6” feel sub-base

• installing permanent infiltration or collection feature that can handle 100% of runoff from a two year, 24 hours storm

  • vegetated swale, rain garden, rainwater cistern

Green Infrastructure

Management approaches and technologies that help water infiltrate, evapotranspire, capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies.

Low impact development (LID)

Emphasize on-site natural features to protect water quality, buy replicating the natural land cover hydrologic regime of watersheds, and addressing runoff close to its resource

• maintaining vegetative swales, rain gardens, and minimize impervious cover.

SSc5 - Heat Island Reduction (2 credits)

LEED refers to Heat island as the rise in temperature from 2 to 10 degrees in urban areas higher than surrounding rural areas.

Cool pavements and cool roofs are terms referring to materials with lower emissivity and higher albedo and subsequently high solar reflectance index (SRI)

2 parts of this credit

• Roof and non-roof components

SRI

Solar reflectance index, a combined value of reflectivity and emissivity

the measure of the constructed surface ability to reject solar heat. Defining standard black is zero (reflectance 0.05 and emittance 0.90) and standard white is 100 (reflectance 0.8 and emittance 0.9) 

• used for roof surface

Solar Reflectance (SR)

The fraction of solar energy that is reflected by a surface on a scale 0 to 1.

Black paint is 0 and white paint is 1

• this is for non-roof surface

Emittance or Emissivity

Ability of a material to emit heat by radiation

Albedo

the fraction of the solar energy reflected by a surface defined as a number between 0 and 1. the higher the number the better the roof reflects energy.

SSc6 - Light Pollution Reduction (1 credit)

There are two options to achieve this credit and both deal with restricting uplight and light trespass off the site

1. backlight-uplight-glare (BUG) method: based on the illuminating engineering society (IES) TM standards - do not exceed luminaire ratings per zone

2. calculation zone - do not exceed the maximum allowed percentage of total luminaire lumens emitted above horizontal/vertical

Lighting zones created by the model lighting ordinance

determine the project’s lighting zone according to the requirement of IESNA RP-33:

LZ0 - no ambient lighting

LZ1 - Dark (park and rural settings)

LZ2 - Low (residential areas and neighborhood business districts)

LZ3 - Medium (Commercial/industrial and higher density residential)

LZ4 - High (Major city centers and entertainment districts)

Interior Lighting - light pollution reduction strategies

• reduce power to all non-emergency lighting with a direct line of sight to building envelope openings, such as windows and doors during off-schedule hours or curfew times

• provide automatic shielding, for all Mon-emergency lighting with a direct line of sight to building envelope opening, such as windows and doors.

• develop a computer model for more accurate design and selection of lighting systems and fixtures

• comply with ASHRAE 90.1 lighting densities

• Use low angle lights and full cutoff light fixtures (66 degree cutoff angle), direct downward lighting.

SSc7 - Site Master Plan - School Only

Achieve 4 of the following 6 credits

• LT credits: high priority site

• SS credit: site development protect or restore habitat

• SS credit: Open Space

• SS credit: Rainwater Management

• SS credit: Heat Island Reduction

• SS credit: Light Pollution Reduction

SSc8 - Joint Use Facility - School Only

Ensure the school’s facilities are optimally utilized through sharing them with the general public or specific services such as a police office or health clinic.

Ensure there is direct pedestrian access and toilet access.

SSc7 - Tenant Design and Construction Guidelines - Core and shell only

The project team must create an easily understandable document to ensure tenants understand the sustainable features and utilize them in case they fit it out in the future

SSc7 + SSc8 - Places of respite and direct exterior access - Healthcare Only

Places of respite - mimicking the outdoor environment indoors

Direct exterior access - creating an accessible outdoor space such as courtyards or terrace