LEED V4 ASK THE EXPERTS:

SUSTAINABLE SITES
The following questions were answered during the LEED v4 live webinar even. Learn more and view the
recorded event
What are the main differences between the SS category in LEED 2009 and LEED v4?
General
o Many credits moved to the new credit category, LT. SS is now more focused on what is
happening within the project boundary. Location/transportation issues have a separate
category.
o Rainwater: a shift in the way we approach the credit, the calculations, and the
documentation
o Heat island: combined to focus on the overall performance of a project (building and site
together), added alternative performance metrics (SR, weighted average, etc)
o Financial support option added to SS credit Site DevelopmentProtect or Restore
Habitat; support goes to conservation organizations
o Removed interior lighting requirements
BD+C specific
o New credits: Site Assessment
o Combined credits: heat island credits, stormwater management credits
o Light pollution simplified to allow for the BUG method
O+M specific
o New prerequisites: site management policy
o New credits: site management, site improvement plan, joint use of facilities (schools)
o Combined credits: heat island credits, stormwater management credits
o Removed credits: LEED certified design and construction
ID +C specific
o There are no longer any IDC SS credits (either moved to LT or removed)
Do small projects with under an acre of disturbance require Erosion Control and Sedimentation
Plans/Reports in order to obtain credits?
Yes. While the U.S. EPAs Construction General Permit does not require projects under an acre to
develop an erosion and sedimentation control (ESC) plan, all LEED all projects, regardless of size, must
do so.
How does v 4 promote biodiversity--especially as it relates to plants?
LEED v4 addresses biodiversity in a number of ways:
-

The system goals (Impact Categories) developed for v4 answer the question: What should a
LEED project accomplish? One of these goals is to Protect, Enhance and Restore Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services.
Biodiversity plays a bigger role in the SS credit category of v4 in general. For example, the
requirements of SS credit Site Development- Protect or Restore Habitat reflect the credits intent:
To conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and promote
biodiversity.
LEED requires the restoration of site areas to be made with native or adapted vegetation
(invasive species not allowed).
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Monocultures of plant species are generally not allowed.

What regional credits will be available in the SS section?

The available Regional Priority credits will depend on your location. They are credits that carry extra
weight due to regional significance of the issues addressed by that credit. International regional credits or
regional Alternative Compliance Paths are different credits developed specifically for a region or country.
They can be found in the Credit Library: http://www.usgbc.org/credits.
Regarding Site Development Protect or Restore Habitat: if a project is developed on 100% built
land, so there are no previously disturbed habitats, is the project exempt from the credit
requirements? Or is the project just not eligible for Option 1 and would have to pursue Option 2
for financial support only?
If the project site consists of 100% built land (there is no greenfield onsite) prior to acquisition or the
decision to pursue LEED, it must still be considered previously developed for the purposes of this credit.
In this case, the project would be exempt from the greenfield requirements only. The project is still eligible
for Option 1 Onsite Restoration, which requires restoration of previously disturbed land. Credits that
reward locating a project on previously developed land can be found in the Location and Transportation
category. See the v4 glossary for definitions of these terms: www.usgbc.org/glossary.
Could you expand a bit more on the Food Production Pilot Credit and as it relates specifically to
multifamily residential projects?
The requirements specific to residential projects include:
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15 square feet per unit for multifamily

For urban housing projects with a minimum density of 1.5 FAR, at least 15% of useable roof top
surface area (excluding mechanical equipment, skylights, roof drains, window washing staging,
emergency egress routes, etc. and private balconies or decks) but no less than 200 square feet.

What is the relationship between Site Credits and the SITE program?
We worked together during the development of LEED v4 and SITES v2 requirements to align as much as
possible where appropriate. Youll see references in both rating systems to the other. An example is the
soil requirement section in SS credit Site Development Protect or Restore Habitat, which was based
on SITES. Also, some of the same external technical subject matter experts were involved in the
development of both rating systems. We are currently exploring further requirement synergies and
documentation alignments.
Can you highlight main differences in SS prerequisite Construction Activity Pollution prevention
from LEED 2009 to v4?
The main difference is that the referenced version of the EPA Construction General Permit standard has
changed from 2003 to 2012. There are no other substantive technical changes.
What about ESC for zero lot line projects?
Erosion and sedimentation control (ESC) plans will usually still need to be developed for projects that are
considered zero lot line, as these projects typically have some type of disturbance associated with them.
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In the rare circumstance that a project determines no disturbance will be caused, write a detailed
narrative describing why no ESC plan is necessary for the site.
For Open Space and Protect and Restore Habitat-Option1 in New Construction, if you achieve one
do you get the other?
Not automatically but its certainly possible. There are similar requirements and many synergies between
the two credits. Both credits require that 30% of the site be either restored habitat (Site DevelopmentProtect or Restore Habitat) or designed as open space (SSc Open Space). In the Open Space credit,
however, that space does not all have to be vegetated.
How does the Sustainable Sites category address urban heat island mitigation tactics?
SS credit Heat Island Reduction in v4 combines the two heat island credits in v2009- Roof and Nonroof.
The credit requires that a certain percentage (or weighted percentage) of the hardscape on the entire
project consist of high-reflectance materials, shade from plants, energy generation systems, vegetated
roofs, or an open-grid pavement system.
In regards to O+M, if the property is already certified through SITES does that automatically
achieve any credits related to SS in v4?
LEED projects do not yet automatically achieve credits if they are already certified through SITES.
However, there are many similarities between the credits in SITES and the O+M LEED rating system, so
some documentation may be able to be used for LEED credits. SS prerequisite Site Management Policy
and SS credit Site Management are two examples of credits that have overlap with SITES.
Could you tell us a bit more about the requirement under Hydrology (protection and
improvement of water bodies on-site, rainwater management and reuse opportunities, potable
water-use reduction) under the Site Improvement Plan credit (LEED EBOM)?
The intent of this requirement is to get projects thinking about the impact that future exterior site
improvements may have on the hydrologic conditions of the site. The plan developed through this credit
could include measures that a building owner or manager will take to avoid or mitigate disturbance of
existing waterbodies during planned construction,
How do you determine the reference soil for a project site (SS credit Site Development Protect
or Restore Habitat)?
Reference soils are native to a site, as described in Natural Resources Conservation Service soil surveys
(or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.), or undisturbed native soils within the projects region
that support native plant species, topography, and soil textures similar to the project site. In some cases,
reference soils may differ from the existing soils on the site (if soils were imported). See the two online
modules titled How to Gather Information on Existing and Reference Soil Conditions and Strategies
and Advice from a Soil Restoration Expert in the online reference guide for a walk-through of soil criteria
and tips.
In LEED v3 one could get points for having a white roof under the Heat Island Reduction credit
regardless of the climate zone. With black roofs being accepted as a better option for certain cold
climate zones, does LEED v4 address this?
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LEED v4 still focuses on high reflectance surfaces in the Heat Island Reduction credit, regardless of
climate zone. However, we have heard feedback on this issue and are considering either a pilot credit or
inclusion of requirements specific to climate zones in the next version of LEED.
Why is the Open Space credit no longer tied to a local zoning code?
A goal of the v4 credit is to tie the amount of open space more directly to a projects size, and refocus the
requirements on the quality of the open spaces, not just the quantity. Also, the zoning code requirement is
not applicable to many locations outside the U.S.
The primary change of SS Open Space from LEED 2009 is that the 30% open space must be
beneficial to the project occupants or to the local community. Does this indicate that project
boundaries must not be fenced or restricted? It seem very difficult to comply with this credit
specifically for the Warehouse or Distribution centers, because of security reasons the project
type does not allow to open boundaries for the community. Could you please advise on how we
could address this?
If a project is high-security and cannot make the open space available to non-building occupants, this is
acceptable. As long as the open space is accessible and usable by building occupants, the credit may be
achieved.
In LEED BD+C Homes-Heat Island Reduction - Option 1 - can you get the credit if you place the
structure to take advantage of existing trees/plantings?
You may be able to. Shade from existing onsite vegetation (as long as it will remain in place) can be
considered a strategy to achieve the credit. Note that you cannot count shade from neighboring buildings,
however.
Please speak to lighting and sustainable sites in v4.
A new compliance option based on BUG ratings (Backlight-Uplight- Glare) has been added to the v4
credit. BUG makes it easier to determine if lighting meets the requirements. The credit also now includes
exterior signage, an exemption for lighting the national flag in some lighting zones, and more flexibility
with the lighting boundary. Sports field lighting (including Schools projects) is no longer exempt from the
credit requirements. If a project chooses to calculate compliance (rather than use BUG ratings),
photometric information now needs to include only vertical illuminance calculations. Point-by-point
calculation output documentation needs to be provided only for the worst-case vertical plane, not all site
lighting. The lighting power density requirements and interior lighting requirements in the v2009 credit
have been relocated to EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance. Even though there have been
some big changes, the v4 credit still addresses uplight into the sky, glare, and trespass onto neighboring
properties based on a lighting zone chosen by the project.
For heat island reduction, is it necessary to provide the 3-year aged SRI value since only the initial
SRI value is available normally?
You can provide either the initial SRI value OR the 3-year aged value. You do not need to provide both.
The 3-year aged value is preferable, however, because it is a better indicator of a materials heat island
reduction performance over time.

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Do gut and rebuild projects fall under the BD+C category?

BD+C applies to buildings that are either being newly constructed or are going through a major
renovation, like a gut and rebuild project. You can use the LEED Rating System Selection Guidance to
help determine the best rating system for your project.

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