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LinkLine: Summer 2005

Getting Started With LEED and Specs

Figure 1
Prerequisite in Section
SpecLink Section 01 3514 (01354) - LEED CREDIT SUMMARY includes a feature specifically designed for specifiers new to LEED — an OPTIONAL CHECKLIST that organizes the credits in groups based on their importance and ease of achievement, not simply similar issues as the Rating System does. For instance, there are 7 PREREQUISITES, without which LEED Certification is impossible. If you check off the Prerequisites group and scroll down through the Credit list, the Prerequisites are highlighted for easy identification. Pre-defined solutions taken directly from the Rating System document are shown for each Prerequisite — 3 of the 7 are completely addressable via the specifications, 2 must be addressed by the design, and 2 are partly addressable by the specifications. Figure 1 shows an example of a Prerequisite and its pre-defined solutions.

Figure 2
Checklist screen
Following the Prerequisites are 69 credits, of which at least 26 must be addressed to achieve minimum Certification. To simplify the process of deciding which to pursue, 8 groups are presented. Figure 2 is a partial view of the checklist groups.



  • Site Location Options — these are easy to rule out or in, since whether they are achievable or not depends on the actual project site.
  • Construction Procedures — these are easy to specify since they are made entirely the Contractor’s responsibility (this is not to say that they won’t cost more, just that they are easy to specify). These include construction waste management and IAQ procedures.
  • No- and Low-Cost “Good Sense” Options — these credits probably won’t cost much to achieve and would be sensible in most non-residential buildings. They include site design, water efficient landscaping, light colored roof and paving, light pollution prevention, low-emitting materials such as carpet, paint, and adhesives, prohibiting formaldehyde containing wood materials, etc. Some are addressable via the specifications, some are not.
  • Architectural Design Options — these credits require a specific architectural design, which may be different than normally anticipated. Examples are provision of daylighting and views, isolation of indoor chemical and copy rooms, etc.
  • Plumbing Design — water-saving options, several of which involve the use of rainwater and/or graywater systems. This checklist option allows you to choose rainwater, graywater, or none as a project-wide solution. The designs are not directly addressable via the specifications, although something must be specified to achieve them.
  • HVAC Design — enhanced HVAC design and/or extra systems that are not commonly encountered. Most of these are not directly addressable via the specifications, although something must be specified to achieve them. Most involve increased energy efficiency or alternative energy sources.
  • Electrical Design — enhanced lighting design and/or systems that are not commonly encountered, such as more individual controls than usual.
  • “Green” Products Issues — recycled content, rapidly renewable content, locally-manufactured products, re-used products, and “certified” wood. These are grouped together because achieving the credit requires documentation of the percentage of all materials on the project that is in each category, by cost. The documentation requirements are specified in Sections 01 3515 (01355) LEED REQUIREMENTS and 01 6000 (01600) PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS. This group of credits is last in this list because the record keeping during the construction phase is likely to be a significant cost of each credit, independent of any material cost increase. Except for certified wood, it is very unlikely that the Contractor can assume responsibility for achieving any of these credits. The specifier will need to determine which products can meet the criteria, specify them, and then require the Contractor to submit the documentation required. Specifying the documentation is pretty easy, using SpecLink — specifying the products is the hard part. Another reason this group is last is that even though “green” materials has a high profile as a general “green” issue, the LEED Rating System assigns only 8 credits to the 5 issues. Since Platinum Certification requires only 52 of 69 credits, Platinum Certification is achievable without addressing any of these credits at all! Considering the difficulty of specifying and documenting, these credits should be the last to be considered, unless there are other reasons to do so.


    • For additional information, see the following articles:
    SpecLink Makes LEED Specs Easier
    New LEED Tag and Report
    Specifying "Green" Without LEED