LEED-CS added to SpecLink

The LEED Green Building Rating System™ For Core & Shell Development (LEED-CS), Version 2.0, July 2006, has been added as an option in the SpecLink LEED checklist sections for the Spring 2007 Update. Prior to this, LEED-NC was the only certification option offered in SpecLink's automated checklist sections and companion forms. To address LEED-CS, the specifier simply selects LEED-CS instead of LEED-NC — the software automatically excludes LEED-NC credits that are not applicable, adds the new LEED-CS credits, and changes the credit numbers where necessary. Where credit numbers are different between the two rating systems, SpecLink changes the credit numbers in each LEED-related section and form where the numbers are referenced.

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As one might expect, LEED-CS is very similar to LEED-NC. Since the core and shell of a building is a sub-set of the whole building, LEED-CS omits requirements that are not under the control of the core and shell developer. This means some credits are deleted, some added, and some changed, but most of the prerequisites and credits are the same as in LEED-NC. SpecLink's two sections that are automatically coordinated to each other and to other sections of the specification make it easy to get the credits straight and prepare specs that address those that can be addressed via the specifications. The LEED Credit Summary "walks" you through identification of the credits to be achieved — the LEED Certification Procedures section explains it to the Contractor.

01 3514 -- LEED CREDIT SUMMARY -- By editing this section you activate relevant LEED provisions in appropriate spec sections by documenting your decisions as to how to address each prerequisite or credit. This section automatically edits the list of relevant sections in the LEED Certification Procedures section and can also be used as a planning tool.

01 3515 -- LEED CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES -- This section is used in the Project Manual to explain the certification process and the Contractor's role in it. By editing this section you can activate relevant LEED provisions in appropriate spec sections by making a list of relevant sections for the Contractor's information. (This section was formerly titled "LEED Requirements" — the new title more accurately reflects the function of the section from the Contractor's point of view.)

The LEED CREDIT SUMMARY is used to document the project team's intentions in regard to certification and particular credits. First, either LEED-NC or LEED-CS is selected to edit the list of prerequisites and credits. Thereafter, for each credit, a status of "Required," "Preferred," or "Not Required" may be set, as a record of intentions. Following the statement of each credit is a brief description of pre-defined possible solutions, taken from the LEED Rating System itself, each linked to the specification sections which address the credit. When one of the pre-defined solutions is selected, the appropriate specification section is highlighted in the Project Tree and the LEED-related provisions in that section are activated by links.

For instance, if your project team has committed to using only "certified" wood, you can select any or all of the Division 6 carpentry sections as solutions to MR Credit 7 (NC, 6 in CS). When you do, the requirement for certified wood (which SpecLink refers to as "sustainably harvested wood") is activated in each selected section along with its LEED Report submittal option. In addition, the basic specification provisions and submittal requirements for sustainably harvested wood are activated in Section 01600 Product Requirements, as well as the form for documenting wood content, the LEED WOOD-CONTAINING PRODUCT LIST. Similar provisions are activated for each pre-defined solution that involves the specifications.

For further coordination, the specification sections that have been activated are also listed in Section 01 3515 (01355) - LEED CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES. The intention of this section is to inform the Contractor about LEED Certification, explain what his responsibilities are, and draw his attention to specific sections of the Project Manual that address LEED credits. The LEED-related specification sections are listed in Masterformat 2004 section number order — as opposed to LEED credit order in the LEED CREDIT SUMMARY section. When the Credit Summary section is prepared first, it will activate all the relevant sections in the LEED Certification Procedures section.

Although the Credit Summary is explicitly intended for making a summary document early in the project, the LEED Certification Procedures section can also be used to "build" the Summary document, by means of links from the section number ordered list back to the credit number ordered list. This will be especially useful where the same specification section addresses issues that arise under different credits — all the credits relevant to a particular section are grouped under the section listing. Reviewing the list of relevant sections in both section number order and credit order will give the most complete picture.

These SpecLink specification sections are based on the LEED-NC Version 2.2 and LEED-CS Version 2.0, by the U.S. Green Building Council. Intelligent use of these sections requires familiarity with the applicable Rating System document which can be obtained free of charge at www.usgbc.org. The applicable LEED Reference Guide would also be of considerable assistance to designers and specifiers.