Page 230 - Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design

206 ENERGY CONSERVATION

LEADERSHIP

Mission of Green Action Team The state of California has established an intera-
gency team knows as the Green Action Team that is composed of the director of the
Department of Finance and the secretaries of business, transportation, and housing, with
a mission to oversee and direct progress toward the goals of the green building order.

LEED

LEED project sustainable building credits and prerequisites are based on LEED-NC2.1
New Construction. There are additional versions of LEED that have been adopted or
are currently in development that address core or shell, commercial interiors, existing
buildings, homes, and neighborhood development.

SUSTAINABLE SITES

Sustainable site prerequisite: Construction activity pollution prevention
The intent of this prerequisite is to control and reduce top erosion and reduce the adverse
impact on the surrounding water and air quality. Mitigation measures involve prevention
of the loss of topsoil during construction by means of a storm-water-system runoff as
well as the prevention of soil displacement by gusting wind. It also imposes measures to
prevent sedimentation of storm-sewer systems by sand, dust, and particulate matter.
Some suggested design measures to meet these requirements include deployment of
strategies such as temporary or permanent seeding, silt fencing, sediment trapping, and
sedimentation basins that could trap particulate material.

Site selection, credit no. 1 The intent of this credit is to prevent and avoid devel-
opment of a site that could have an adverse environmental impact on the project loca-
tion surroundings. Sites considered unsuitable for construction include prime farm-
lands; lands that are lower than 5 ft above the elevation of established 100-year flood
areas, as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); lands that
are designated habitats for endangered species; lands within 100 ft of any wetland; or
a designated public parkland.
To meet site-selection requirements, it is recommended that the sustainable project
buildings have a reasonably minimal footprint to avoid site disruption. Favorable
design practices must involve underground parking and neighbor-shared facilities. The
point weight granted for this measure is 1.

Development density and community connectivity, credit no. 2 The intent
of this requirement is to preserve and protect green fields and animal habitats by
means of increasing the urban density, which also may have a direct impact on reduc-
tion of urban traffic and pollution. A specific measure suggested includes project site
selection within the vicinity of an urban area with high development density. The point
weight granted for this measure is 1.