Page 247 - The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction Sustainable Construction for Engineers
P. 247
220 Cha pte r F i v e
USGBC Rating System MR Credit 5
LEED-NC 2.2 lists the Intent, Requirements, and Potential Technologies and Strategies
for this credit as follows, with notations for LEED 2009 changes included:
Intent
Increase demand for building materials and products that are extracted and manufactured
within the region, thereby supporting the use of indigenous resources and reducing the
environmental impacts resulting from transportation.
Requirements
Use building materials or products that have been extracted, harvested or recovered, as well as
manufactured, within 500 miles of the project site for a minimum of 10% (for one point and 20%
for two points in LEED 2009) (based on cost) of the total materials value. If only a fraction of a
product or material is extracted/harvested/recovered and manufactured locally, then only that
percentage (by weight) shall contribute to the regional value. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing
components and specialty items such as elevators and equipment shall not be included in this
calculation. Only include materials permanently installed in the project. Furniture may be
included, providing it is included consistently in MR Credits 3–7. (As noted in Table 5.0.0,
LEED 2.2 has a now modified MRc5.2 credit for accomplishing a 20% regional material rate.)
Potential Technologies and Strategies
Establish a project goal for locally sourced materials, and identify materials and material
suppliers that can achieve this goal. During construction, ensure that the specified local materials
are installed and quantify the total percentage of local materials installed. Consider a range of
environmental, economic and performance attributes when selecting products and materials.
Calculations and Considerations (LEED 2009 MRc5)
As in many of the other MR credit subcategories, these credits are based on material cost and
values. There are so many different types of materials and material assemblies (items)
installed in the built environment, and cost (or value) is really the only common element that
can be used for comparison in typical construction analyses. The credit criteria are based on
the percentage of the total material costs that represents items or portions of items which
have been extracted, processed, and manufactured within a 500-mi radius of the project site.
For salvaged or reused items, the point of extraction is considered to be the location that it is
being salvaged from, and the manufacturing point is the location of the salvage dealer.
Given the following definition:
MATL$ Total value of regionally extracted, processed, and manufactured portions
REG
of materials (CSI 3 through 10, 31.60, 32.10, 32.30, and 32.90) plus any
similar portions of furniture or furnishings if included consistently in MR
subcategories 3 through 7. Value determinations are based on the weight
percent of the regional portion of each of the individual item values.
MATL$ See definition under MRc3.
T
In LEED 2009, one point is earned for MRc5 if the following is true:
100(MATL$ )/MATL$ ≥ 10 (5.5.1)
REG T
An additional point is earned for MRc5 if the following is true:
100(MATL$ )/MATL$ ≥ 20 (5.5.2)
REG T
Most construction items are not 100 percent made from regional materials. Therefore, the
regional value is only a portion of the value of the item, whether these items are one piece