Integrative Process
1%of exam
Integrative ProcessCharretteDiscoveryEnergy + Water Analysis
Location + Transportation
15%of exam
LEED NDSensitive LandTransit AccessBicycle FacilitiesParkingGreen Vehicles
Sustainable Sites
9%of exam
Site AssessmentOpen SpaceRainwaterHeat IslandLight Pollution
Water Efficiency
10%of exam
Outdoor WaterIndoor WaterCooling TowerProcess WaterMetering
Energy + Atmosphere
30%of exam
CommissioningEnergy PerformanceRenewablesRefrigerantsGrid Harmonization
Materials + Resources
12%of exam
Life-Cycle ImpactEPDHPDSourcingWaste Management
Indoor Environmental Quality
15%of exam
IAQLow-EmittingThermal ComfortDaylightAcousticsViews
Innovation
5%of exam
Innovation CreditsPilot CreditsExemplary PerformanceLEED AP
Regional Priority
4%of exam
Regional PriorityLocation BonusZIP-based CreditsUp to 4 Points
Quick Facts
- Exam
- LEED AP BD+C
- Provider
- GBCI / Prometric
- Questions
- 100 (85 scored)
- Time
- 2 hours
- Pass
- 170/200 scaled
- Fee
- $250 member combined
- Prereq
- LEED Green Associate
- Validity
- 2 yr / 30 CE
Credit Categories
I LSWE MEQ IR maps nine BD+C categories.
IP 1LT 16SS 10WE 11EA 33MR 13EQ 16IN 6RP 4
Prerequisite vs Credit
Prerequisite
- Mandatory
- No points awarded
- Required for certification
Credit
- Optional
- Earns points
- Builds toward level
Must do vs choose
IP Credits
- Integrative Process
- 1 point
- Discovery phase
- Pre-design analysis
- Energy analysis
- Early load modeling
- Water analysis
- Early demand budgeting
- Charrette
- Whole-team workshop
Certification Ladder
C-S-G-P at 40, 50, 60, 80.
Certified 40Silver 50Gold 60Platinum 80
Certification Levels
- Certified
- 40-49 points
- Silver
- 50-59 points
- Gold
- 60-79 points
- Platinum
- 80+ points
- Total scale
- 110 points possible
- Base credits
- 100 core points
Integrative Flow
Discover then implement; team agrees early.
DiscoveryCharretteImplementationIteration
LEED Process
- MPR
- Minimum program requirements
- Registration
- Start certification
- Scorecard
- Track credits
- LEED Online
- Submit documentation
- CIR
- Credit interpretation request
- Appeal
- Challenge denial
- USGBC
- Develops LEED
- GBCI
- Administers certification
BD+C Project Type
- Ground-up office→New Construction(Default)
- Developer leases space→Core & Shell(Pre-tenant)
- K-12 academic building→Schools(Acoustics rules)
- Inpatient hospital→Healthcare(GGHC overlap)
- Server-dense facility→Data Centers(PUE focus)
- Sales floor space→Retail(Process loads)
- Hotel or lodging→Hospitality(Occupant turnover)
- Distribution facility→Warehouses(Logistics fit)
LT Credits (16 pts)
- LEED ND Location
- Up to 16 points
- Sensitive Land
- 1-2 points
- High Priority Site
- 1-2 points
- Surrounding Density
- 1-5 points
- Access to Transit
- 1-5 points
- Bicycle Facilities
- 1 point
- Reduced Parking
- 1 point
- Green Vehicles
- 1 point
BD+C Project Types
- New Construction
- Default BD+C path
- Core & Shell
- Speculative buildings
- Schools
- K-12 academic
- Retail
- Sales floor space
- Data Centers
- Server-dense projects
- Warehouses
- Distribution facilities
- Hospitality
- Hotels and lodging
- Healthcare
- Inpatient facilities
SS Credits (10 pts)
- Construction Pollution
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Site Assessment
- 1 point
- Site Development
- 1-2 points
- Open Space
- 1 point
- Rainwater Management
- 2-3 points
- Heat Island Reduction
- 1-2 points
- Light Pollution
- 1 point
Graywater vs Rainwater
Graywater
- Used lavatory water
- Treatment required
- Indoor reuse
Rainwater
- Captured precipitation
- Roof + site
- Reduces runoff
Reuse vs capture
Site Water Strategy
- Cut irrigation demand→Native landscaping(WE outdoor)
- Reuse roof runoff→Rainwater capture(SS rainwater)
- Lower fixture flow→WaterSense fixtures(WE indoor)
- Reduce HVAC water→Cooling tower limits(WE credit)
- Track building water→Permanent metering(WE prereq)
- Reuse lavatory water→Graywater system(Treatment needed)
WE Credits (11 pts)
- Outdoor Reduction
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Indoor Reduction
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Building Metering
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Outdoor Reduction credit
- 1-2 points
- Indoor Reduction credit
- 1-6 points
- Cooling Tower Water
- 1-2 points
- Water Metering credit
- 1 point
Energy Order
Load, efficiency, renewables, offsets.
Reduce loadEfficient systemsAdd renewablesBuy offsets
ASHRAE 90.1 vs 62.1
90.1-2016
- Energy baseline
- EA prereq
- Whole-building model
62.1-2016
- Ventilation rates
- EQ prereq
- Outdoor air supply
Energy vs ventilation
Energy Strategy
- Reduce load first→Envelope + passive(IP analysis)
- Set baseline→ASHRAE 90.1-2016(Prereq)
- Verify systems→Fundamental Cx(Prereq)
- Beat baseline more→Enhanced Cx(EA credit)
- Submeter end uses→Advanced metering(1 point)
- Add on-site supply→Renewable energy(Up to 5)
EA Prerequisites
- Fundamental Cx
- Required commissioningPrereq
- Minimum Energy
- ASHRAE 90.1-2016Prereq
- Building Metering
- Energy submeteringPrereq
- Fundamental Refrigerant
- No CFCsPrereq
Site EUI vs Source EUI
Site EUI
- Energy at meter
- Excludes upstream
- Building boundary
Source EUI
- Includes generation losses
- Grid-level view
- ENERGY STAR uses
Meter vs origin
EA Credits (33 pts)
- Enhanced Cx
- 2-6 points
- Optimize Energy
- 1-18 points
- Advanced Metering
- 1 point
- Grid Harmonization
- 1-2 points
- Renewable Energy
- 1-5 points
- Enhanced Refrigerant
- 1 point
Whole-Building vs Prescriptive
Simulation
- Energy model
- Flexible design
- Higher points possible
Prescriptive
- ASHRAE compliance path
- No model needed
- Lower point ceiling
Model vs checklist
Standards Referenced
- ASHRAE 90.1-2016
- Energy baseline
- ASHRAE 62.1-2016
- Ventilation rates
- ASHRAE 55
- Thermal comfort
- ASHRAE 52.2
- MERV filtration
- IES TM-30
- Color rendering
- EPA WaterSense
- Fixture efficiency
- Green Seal GS-11
- Low-VOC paints
- SMACNA IAQ
- Construction IAQ
Fundamental vs Enhanced Cx
Fundamental Cx
- Required prereq
- Design + construction
- Verify OPR
Enhanced Cx
- Optional credit
- Envelope option
- 10-month review
Required vs optional
Materials Hierarchy
Reduce, reuse, recycle, then disclose.
Reduce firstReuse secondRecycle thirdDisclose impacts
EPD vs HPD
EPD
- Environmental impacts
- LCA-based
- Carbon focus
HPD
- Material ingredients
- Health disclosure
- Transparency focus
Impact vs ingredients
MR Credits (13 pts)
- Storage of Recyclables
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Waste Management Planning
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Building Life-Cycle
- 2-5 points
- EPD Optimization
- 1-2 points
- Sourcing Raw Materials
- 1-2 points
- Material Ingredients
- 1-2 points
- Construction Waste
- 1-2 points
EQ Credits (16 pts)
- Minimum IAQ
- ASHRAE 62.1-2016Prereq
- Tobacco Smoke Control
- PrerequisitePrereq
- Enhanced IAQ Strategies
- 1-2 points
- Low-Emitting Materials
- 1-3 points
- Construction IAQ Plan
- 1 point
- IAQ Assessment
- 1-2 points
- Thermal Comfort
- 1 point
- Interior Lighting
- 1-2 points
- Daylight
- 1-3 points
- Quality Views
- 1 point
- Acoustic Performance
- 1-2 points
IN + RP Credits
- Innovation
- 1-5 points
- LEED AP
- 1 point
- Pilot credits
- Test new strategies
- Exemplary performance
- Double credit threshold
- Regional Priority
- Up to 4 points
- RP selection
- ZIP-based credit list
Common Traps
Total scale
110 max with bonuses ≠ Base scale is 100
Prereq vs credit
Prereqs earn zero ≠ Credits earn points
ASHRAE references
90.1 is energy ≠ 62.1 is ventilation
EPD vs HPD
EPD = LCA impacts ≠ HPD = ingredients
Combined exam fee
$250 member combined ≠ Stand-alone is higher
Score scale
170 of 200 scaled ≠ Not 85% raw
BD+C type fit
Core & Shell pre-tenant ≠ NC for ground-up
Last Minute
- 1.100 questions; two hours total
- 2.Pass = 170 of 200 scaled
- 3.Combined member fee = $250
- 4.Green Associate prereq required
- 5.Platinum starts at 80 points
- 6.ASHRAE 90.1 = energy baseline
- 7.ASHRAE 62.1 = ventilation baseline
- 8.EA carries 33 credit points
- 9.Prereqs mandatory; credits optional
- 10.EPD impacts; HPD ingredients
- 11.Reduce load before renewables
- 12.30 CE; 6 BD+C-specific
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