- How do I compile an application?
- Are the prerequisites required to certify?
- How do you locate information for base condition prerequisites?
- How do you locate information for performance prerequisites?
- How does the population calculator work?
- What documentation do I provide?
- Is there partial credit?
- How do I request an invoice for certification review fee?
- How do I submit my completed application for review?
- How long does review take?
How do I compile an application?
Currently, LEED for Cities and Communities applications are compiled and submitted ‘offline’ utilizing spreadsheets and Dropbox for submission (not through LEED Online). Once registered, contact leedcitiesandcomm@gbci.org to establish your Dropbox submission folder and receive precertification or certification templates.
Are the prerequisites required to certify?
To certify, a project must meet all prerequisites (even in categories where no credits are pursued) and achieve a minimum score of 40 points.
How do you locate information for base condition prerequisites?
The base condition prerequisites assess existing conditions in projects. The rating system guide provides common data sources and overall guidance for the prerequisite requirements. The intention is for these items to be high level.
How do you locate information for performance prerequisites?
All performance prerequisite data are required and inputted into arcskoru.com to provide a performance score in existing cities and communities. The score must be a minimum of 40/100 in Arc, and if not, alternative compliance pathways are available. Refer to the point tables in the guide to convert Arc scores to rating system scores. Cities and communities in plan and design should follow the guidance provided in the rating system guide and offline PreCertification and Certification worksheets.
Data can come from local, state, or national sources. For example, projects based in the U.S. can use U.S. Census Bureau data for many of the Quality of Life indicators. Other performance metrics tend to be local and state developed and common sources include utilities, metropolitan planning organizations, county level governments, and state-level cabinets.
If data is not available at the scale of your project, for example county level water performance data is available but not city level, you can appropriately scale that data to the city. Same can be said if multiple utilities serve your project area. Work closely with service providers to identify the most accurate data.
How does the population calculator work?
The population calculator is a tool used to account for the impact of transient populations on certain performance prerequisites. The tool considers commuters and visitors to provide an adjusted population number for generating a per capita calculation on the Energy, Water, and Materials and Resources performance prerequisites. To use the tool, projects need to identify commuter and visitor data to match the data year of the perquisites. For U.S. based projects commuter data can be found via the U.S. Census and visitor data is often generated locally by a visitor’s bureau.
Download the population calculator
What documentation do I provide?
Project teams are encouraged to only provide documentation requested by the prerequisite/credit documentation tables. However, additional documentation, such as narratives, can be uploaded if the project team feels that this documentation will help better communicate any special circumstances or conditions that may not be obvious to someone looking at the project for the first time.
Is there partial credit?
Each rating system guide clearly outlines how many points are available for each credit and options within each credit. Points are only awarded for achievement of the listed requirements.
If I’m not sure whether my project will get credit for something, can I submit multiple examples/documents for the same credit?
The documentation tables in the guide specify exactly what needs to be submitted for review. Multiple submissions for the same credit will not be reviewed. If you have additional questions, please submit them via the Contact Us form.
How do I request an invoice for certification review fee?
To request an invoice and pay for the certification review fee, email leedcitiesandcomm@gbci.org.
How do I submit my completed application for review?
When all documentation has been uploaded to the project’s folder in Dropbox, email leedcitiesandcomm@gbci.org with the subject line “Project [Project # and Name] Initial Submission” and then in the body of the email indicate all items are in Dropbox and ready for review.
How long does review take?
There is a two-step certification review. After submitting for initial review GBCI will provide an anticipated return date, typically 20-25 business days. Once returned, the initial review report will include instructions on how to make any revisions needed to submit for final review. Final review also takes 20-25 business days.