Summary of LEED v4 BD+C Credits: Residential Green Building

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As the industry ramps up to adopt the LEED v4 building codes, it’s good to get a quick review of the credits and categories that apply to different projects. Today we’ll take a look as the LEED Building Design + Construction certification requirements and the credits needed to achieve it. The LEED BD+C standard is for single family homes and low-rise and mid-rise multifamily projects up to eight stories in height.

The LEED v4 standard for residential construction is meant to ensure that a home is a healthy and has clean indoor air, safe and sustainably created building materials, plenty of natural light and views of nature. Money-saving energy and water conservation are also key goals for BD+C certified homes. In many markets, LEED certification has become a very desirable selling point for newly-built homes, and they retain a higher value at resale than non-LEED homes.

This chart outlines the prerequisites and credits for LEED v4 BD+C, including the maximum number of points you can earn for each credit:

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Integrative Process (C)

2

2


Location and Transportation

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Floodplain Avoidance (P)

Req’d

Req’d

LEED for Neighborhood
Development (C)

15

15

Site Selection (C)

8

8

Compact Development (C)

3

3

Community Resources (C)

2

2

Access to Transit (C)

2

2


Sustainable Sites

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Construction Activity
Pollution Prevention (P)

Req’d

Req’d

No Invasive Plants (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Heat Island Reduction (C)

2

2

Rainwater Management (C)

3

3

Non-Toxic Pest Control (C)

2

2


Water Efficiency

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Water Metering (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Total Water Use (C)

12

12

Indoor Water Use (C)

6

6

Outdoor Water Use (C)

4

4

Energy and Atmosphere

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Minimum Energy Performance (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Energy Metering (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Education of the Homeowner,
Tenant or Building Manager (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Home Size (P)

Req’d

n/a

Annual Energy Use (C)

29

30

Efficient Hot Water
Distribution System (C)

5

5

Advanced Utility Tracking (C)

2

2

Ative Solar-Ready Design (C)

1

n/a

HVAC Start-Up Credentialing (C)

1

n/a

Building Orientation
for Passive Solar (C)

3

n/a

Air Infiltration (C)

2

n/a

Envelope Insulation (C)

2

n/a

Windows (C)

3

n/a

Space Heating &
Cooling Euipment (C)

4

n/a

Heating & Cooling
Distribution Systems (C)

3

n/a

Efficient Domestic Hot
Water Equipment (C)

3

n/a

Lighting (C)

2

n/a

High-Efficiency Appliances (C)

2

n/a

Renewable Energy (C)

4

n/a


Materials and Resources

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Certified Tropical Wood (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Durability Management (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Durability Management
Verification (C)

1

1

Environmentally
Preferable Products (C)

4

5

Construction Waste
Management (C)

3

3

Material-Efficient Framing (C)

2

n/a

Indoor Environmental Quality

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Ventilation (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Combustion Venting (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Garage Pollutant Protection (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Radon-Resistant Construction (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Air Filtering (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Environmental
Tobacco Smoke (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Compartmentalization (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Enhanced Ventilation (C)

3

3

Contaminant Control (C)

2

2

Balancing of Heating & Cooling
Distribution Systems (C)

3

3

Enhanced
Compartmentalization (C)

1

3

Enhanced Combustion
Venting (C)

2

2

Enhanced Garage
Pollutant Protection (C)

2

1

Low-Emitting Products (C)

3

3

No Environmental
Tobacco Smoke (C)

n/a

1


Innovation

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Preliminary Rating (P)

Req’d

Req’d

Innovation (C)

5

5

LEED AP for Homes (C)

1

1


Regional Priority

Credit/Prerequisite Name

Homes (Points)

Multifamily Midrise (Points)

Regional Priority (C)

4

4

For more details about LEED credits and requirements, check out the LEED credit library.

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