Discover effective strategies to maximize LEED points for Location and Transportation credits when renovating an office building. Expert tips for green building certification.
Table of Contents
Question
A firm has been hired to renovate an existing office building and wants to increase the number of points the project receives for Location and Transportation credits. What strategy might the firm recommend?
A. Shade the large open parking area with a solar-paneled canopy
B. Include subsidies for carpools
C. Replace traditional paving on the parking lot with pervious surfacing
D. Reduce the building’s footprint on the site
Answer
To increase the number of points the office building renovation project receives for Location and Transportation credits, the best strategy the firm should recommend is:
B. Include subsidies for carpools
Explanation
Including subsidies for carpools is a strategy that can increase the number of points the project receives for Location and Transportation credits. This is because it reduces the demand for single-occupancy vehicle trips and parking spaces, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion, and land consumption.
The project can earn up to 15 points for the Transportation Demand Management credit by providing various incentives and programs to encourage alternative modes of transportation, such as carpooling, public transit, biking, or walking.
Providing subsidies for carpools directly incentivizes and encourages building occupants to carpool together to work rather than drive individually. This reduces the number of vehicles traveling to and parking at the site, which aligns with the intent of the Location and Transportation category to minimize transportation impacts.
The other options, while environmentally beneficial, do not relate as directly to the Location and Transportation credits:
A. Shading parking with solar canopies generates renewable energy but doesn’t necessarily reduce vehicle trips.
C. Pervious paving reduces stormwater runoff but doesn’t impact occupant transportation choices.
D. Reducing the building footprint preserves greenspace but is unrelated to transportation.
Therefore, subsidizing carpools is the most effective strategy presented for boosting the renovation project’s Location and Transportation points by incentivizing occupants to use more sustainable commuting options. This approach decreases site-related transportation impacts, reflecting the core goals of this LEED credit category.
USGBC LEED Green Associate certification exam practice question and answer (Q&A) dump with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the USGBC LEED Green Associate exam and earn USGBC LEED Green Associate certification.