Reviewer Insight: Three Helpful LEED Interpretations for LEED v4 Projects

The following three LEED Interpretations applicable to the LEED v4 rating systems have caught the eyes of CaGBC reviewers and may be useful to Canadian project teams:

LEED Interpretation #10474
Released July 2, 2018, this Interpretation addresses Canada’s legalization of marijuana use. As per the LEED Interpretation, the smoking of cannabis is considered a form of smoking for all intents and purposes for both the interior and exterior smoking provisions of the LEED v4 BD+C, ID+C and O+M, EQ prerequisite Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control.

LEED Interpretation #10425
This LEED Interpretation, released October 1, 2015, clarifies that a generic industry-wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) can be used to document up to ten products for LEED v4 BD+C and ID+C MR credit Building Product Disclosure and Optimization – Sourcing of Raw Materials, Option 1, Environmental Product Declarations. Please note that each product declared must have separately reported impacts within the EPD, and as with all industry-wide EPDs, documentation demonstrating that the manufacturer is explicitly recognized as a participant by the program operator must be provided.

LEED Interpretation # 10411
This LEED Interpretation, released April 1, 2015, applies to LEED v4 BD+C, ID+C, O+M and ND Sustainable Sites credit Heat Island Reduction and allows for the use of typical solar reflectance values that can be used in lieu of project-specific testing data for standard non-roof materials. See the typical values listed below:

Gray cement concrete – Initial Solar Reflectance: 0.26, Three-Year Aged Solar Reflectance*: 0.18
White cement concrete – Initial Solar Reflectance: 0.70, Three-Year Aged Solar Reflectance*: 0.35
Asphalt concrete – Initial Solar Reflectance: 0.05, Three-Year Aged Solar Reflectance*: 0.10
*Three-year aged SR values are based on no cleaning.

For complete details about each LEED Interpretation please refer to the Addenda database.