Oregon DOT via Flickr Simple miscommunication and human error in the LEED documentation process can cause your team more than just a headache; it could cost your team a LEED certification or certification level. These case studies should serve as a warning to those planning to gain LEED certification to be meticulous when going through the documentation process.
In the case of one LEED Submitter, a rounding error cost him $500 in the certification process. Joel submitted his LEED-CS-SSc4.3 – Alternative Transportation, Low Emitting Vehicles credit for review, only to get it back from the review team pointing out a rounding error. Joel listed one less preferred parking spot than needed to achieve the point. During the final comment, Joel found that there were more issues that were not addressed during the preliminary review. In the supporting documentation, 10 parking spaces were left off of the plan. Though no mention of this error was made in the preliminary review, the error still cost Joel and his team a credit point, and $500 to submit an appeal because of clerical error. The moral of the story here is that preliminary reviewers will point out some errors in your documentation, they may not point out all of the errors. Checking and double-checking is of primary importance in LEED documentation.
In another example, a project was awarded only 14 out of the 17 points the team anticipated for EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance. The energy modeler on the team caught a mistake on his model that caused it to show less percentage reduction than there actually was, after the results of the review came back. Unfortunately, because the credit award was given after the construction review phase, the team cannot regain the 3 extra points without spending $500 to submit an appeal. In this case, a mathematical error cost the project 3 credits or $500.
In the long and detailed LEED Certification documentation and review process, mistakes are more common than submitters would like. There are many opportunities for error, but those errors can cost your team money, credits, and timely construction. Mistakes are avoidable, but you need to know where to double check, proof read, and test mathematical models to keep your project on schedule and in budget. CEhours.com can help you make your LEED certification easy and seamless. Learn how by taking the 25 LEED for New Construction Mistakes to Avoid course or the 30 LEED O+M Construction Mistakes to Avoid and stay current with your credit hours.
In another example, a project was awarded only 14 out of the 17 points the team anticipated for EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance. The energy modeler on the team caught a mistake on his model that caused it to show less percentage reduction than there actually was, after the results of the review came back. Unfortunately, because the credit award was given after the construction review phase, the team cannot regain the 3 extra points without spending $500 to submit an appeal. In this case, a mathematical error cost the project 3 credits or $500.
In the long and detailed LEED Certification documentation and review process, mistakes are more common than submitters would like. There are many opportunities for error, but those errors can cost your team money, credits, and timely construction. Mistakes are avoidable, but you need to know where to double check, proof read, and test mathematical models to keep your project on schedule and in budget. CEhours.com can help you make your LEED certification easy and seamless. Learn how by taking the 25 LEED for New Construction Mistakes to Avoid course or the 30 LEED O+M Construction Mistakes to Avoid and stay current with your credit hours.
RSS Feed