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We committed to LEED certifying our project - now what?
LoraxPRO users find the LEED process demystified, simplified, and compartmentalized
with specific tasks identified to accomplish each LEED credit. Users start the integrated
design process by using the LoraxPRO Charrette, then manage the project using the
Credit Wizards, Tasks and Documents Tracking, and the Materials Module along with
the LEED Schedule Module. LoraxPRO helps project teams drive down the time costs
associated with the LEED certification process freeing up team members to focus
on higher value-add activities.
How do we get started with LEED?
The LoraxPRO charrette is a perfect tool to help project teams get started with
their LEED project. LoraxPRO helps project teams identify universal project data,
determine the owners project requirements, facilitate an integrated design process,
assign credits and tasks, then track progress toward credit accomplishment and ultimate
LEED certification.
What standards apply to this credit?
LEED references multiple government and industry standards including ASHRAE energy
standards, EPA environmental standards, FSC wood standards, and others. Each LEED
credit within LoraxPRO calls out referenced industry standards and provides links
to these standards for ready reference.
Who is doing what?
There are many areas within LoraxPRO to help teams more effectively manage a LEED
project. Credits are assigned to project team members along with tasks associated
with accomplishing the selected credits. The LoraxPRO Reports Module is designed
to give all project team members a management tool with key metrics on completed
and in-process tasks, documents completed pending submission, and other critical
information so you will always be prepared in your design meetings.
Where’s my data?
Your data exists in LoraxPRO. Whether it is a current project or a project that
was certified years ago, you can always access your data for reporting, ongoing
certification questions, or as a historical record to apply to future projects.
Where did this inconsistent project data come from?
The most common error made by project teams is using inconsistent data in calculating
various LEED credits. Inconsistent data leads to credits being disallowed upon submittal
– this requires a significant amount of time and costs as credit submissions are
re-worked. LoraxPRO requires users to input all Universal Project Data into a central
point, then logs any changes to this data as the project progresses. All data required
for LEED calculations is based off this Universal Data set allowing teams to maintain
data integrity throughout the project.
Did we finish everything for that credit?
The LoraxPRO Document Module and Task Module allows project teams to monitor everything
required to complete the selected LEED credits for the project. These easy-to-use
modules simplify the project management process and allow project teams the ability
to see exactly which tasks and documents are completed and ready for submission,
and which tasks and documents remain in-process. This level of tracking and coordination
saves project teams countless hours in organizing their LEED submission.
How can I deal with LEED project communication breakdowns?
Coordination and communication is the essence of a successful green building project
and accomplishing a LEED certification – this starts in the charrette with an integrated
design process and continues throughout the design and construction process. LoraxPRO
provides a platform for the entire project team to coordinate meetings and communicate
issues, responsibilities, and reminders.
How can I make my LEED project team more accountable?
LoraxPRO serves as a system of record. Project managers can determine how far along
team members are with their assigned tasks, know when the last time a team member
logged onto LoraxPRO, review documents and progress, and distribute meaningful reports
via email among other features. Communication, coordination and accountability are
purposefully designed into LoraxPRO so project teams can be more effective in their
green building efforts.
How do I manage multiple LEED projects?
Anyone who has worked on multiple LEED projects knows the complexity and management
intensiveness of a single LEED project is difficult enough without trying to track
multiple projects. LoraxPRO allows users to easily manage the complexity of multiple
LEED projects by coordinating project teams, breaking down credit and task assignments,
tracking materials, and managing USGBC submittal documentation. LoraxPRO users have
the option to either work on multiple credits within a single project or work on
a single credit across multiple projects in a seamless fashion.
Where do you find that information?
LoraxPRO is a tremendous resource in both accomplishing LEED credits and managing
your project. Built-in features include links to relevant internet-based resources
and documents, credit interpretations published by the USGBC, industry standards,
LORAXpedia definitions, and other relevant information. Project teams are encouraged
to upload additional pertinent information, adding to this robust resource collection.
What is an impervious surface?
LoraxPRO users have access to LORAXpedia, a database with thousands of definitions
on green building attributes. LORAXpedia helps project teams save time and effort
by quickly getting on the same page regarding specific green building issues.
Does this product help us with more than one LEED credit?
The LoraxPRO Materials module is a significant feature that allows project teams
the ability to understand how a single material’s attributes can apply across multiple
LEED credits. For example, a material may meet the regionally harvested/extracted
LEED criteria while also containing pre- and post-consumer recycled content making
this material applicable to at least two LEED credits. LoraxPRO tracks this material’s
contribution to achieving both of these LEED credits saving project teams significant
time and effort when tracking their materials.
How do I get a LEED Innovation credit?
Many LEED credits are eligible for exemplary performance which gives project teams
opportunities to achieve a LEED Innovation credit – these exemplary performance
credits are specifically called out within LoraxPRO. Additionally, the USGBC has
published a list of activities that are eligible for Innovation credit which is
available to LoraxPRO project teams.
Are we eligible for this LEED credit?
LoraxPRO clearly spells out the requirements for achieving various LEED credits
as well as options available for achieving the credit. Eligibility for a LEED credit
is subject to project-specific opportunities and constraints. LoraxPRO helps project
teams more efficiently determine whether the project can meet LEED credit eligibility
requirements, eliminating many hours of research and effort.
Where can I get a LEED project status report?
oraxPRO has a number of tools to help project teams track their project status,
prepare for meetings, and more effectively communicate/coordinate among team members.
The Reports module is a critical project management tool allowing teams to view
the status and progress of all LEED credits attempted including specific tasks required
to complete a credit and documents necessary for final USGBC submittal. The Reports
module includes detailed project information including Universal Data, credit assignments,
document status, charrette information, the overall project checklist, a materials
report, and more.
Where are my LEED submittal documents?
Within each Credit page, documents required for that LEED credit are shown on
the upper right – when a project team finishes a document it is uploaded and marked
as ‘complete’. The Documents tab in LoraxPRO provides access to all documents required
by the USGBC for the LEED points attempted by the project team as well as their
status (‘complete’ or ‘missing’).
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How can we simplify repetitive LEED tasks?
In short, use LoraxPRO. From uploading Materials information, auto-filing forms
with inputted or derived data, or researching background information for LEED credits,
LoraxPRO is designed to help you at each step. Project teams are generally a few
clicks away from key information needed to complete a LEED credit including referenced
industry standards, USGBC CIR’s, and other items. If a known number from the Universal
Data Set is used in a calculation, LoraxPRO is designed to populate the data for
you greatly reducing error potential.
How did we accomplish that credit in our last project?
LoraxPRO users can manage multiple projects at once, referring to credit strategies
from current or previous projects. Once a project is submitted, reviewed and certified,
users can continue to access their project data on LoraxPRO to see how the credit
was accomplished.
How can we simplify the construction material tracking process?
Use the “Materials” tab in LoraxPRO to manage all the project materials in one central
location. Each material entered has areas to indicate that material’s contribution
to various LEED credits including recycled content, regional materials, low emitting
materials, rapidly renewable, and FSC certified wood content. You can upload all
supporting documentation for that material for easy submission to USGBC.
What’s next?
The LoraxPRO Schedule module layers a LEED-related schedule over the Project schedule
helping teams understand what upcoming milestones and tasks are necessary so as
to not miss an opportunity to attain various LEED points.
What is a CIR?...and where can I find them?
A CIR is a Credit Interpretation Request previously submitted by a project team
to the USGBC. CIR’s describe a situation relevant to a specific LEED credit and
seeks guidance from the USGBC as to the applicability of the situation/strategy.
The USGBC’s response offers ruling guidance on whether the situation is acceptable
given the parameters of the LEED credit in question.
CIR rulings set precedent – projects are bound by all CIR’s issued prior to project
registration. You can find relevant CIR's on every Credit page within LoraxPRO as
well as by using the LoraxPRO search feature.
What do you mean we can’t get this LEED credit?
This is a common question project teams may confront at some point in the project
– most times this is both inadvertent and avoidable. Project teams using LoraxPRO
have several tools available including the Materials module, Schedule module, the
Charrette, CIR’s, and others to help teams avoid this pitfall.
Where are my LEED submittal documents?
The Documents tab in LoraxPRO allows project teams to track and view all documents
uploaded to date as the project progresses from the design stage into construction
and towards the submission stage. Besides the Documents tab, each Credit page displays
both ‘uploaded’ and ‘missing’ documents
When should we start the energy model?
The LoraxPRO Schedule module guides project teams on areas where the design/development
schedule overlap with critical LEED-based activities. The energy model is a continuous
process that gets more detailed, refined, and accurate as design progresses and
various scenarios are considered. In general, the energy model should be started
as soon as practical within the project’s design process as it can help project
teams hone their focus from heating to cooling or lighting as the various loads
become clear. Ultimately, the energy model can be a powerful tool in an effective
integrated design process and should be started as early as possible.
Too often, the energy model becomes operational so late in the design process that
opportunities to use it to guide design decisions have been lost, and the model
is instead used as a record-keeping exercise.
How do you make Integrated Design effective?
An integrative process mandates more coordination, communication, and encourages
rigorous questioning by challenging typical assumptions and design rules-of-thumb
at project onset. Coordinating building systems and site opportunities/constraints
must be addressed early with all assumptions questioned before schematic design
starts. Project teams must commit to specific measurable goals on key systems for
integrated design to take hold.
Communication is critical – LoraxPRO provides several tools to increase teamwork
and communication. The LoraxPRO Charrette can be used to get all team members on
the same page, breaking down silos and expanding everyone’s perspective as to the
thought processes and concerns of other team member’s disciplines on the most basic
standpoints of building form, orientation, daylighting, habitat and microclimate
impacts, effects on ongoing operations, and overall building flexibility.
One rule of thumb is “The 3 E’s”:
- Every Team Member
- Every Issue
- Early in the Project
Depending on the project type, certain disciplines should become part of the design
process:
- An experienced Energy Modeler
- Daylighting Modeler
- Lighting Designer
- Commissioning Authority
- Landscape Architect / Civil Engineer [ecological systems background]
- Green materials / specifications expertise
- Building Engineer / Operations team
- Experienced group meeting facilitator
What’s the difference between Fundamental Commissioning and Enhanced Commissioning?
Under the LEED Energy and Atmosphere category, fundamental commissioning is a prerequisite
– no project can become LEED certified without performing fundamental commissioning.
Enhanced commissioning is a LEED credit which requires additional measures to earn
this point. Many aspects of project team coordination, design, and construction
require upfront work by the commissioning agent making their early involvement critical
to a successful certification.
LoraxPRO helps teams determine when to start the commissioning process and triggers
specific tasks and due dates associated with Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning.
When should this occur in the schedule?
The LoraxPRO Schedule module is a key project management tool that overlays the
LEED-based schedule on top of the overall project schedule. This works to coordinate
tasks required to achieve a LEED credit with the normal project schedule. As situations
come up requiring a change or delay in the project schedule, the LEED schedule overlay
moves along with it, updating task due dates and other critical LEED-based activities.
Who was assigned to finishing that credit?
All credits being attempted are assigned to a project team member along with the
tasks associated with completing that credit. When memories get short, LoraxPRO
has ready answers regarding who is assigned to a credit, when that assignment took
place, and when various tasks necessary for successful credit completion are due.
The LoraxPRO Reports function helps project teams stay on track by identifying credits,
tasks, and issues to be resolved along the path to LEED certification.
Whose idea (to build and certify a green project) was this?
The idea was yours – and it was a great idea that will benefit the project over
the long term. The integrated design process along with the discipline that LEED
provides, reinforced and facilitated by LoraxPRO, generally leads to a superior
building.
Tell me more about The LoraxPRO Guarantee.
It's as simple as it sounds. If you are not fully satisfied that LoraxPRO provides
your project team significant value over the duration of your LEED project, you
may Contact Us and we will refund your license fee. We appreciate every opportunity
to design great software that serves our customer's needs and look forward to having
all of our customers become as fanatic about LoraxPRO as we are.
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