Strategic Initiatives

Green Building Initiatives

Image of LEED Gold Wall Plaque

The United States Green Buildings Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification verifies a building or neighborhood’s green features of resource-efficiency, high-performance, health, and cost-effectiveness. LADWP’s water conservation and water efficiency programs can help assist customers meet prerequisites and credit requirements for LEED certification. Available for download is a LEED guidance document for customers interested in seeking certification. The document provides insight on which LADWP programs can be applied for credit. LEED credits include but are not limited to protecting or restoring habitat, rainwater management, indoor and outdoor water use reduction, optimizing water use and water metering.

In 2019, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP) downtown headquarters, the John Ferraro Building (JFB), achieved LEED Zero Energy, making it the first building in California to receive this certification. LEED Zero, a program developed by the USGBC, complements the building’s LEED Gold certification received in 2016. Having already received previous LEED certifications (LEED and LEED Gold) as a prerequisite, LADWP’s JFB was eligible to receive the LEED Zero certification as the building operated with net zero carbon emissions for the 2018 calendar year.

Image of John Ferraro Building.

United States Green Buildings Council LEED Guidelines

Building Design and Construction (BD+C)

Sustainable Sites

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LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Protect or restore habitat C         Credit points awarded based on the percentage of total area restored. (Schools exempted)
Rainwater management C         Credit points awarded based on percentile of rainfall retained.

 

Water Efficiency

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LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Outdoor water use reduction P/C       P/C Prerequisite achieved by eliminating permanent irrigation beyond max 2-year establishment period or reducing landscape water by at least 30% of baseline; credit points awarded for no irrigation or reducing landscape water by at least 50% of baseline.
Indoor water use reduction     P/C P/C P/C Prerequisite for all sectors - reduce baseline by 20%; credit points awarded based on percentage reduction above the prerequisite level.
Building-level water metering         P Credit points awarded from installation of permanent water meters measuring total water use.
Cooling tower water use/Optimize process water use         C
  1. Credit obtained by  
    conducting a one-time potable water analysis for cooling towers and evaporative condensers; 
  2. achieve increasing levels of cooling tower water efficiency beyond a water-cooled chiller system; and/or 
  3. demonstrate project is using minimum 20%-30% recycled water.
Water metering   C C   C Credit awarded by installation of permanent water meters for two or more water subsystems.

 

Interior Design and Construction (ID+C)

Water Efficiency

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LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Indoor water use reduction     P/C P/C P/C Prerequisite for all sectors - reduce baseline by 20%. Credit awarded by further reducing fixture and fitting water use from calculated baseline of additional potable water savings.

 

Innovation

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LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Innovation         C Credit awarded by achieving significant, measurable environmental performance using strategy not addressed in rating system.

 

Residential Multifamily

Sustainable Sites

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Protect or restore habitat C         Credit points awarded based on the percentage of total area restored.
Rainwater management C         Credit points awarded based on percentile of rainfall retained.

 

Water Efficiency

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Water use reduction P/C P/C P/C P/C P/C Prerequisite - reduce baseline by 20%; credit points awarded based on percentage reduction above the prerequisite level; and/or installing efficient landscaping.
Building-level water metering     P   P Prerequisite - install permanent water meters that measure total potable water use for building and associated grounds.
Water metering   C C   C Credit awarded by installing permanent water meters for two or more water subsystems.

 

Innovation

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Innovation         C Credit awarded by achieving significant, measurable environmental performance using strategy not addressed in rating system.

 

Residential Single-Family

Sustainable Sites

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Rainwater management C         Credit points awarded based on percentile of rainfall retained.

 

Water Efficiency

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Water use P P P P P Prerequisite - reduce baseline by 20%.
Water metering   P P   P Prerequisite install whole-house water meter. (Exempt if home only uses well water).
Total water use C C C C C Credit points awarded based on percentage reduction above the prerequisite level.
Indoor water use     C C C Credit points awarded through installation of high-efficiency fixtures and fittings.
Outdoor water use C C       Credit awarded through efficient landscaping practices with native plants or efficient irrigation.

 

Innovation

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Innovation         C Credit awarded by achieving significant, measurable environmental performance using strategy not addressed in rating system.

 

Sustainable Sites

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Rainwater management C         Credit points awarded based on percentile of rainfall retained.

 

 

Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M)

Water Efficiency

Download Guide
LEED V4.1 Turf Rebate Outdoor Rebates Indoor Rebates Indoor Free Devices TAP Notes

P = Prerequisite      C = Credit      P/C = Both Prerequisite and Credit
Water performance   P P   P Prerequisite - require permanently installed water meters that measure total potable water use for project and associated grounds.