WIMSEE extended

WIMSEE is a great chart that is referenced a lot as a way to remember the numbers of prerequisites and available point in each LEED NC section. I put it up a while ago in a post about InTheLEED.com, a great study resource.

I am making some adjustments to it to help me remember the ID opportunities and submittal phases of as well. They are not in beautiful ascending order as the rest of WIMSEE is, but when they are added to the table it makes a fairly simple visual for me to remember.

Please note that people have mentioned some discrepancies between people’s ID counts – especially in the SS section. I think this is due to the Alternative Transportation credits. I arrived at my seven by counting: SS2 – you can double the density of the project itself or you can double the base credit area and corresponding density; SS4s – alternative transportation management plan; SS4.1 – increase threshold of distances to public transportation and require high frequency of service; SS5.1 – increase threshold to 75%; SS5.2 – double everything; SS7.1 – 100% high-albedo surfaces or underground parking; SS7.2 – full green roof. Pat on InTheLEED counted all the Alt Trans credits as one. I believe, however, that two points are available. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. (Thank you reader ‘brandon’ for bring this to my attention in the comments).

Anyway, here it is:

WIMSEE extended

So then I use a little rhyming to remember the numbers…

206723: the order of id points available in WIMSEE.
Plenty (20) of tricks (6) can get you into Heaven (7). But you won’t be true (2) and free (3).

For the submittal phases, I do a more visual approach. I fill in all the ‘designs’ and ‘constructions’ which is fairly easy once you try it a couple times.

Then for the numbers, I put in all the p1’s first. Then I put anything with a .1 after it. Then 3,5,6. In the end I treat it like a series of steps. And I only have to remember a couple numbers for each step, so it’s not so bad. Hope this works for someone else too!

possible questions for WE 3.1 and 3.2

possible questions for WE 3.1 and 3.2:

1. What are some acceptable ways to reduce water use in buildings?

2. Can water-efficient appliances such as dishwashers and clothes washers be used in the calculations for this credit?

3. If a project has a given number of FTE’s, how do you determine the baseline water use?

4. Baseline flush rates are based on what standard?

5. ‘graywater’, according to the International Plumbing Code defines graywater as?

6. What is the difference between WE 3.1 and 3.2?

7. Which fixtures are included in these credits?

8. What can stormwater and graywater be reused for?

9. What is the assumed usage of water-using equipment by students, visitors, retail customers, FTE occupant and resident?

10. How do you earn the ID credit?

11. The EPAct1992 requires what flow rates?

answers:

1. ‘collect, detect, restrict’ – this helps me remember that the five ways LEED lists for reducing water use in buildings are to ❶ reuse or collect ❷ use fixture sensors ❸ use flow restrictors ❹ or use low-flow or dry fixtures

2. No, but they can be used to achieve the ID credit.

3. Assume 50/50 male/female. Use the table in the reference guide (do I really have to memorize that?!) to calculate the number of times each toilet, urinal, etc gets flushed. Remember FTE occupants use equipment more than transient occupants, but not as much as residents.

4. Energy Policy Act of 1992.

5. Water coming from lavatories, bathtubs, showers, clothes washers, or laundry sinks. NOT kitchen or toilet stuff…. that has nastiness in it.

6. WE 3.1 requires you to reduce the baseline water use by 20%, while 3.2 requires a 30% reduction.

7. ‘Just Who iS the HULK?’ ❶ Janitor sinks ❷ WCs ❸ Showers ❹ Hand wash fountains ❺ Urinals ❻ Lavatory faucets ❼ Kitchen sinks

8. toilet and urinal flushing, mechanical systems, and custodial uses.

9. 20% of all retail customers will use a flush and flow fixture (no shower or kitchen sink). 50% of all students or visitors will do the same. The FTE occupant will go to bathroom 3 times a day (2 times in a urinal for the boys) and then washes his or her hands, shower 0.1 times per day, and use the non-residendtial kitchen sink once per day. The default Resident flushes and flows 5 times per day, 1 shower, 4 residential kitchen sink uses. That’s all in the ridiculous table in the reference guide, which I have no intention to memorize… Hope they don’t ask me a question on it.

10. Achieve a water savings of 40% minimum, OR 10% savings in process or non-regulated water consuming fixtures.

11. I do not intend on remembering this… Out of principle, it is absurd to memorize a table that you could easily look at for reference. Frustration is mounting…
water closets -1.6 gpf
urinals – 1.0 gpf
showerheads – 2.5 gpm
replacement aerators – 2.5 gpm
faucets – 2.5 gpm
metering faucets – 0.25 gal/cy

possible questions for WE 2

possible questions for WE 2:

1. What are the two compliance paths for this credit?

2. What are some suitable uses for captured rainwater?

3. How do you calculate the total occupant hours based on a given FTE?
Example A: A project has 55 FTE; how many total occupant hours does it have?

4. What are transient occupants?

5. What are some ways to treat wastewater on-site?

answers:

1. Option 1 – reduce potable water for use in building sewage conveyance by 50%. Option 2 – Treat 50% of wastewater on-site to tertiary standards. (So that’s 50% either before or after the poop).

2. landscape irrigation, toilet and urinal flushing, process water needs / machinery

3. Multiply by 8 for a typical workday.
Example A: The project has 440 occupant hours in a given day.

4. students, visitors, customers, etc. Use representative daily average for these calculations.

5. constructed wetlands, mechanical recirculating sand filter, anaerobic biological treatment reactor

possible questions for WE 1.1 and 1.2

possible questions for WE 1.1:

1. What are the different ways that you can reduce water use in landscaping according to this credit’s requirements?

2. What month is considered the peak irrigation month for this credit?

3. What are some high-efficiency irrigation systems?

4.  Can you use temporary irrigation to establish planting and still obtain WE 1.2?

5. Can you achieve an ID credit for this section?

6. How do you calculate the Landscape Coefficient and what is it?

7. Which value stay the same when calculating the baseline and the design cases?

8. What must be included in the narrative for this credit submittal?

9. What do you call landscape designs that are aimed at eliminating the need for irrigation?

answers

1. ‘TWIRP’ (which is what happy birds say in water-efficient landscaping) – ❶ Treated and conveyed public non-potable water ❷ recycled Wastewater ❸ Irrigation efficiency ❹ collected Rainwater ❺ Plant species factor

2. July

3. ‘Republicans Really Want to be DEMS’ (that’s not true, but one can hope) – ❶ Rain shutoffs ❷ Rainwater collection ❸ Wastewater recycling ❹ Drip irrigation systems ❺ Evapotranspiration controls ❻ moisture Sensors ❼ Micro-irrigation

4. Yes, as long as the temporary irrigation system is removed within one year of installation.

5. No

6. KL = ks × kd × kmc , where ks is the Species Factor (determined by a plant professional), kd is the Density Factor, and kmc is the Microclimate Factor. The resulting Landcape Coefficient indicates the volume of water lost via evapotranspiration during the month of July. I remember the order of the equation with the mnemonic ‘Luckily, Sinners Don’t Mind Chocolate’.

7. The Microclimate Factor (as the climate will not change) and the Evapotranspiration Rate (as this too is dependent on location).

8. A description of the landscaping and irrigation design strategies, a description of the water use calculation methodology, and specific information about the source and quantity of any non-potable water used.

9. Xeriscape

summary of strategies for memorizing credit orders

Ok, so let’s try all of it from memory once through…

Sustainable Sites:

‘Crazy Sally Does Better After Alcohol Administered Assignments; Some Say She Suspends Her Head Low.’
equals
Construction activity pollution prevention
Site selection
Development density and community connectivity
Brownfield redevelopment
Alternative transportation
Alternative transportation
Alternative transportation
Alternative transportation
Site development
Site development
Stormwater management
Stormwater management
Heat island effect
Heat island effect

‘Alternative Peanut Butter Lacks Punch’
equals
Alternative transportation:
1. Public transportation access
2. Bicycle storage and changing rooms
3. Low-emmitting vehicles and fuel-efficient vehicles
4. Parking capacity

‘Develop your PR to the Max. It’s NOT quantity that matters, but quality.’
equals
site Development:
1. Protect and Restore habitat
2. Maximize open space
heat island effect:
1. Non-roof
2. roof

Water Efficiency:

‘Worried Women Incur Worry Warts.’
equals
Water efficient landscaping
Water efficient landscaping
Innovative wastewater technologies
Water use reduction
Water use reduction

‘50 – 0 = 20 + 30’
equals
water efficient landscaping – reduce by 50%
water efficient landscaping – No potable water or No irrigation
water use reduction - 20%
water use reduction – 30%

Energy and Atmosphere:

‘FeMale Fan! OOEE! My God!’
equals
Fundamental commissioning of building systems
Minimum energy performance
Fundamental refrigerant management
Optimize energy performance
On-site renewable energy
Enhanced commissioning
Enhanced refrigerant management
Measurement and verification
Green power

Materials and Resources:

‘Scores:

v the Bears are losing to the Rams 75 to 95 at half-time (50%)
v Chicago to Washington 50 to 75
v Minnesota to Rams 5 to 10
v Rams to Cardinals 10 to 20
v Rams to Minnesota 10 to 20

(and in the background, the sound of a …) Roaring Crowd !!!’
equals
Storage and collection of recyclables
Building Reuse – maintain 75% of existing floors, walls, and roof
Building Reuse – maintain 95% of existing floors, walls, and roof
Building Reuse – maintain 50% of all non-structural elements
Construction Waste Management – divert 50% from disposal
Construction Waste Management – divert 75% from disposal
Materials Reuse – 5%
Materials Reuse – 10%
Recycled Content – 10% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer)
Recycled Content – 20% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer)
Regional Material – 10 % extracted, processed and manufactured regionally
Regional Material – 20 % extracted, processed and manufactured regionally
Rapidly renewable materials
Certified wood

Indoor Environmental Quality:

‘Mariana & Enrico Only Invite Characters Chanting ‘LaLaLaLa’ Inside Central Command. Those Trying ‘Dooowap’ – Dismissed!’
equals
Minimum IAQ performance
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) control
Outdoor air delivery monitoring
Increased ventilation
Construction IAQ management plan
Construction IAQ management plan
Low-emmitting materials
Low-emmitting materials
Low-emmitting materials
Low-emmitting materials
Indoor chemical and pollutant source control
Controllability of systems
Controllability of systems
Thermal comfort
Thermal comfort
Daylighting and views
Daylighting and views

‘Low Apple Picking Can Create Aches.’
equals
Low-emmitting materials
1. Adhesives and sealants
2. Paints and coatings
3. Carpet systems
4. Composite woods and agrifiber

‘Managing a Daemonic Baby is like Controlling the Sun and the Wind.’
construction IAQ Management plan
1. During construction
2. Before occupancy
Controllability of systems
1. Light
2. Thermal Comfort

‘Thermal underwear was not Designed to be Verified.’
Thermal comfort
1. Design
2. Verification

‘75% of the Day is spent looking straight ahead.’
Daylighting and Views
1. Daylight 75% of spaces
2. Views for 90% of spaces

Innovation and Design Process:

just remember the two:
Innovation in Design
LEED AP

Materials & Resources strategies for remembering credit order

Credits listed in Materials & Resources:
MR P1    Storage & Collection of Recyclables
MR C1.1    Building Reuse – Maintain 75% of Existing Walls, Floor, Roof
MR C1.2    Building Reuse – Maintain 95% of Existing Walls, Floor, Roof
MR C1.3    Building Reuse – Maintain 50% of Interior Non-Structural Elements
MR C2.1    Construction Waste Management – Divert 50% from Disposal
MR C2.2    Construction Waste Management – Divert 75% from Disposal
MR C3.1    Materials Reuse – 5%
MR C3.2    Materials Reuse – 10%
MR C4.1    Recycled Content – 10% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer)
MR C4.2    Recycled Content – 20% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer)
MR C5.1    Regional Materials – 10% Extracted, Processed & Manufactured Regionally
MR C5.2    Regional Materials – 20% Extracted, Processed & Manufactured Regionally
MR C6    Rapidly Renewable Materials
MR C7    Certified Wood

Which is really difficult to make a mnemonic out of. In addition, for me, I need help remembering the numbers as well. So for Materials and Resources, I decided to revert to an imaginary NFL score report using the following important characters. Since I went to Washington University in St. Louis, and there happen to be a lot of R words in this credit list, you will notice that the Rams pop up quite a bit. In addition (as I am a visual person) I will add the team logos to help me.

S B R 75 95 50 C W 50 75 M R 5 10 R M 10 20R C

‘Scores:

v the Bears are losing to the Rams 75 to 95 at half-time (50%) (yay! would have been a big game back in college. we had a lot of Chi-Towners at Wash U)
v Chicago to Washington 50 to 75 (this one I have to remember I am using place name instead of team name)
v Minnesota to Rams 5 to 10 (I have no affilitation with Minnesota, but it was them or Miami whose logo wasn’t working.)
v Rams to Cardinals 10 to 20 (Rams have been busy, they got tired at the end here and started losing)
v Rams to Minnesota 10 to 20 (and utlimately lost to the team I don’t care about at all unfortunately… who they already played once today.)
(and in the background, the sound of a …) Roaring Crowd !!!’

So, in review…

‘Scores:
the Bears are losing to the Rams 75 to 95 at half-time (50%)
Chicago to Washington 50 to 75
Minnesota to Rams 5 to 10
Rams to Cardinals 10 to 20
Rams to Minnesota 10 to 20
(and in the background, the sound of a …) Roaring Crowd !!!’

Water Efficiency strategies for remembering credit order

Credits listed in Water Efficiency:
WE C1.1    Water Efficient Landscaping – Reduce by 50%
WE C1.2    Water Efficient Landscaping – No Potable Water Use or No Irrigation
WE C2    Innovative Wastewater Technologies
WE C3.1    Water Use Reduction – 20%
WE C3.2    Water Use Reduction – 30%

So, the beginning letters of each credit make the Tier 1 mnemonic:

W W I W W

which clearly reads as:

‘Worried Women Incur Worry Warts.’

Tier 2 key characters for Water Efficiency are all numbers:

50  0  20  30

I’ll try a math equation for this one to help me remember:

50 – 0 = 20 + 30

(might have to come back to that one and rework it)

So, to summarize:

‘Worried Women Incur Worry Warts.’

50 – 0 = 20 + 30