Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)

As an advocate of sustainable design, NDS offers a number of products that may significantly contribute to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits earned.

As described in the LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations Rating System, the following products can earn a project LEED credits:

• EZ Roll Grass Paver
• EZ Roll Gravel Paver
• Tufftrack Grass Paver
• Flo-Well
• EZflow
• Drip Irrigation

NDS products can be used in a number of categories described by LEED v3, as detailed below.

Category: Sustainable Sites

Credit 5.1 Site Development — Protect or Restore Habitat (1 credit): Conserve existing natural areas and restore damaged areas to provide habitat and promote biodiversity

NDS product application (option 1):

• To attain this credit, all site disturbances during construction must be limited to within a certain distance from the building perimeter. Use of EZ Roll Grass Paver, EZ Roll Gravel Paver, or Tufftrack Grass Paver extends the allowed area of site disturbance from 10 ft to 25 ft, thus providing more area to work during construction.

NDS product application (option 2):

• EZ Roll Grass Paver or Tufftrack Grass Paver seeded with native plants in place of asphalt or other non-pervious surfaces will contribute to the overall percentage of habitat restored.
• For projects that qualify for Sustainable Sites Credit 2, use of EZ Roll Grass Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, EZflow, and Drip Irrigation on a vegetated roof with native or adapted plants can contribute to overall percentage of habitat restored or protected.

Credit 5.2 Site Development — Maximize Open Space (1 credit): Provide a high ratio of open space to development footprint to promote biodiversity

NDS product application (option 1, 2, & 3):

• EZ Roll Grass Paver or Tufftrack Grass Paver provides vegetated open space that will contribute to the open space requirements.
• For projects that qualify for Sustainable Sites Credit 2, use of EZ Roll Grass Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, EZflow, and Drip Irrigation on a vegetated roof can contribute to credit compliance.

Credit 6.1 Stormwater Design — Quantity Control (1 credit): Limit disruption of natural water hydrology by reducing impervious cover, increasing on-site infiltration, reducing or eliminating pollution from stormwater runoff, and eliminating contaminants

NDS product application (case 1 & 2):

• EZ Roll Grass Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, EZ Roll Gravel Paver, and Flo-Well can be utilized as part of a stormwater management plan as they reduce impervious cover, increase on-site infiltration, and reduce pollution from stormwater runoff.
• EZ Roll Grass Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, EZflow, and Drip Irrigation can be used to maintain a vegetated roof, which will minimize impervious surface area on the site.

Credit 6.2 Stormwater Design — Quality Control (1 credit): To limit disruption and pollution of natural water flows by managing stormwater runoff

NDS product application:

• EZ Roll Grass Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, and EZ Roll Gravel Paver can be utilized as part of a stormwater management plan as they reduce impervious cover, increase on-site infiltration, and reduce pollution from stormwater runoff.
• Both Flo-Well and EZflow can be utilized as part of a stormwater management plan – both products collect surface water and allow it to filter through the subsurface, increasing on-site infiltration and reducing pollution contained in stormwater runoff.

Credit 7.1 Heat Island Effect — Nonroof (1 credit): To reduce heat islands to minimize impacts on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats

NDS product application (option 1):

• As open grid pavement systems, the use of EZ Roll Grass Paver and Tufftrack Grass Paver reduces heat absorption and contributes to the overall hardscaped area calculation for this credit.
• EZ Roll Grass Paver will also reduce heat absorption when filled with aggregate with a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI²) of at least 29, and contributes to the overall hardscaped area calculation for this credit.

Credit 7.2 Heat Island Effect — Roof (1 credit): To reduce heat islands to minimize impacts on microclimates and human and wildlife habitats

NDS product application (option 2):

• EZ Roll Grass Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, EZflow, and Efficient Irrigation can be utilized on a vegetated roof to reduce heat absorption.

Category: Water Efficiency

Credit 1.1 Water Efficient Landscaping — Reduce by 50% (1 credit): Limit or eliminate the use of potable water, or other natural surface or subsurface water resources available on or near the project site, for landscape irrigation

NDS product application:

• Efficient Irrigation equipment can reduce the proportion of potable water used for landscape irrigation.

Credit 1.2 Water Efficient Landscaping — No Potable Water Use or No Irrigation(1 credit): Eliminate the use of potable water, or other natural surface or subsurface water resources available on or near the project site, for landscape irrigation

NDS product application:

• EZ Roll Grass Paver does not require an irrigation system and will eliminate the need for the use of potable water for irrigation of a landscaped area.

Category: Materials & Resources

Credit 4.1 Recycled Content: 10% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer) (1 credit): Increase demand for the building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.

NDS product application:

• NDS manufacture products that are made from 100% recycled HDPE (approximate blend is 50% post-consumer, 50% pre-consumer material), including EZ Roll Grass Paver, EZ Roll Gravel Paver, Tufftrack Grass Paver, and Flo-Well. Utilization of these products will increase the proportion of materials used on site that are recycled, and can contribute towards attainment of this credit.
• The aggregate in EZflow is 100% recycled material, so will also increase the proportion of recycled materials used on site, and can contribute to attainment of this credit.

Credit 4.2 Recycled Content: 20% (post-consumer + ½ pre-consumer) (1 credit): Increase demand for the building products that incorporate recycled content materials, thereby reducing impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials

NDS product application:

• The same products cited in credit 4.2 (above) can contribute to the attainment of this credit, if used in a larger proportion on site relative to the proportion of materials that are not recycled.