Products

Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks.This set of prerequisites and credits will combine current research, technology, best practices and performance goals for the design, construction and maintenance of sustainable sites. Two interim reports were released in 2007 and 2008 for public review. The final document was released on November 5, 2009. Its companion document titled, The Case for Sustainable Landscapes provides a set of arguments—economic, environmental, and social—for the adoption of sustainable land practices; additional background on the science behind the performance criteria the guidelines and performance benchmarks; the purpose and principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative; and a sampling of some of the case studies the Initiative has followed.  Download both reports here.

Rating System.Based on the  Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks 2009, the Sustainable Sites Initiative Rating System assesses specific site performance on a 250-point scale, with points awarded based on credits covering such areas as site selection, the use of materials, restoration of soils and vegetation, and sustainable practices in construction and maintenance.  Credits can apply to projects ranging from corporate campuses and transportation corridors to public parks and single-family residences. Click here to learn more about the Rating System.

Pilot Program. Beginning in June 2010, pilot projects will test various aspects of the Sustainable Sites Initiative rating system using a cross-section of project types, sizes and geographic locations. Click here to learn more about the two-year Pilot Program.

Reference Guide. This will be a user guide describing how various pilot projects achieved sustainability goals. It will document the practices that worked in solving site problems as well as evaluating each project (to be released in 2013).