Presentation at the “Green Stormwater Infrastructure Consulting: Chat with the Experts” seminar at the Atlantic Builders Convention on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 about green infrastructure tools for developers.

1. Green Infrastructure
Tools for Developers
Elise Eggert-Crowe
Water Resources Designer
Meliora Design
elise@meliora.design

2. Getting started with Green Infrastructure
I want green infrastructure for my project…
 Can be used to meet regulatory requirements
 Variety and flexibility of GI techniques
 Offers aesthetic amenity
… but how do I get started?
 Which techniques are most effective for my project?
 How much GI do I need?
 What are the construction and maintenance costs?

3. A quick note…
Green Infrastructure (GI)
=
Low Impact Development (LID)
=
Best Management Practice (BMP)
=
Stormwater Management Practice (SMP)
=
Stormwater Features

4. Green Infrastructure Design Tools
• Many online tools developed to assess GI
• Compile relevant information (soil type, land cover, etc.)
• Inform conceptual-level designs
• Generate “what if” scenarios
• Four web-based tools for today’s discussion
1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator
2. NYC Green Infrastructure Co-Benefits Calculator
3. National Green Values Calculator
4. Autocase

5. Use and Limitations
• Using these tools
• Planning- and conceptual- level design
• Inform design process
• Gather estimates of sizing, construction costs, and
maintenance costs
• Help communicate concepts to clients, planning
commission, community organizations
• Limitations
• Lack of correlation with local and state regulations
• These tools alone will not get you a permit
• Do not provide technical support required for site-level
design
• These tools cannot be your engineer

6. 1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator
• Intended users - both technical and non-technical
• Site developers
• Landscape architects
• Urban planners
• Homeowners
• Tool focus
• Screening level analysis of small sites (under 12 acres)
• Informing user how well they can meet a stormwater
retention target (example: manage first 1.5” of rainfall
event)

7. 1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator
Benefits
• Free
• Easy to run, store, and
compare scenarios
• Summary of
construction and
maintenance costs
Drawbacks
• Intended for small
sites (<12 acres)
• Not correlated with
local regulatory
requirements

8. 1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator
https://swcweb.epa.gov/stormwatercalculator

9. 1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator
Location
Soil Type
Soil Drainage
Topography
Precipitation
Climate Change
Land Cover
LID Controls
Project Cost
Results

10. 1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator
RESULTS

11. 1. EPA National Stormwater Calculator

12. 2. National Green Values Calculator
• Developed by Center for Neighborhood Technology
in collaboration with US EPA
• Intended users
• Planners
• Engineers
• Municipal staff
• Tool focus
• Pre-development to post-development comparison
• With and without GI comparison
• Volume reduction goal (no peak rate)

13. 2. National Green Values Calculator
Benefits
• Free
• Follows similar
methodology to
municipal and state
regulation
• Provides estimates for
construction
maintenance, and life
cycle costs
Drawbacks
• Does not align with
all regulatory-based
goals (e.g. rate
control)

14. 2. National Green Values Calculator
http://greenvalues.cnt.org/national/calculator.php

15. 2. National Green Values Calculator

16. 2. National Green Values Calculator

17. 2. National Green Values Calculator

18. 3. NYC GI Co-Benefits Calculator
• Developed by NYC DEP
• Intended users
• Planners
• Developers
• Academics
• Tool focus
• Quantify co-benefits of GI (increased property value,
improved quality of life, carbon sequestration, etc.)
• Compare GI Options

19. 3. NYC GI Co-Benefits Calculator
Benefits
• Free
• Useful for community
outreach to highlight
additional benefits
• Social, environmental
benefits
Drawbacks
• Developed specifically
for NYC
• Lacks basic site feature
inputs (soil type,
infiltration rate)
• Not correlated with
regional regulatory
requirements

20. 3. NYC GI Co-Benefits Calculator
http://www.nycgicobenefits.net

21. 3. NYC GI Co-Benefits Calculator

22. 4. Autocase
• Software developed by Impact Infrastructure
• Intended users
• Developers
• Engineers
• Municipalities
• Tool focus
• Optimization of lifecycle costs of a project
• Triple bottom line framework: economic, social,
environmental costs
Note: not affiliated with Autodesk

23. 4. Autocase
Benefits
• Pulls site-specific
information from
national databases
• Aesthetic results panel
for communication of
results for planning
commission or
community
Drawbacks
• License model, most
users pay between
$1,500 and $25,000
• Social and
environmental costs
less tangible than
financial costs
• Not correlated with
regulatory
requirements

24. 4. Autocase
https://autocase.com/

25. 4. Autocase

26. Use and Limitations
• Using these tools
• Planning- and conceptual- level design
• Inform design process
• Gather sizing, cost, and maintenance estimates
• Help communicate concepts to clients
• Limitations
• Lack of correlation with local and state regulations
• Methodologies, goals
• Do not provide technical support for site-level design