Best Practices

Your plan should: 

The owner’s goals and IPMVP guidelines should drive your M&V plan, which should specify the systems to be submetered, those being spot-metered, and how you will accomplish this.

Your M&V or submetering program necessitates coordination with the mechanical and electrical engineers to verify that the control devices are able to provide the information needed for credit compliance.

If your project is attempting IPMVP, Option D, track the total energy consumption of your building. Since the energy model must be recalibrated, any variables that can influence consumption also need to be tracked. For example, you might track occupancy if it fluctuates.

As stated in the LEED Reference Guide, the following items must be monitored:

You can gain useful information on energy consumption, and insight into energy reduction measures that need to be considered, by isolating and metering different energy conservation measures, such as those for HVAC system and lighting load. This is not required for the credit, however.

Data to support this credit are typically taken from a combination of engineered calculations, utility information, meters, and submeters—and through temporary installation of additional sensors and data loggers, as needed.

In some districts, tenant submetering and charging by a third-party provider is prohibited. In others, utilities have rebates or incentives for projects providing tenant submetering. Check with your local district and utility for rebates and incentive—and if your local utility does not allow third-party submetering, see if it will install separate meters for tenants.

The “M&V provider” develops the M&V plan. This role can be filled by the commissioning agent, energy modeler, mechanical engineer, project engineer, or a facilities manager. 

Consider incorporating a building management system (BMS) into your space. This is not necessary for projects—installing simple, continuous metering can meet the credit requirements. A BMS can be a valuable facility component that records and verifies the energy and water use of a space. It provides central control of all identified systems while providing a user-friendly interface.