LEEDuser’s viewpoint
Explore this LEED credit
Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To improve the home’s overall energy performance and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Requirements
Projects with major energy users not included in the HERS Index, including pools, spas, heated driveways, and heated garages, or other major energy users not included in the HERS index must use Option 1.
Option 1. LEED Energy Budget
Design and construct a building whose modeled annual energy usage is lower than the LEED energy budget. The LEED energy budget is based on the ENERGY STAR for Homes, HERS Index Target Procedure for National Program Requirements, version 3, with the following modifications:
- The size adjustment factor is always 1.
- The building is a slab-on-grade ranch whose floor area is equal to the ENERGY STAR reference home’s conditioned floor area.
- There are no floors over unconditioned spaces.
- The gross exterior wall area is as shown in Table 1.
- There are two exterior half-lite doors, unshaded, one on the south wall, one on the west wall.
- Glazing is 15% of the floor area.
- The ceiling is insulated, and its gross area equals the conditioned floor area.
- The storage water heater has an energy factor of 0.59 for gas, 0.92 for electric.
- The thermal distribution system is 100% in the attic, above insulation.
- The LEED energy budget shall be displayed in MBtu/year, and is based on source energy.
- Any major energy users not covered by the energy model, including heated driveways, pools, spas, and heated garages, must be added to the annual energy consumption of the Rated Home.
Table 1. Exterior wall area of LEED reference home, by number of bedrooms
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 or more | |
| Area (square feet) | 1,300 | 1,667 | 1,957 | 2,200 | 2,411 | 2,600 | 2,773 | + 150 ft2 per additional bedroom |
| Area (square meters) | 120 | 154 | 181 | 204 | 223 | 241 | 257 | + 14 square meters per additional bedroom |
Individual units in multifamily buildings are compared to the LEED Reference Homes.
Points are awarded according to Table 2.
Table 2. Points for reducing energy usage below LEED energy budget
| Percentage reduction | Points |
|---|---|
| 1% | 1 |
| 2% | 2 |
| 3% | 3 |
| 4% | 4 |
| 5% | 5 |
| 6% | 6 |
| 7% | 7 |
| 8% | 8 |
| 9% | 9 |
| 10% | 10 |
| 12% | 11 |
| 14% | 12 |
| 16% | 13 |
| 18% | 14 |
| 20% | 15 |
| 22% | 16 |
| 24% | 17 |
| 26% | 18 |
| 28% | 19 |
| 30% | 20 |
| 32% | 21 |
| 34% | 22 |
| 37% | 23 |
| 40% | 24 |
| 50% | 25 |
| 60% | 26 |
| 70% | 27 |
| 80% | 28 |
| 90% | 29 |
OR
Option 2. HERS Index with Home Size Adjuster
Design and construct a home whose modeled annual energy usage achieves a HERS index rating of 70 or better (or USGBC-approved equivalent for projects outside the U.S.). Points are awarded according to Table 3.
Table 3. Points for achieving HERS index ratings
| HERS index | Points |
|---|---|
| 70 | 5 |
| 69 | 6 |
| 68 | 7 |
| 67 | 8 |
| 66 | 9 |
| 65 | 10 |
| 64 | 11 |
| 63 | 12 |
| 62 | 13 |
| 60 | 14 |
| 58 | 15 |
| 56 | 16 |
| 54 | 17 |
| 52 | 18 |
| 50 | 19 |
| 45 | 20 |
| 40 | 21 |
| 35 | 22 |
| 30 | 23 |
| 25 | 24 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 15 | 26 |
| 10 | 27 |
| 5 | 28 |
| 0 | 29 |
AND
Earn 1 point for every 4% decrease in conditioned floor area compared with the ENERGY STAR for Homes, version 3, reference home (Table 4). Buildings that are larger than the reference home lose 1 point for every 4% increase in conditioned floor area.
Projects cannot exceed the maximum number of points in the EA section.
Table 4. Conditioned floor area of reference home, by number of bedrooms
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 or more | |
| Floor area (square feet) | 1,000 | 1,600 | 2,200 | 2,800 | 3,400 | 4,000 | 4,600 | + 600 ft2 per additional bedroom |
| Floor area (square meters) | 93 | 148 | 204 | 260 | 315 | 371 | 426 | + 55.6 square meters per additional bedroom |
For multifamily buildings, home size includes only in-unit space.
North America ACP: Passive House US
LEED v4 Homes projects that earn the Passive House US (PHIUS) certificate may automatically earn 20 points in LEED v4 Homes EA Credit Annual Energy Use.
See all forum discussions about this credit »What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »Frequently asked questions
See all forum discussions about this credit »Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To improve the home’s overall energy performance and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
Requirements
Projects with major energy users not included in the HERS Index, including pools, spas, heated driveways, and heated garages, or other major energy users not included in the HERS index must use Option 1.
Option 1. LEED Energy Budget
Design and construct a building whose modeled annual energy usage is lower than the LEED energy budget. The LEED energy budget is based on the ENERGY STAR for Homes, HERS Index Target Procedure for National Program Requirements, version 3, with the following modifications:
- The size adjustment factor is always 1.
- The building is a slab-on-grade ranch whose floor area is equal to the ENERGY STAR reference home’s conditioned floor area.
- There are no floors over unconditioned spaces.
- The gross exterior wall area is as shown in Table 1.
- There are two exterior half-lite doors, unshaded, one on the south wall, one on the west wall.
- Glazing is 15% of the floor area.
- The ceiling is insulated, and its gross area equals the conditioned floor area.
- The storage water heater has an energy factor of 0.59 for gas, 0.92 for electric.
- The thermal distribution system is 100% in the attic, above insulation.
- The LEED energy budget shall be displayed in MBtu/year, and is based on source energy.
- Any major energy users not covered by the energy model, including heated driveways, pools, spas, and heated garages, must be added to the annual energy consumption of the Rated Home.
Table 1. Exterior wall area of LEED reference home, by number of bedrooms
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 or more | |
| Area (square feet) | 1,300 | 1,667 | 1,957 | 2,200 | 2,411 | 2,600 | 2,773 | + 150 ft2 per additional bedroom |
| Area (square meters) | 120 | 154 | 181 | 204 | 223 | 241 | 257 | + 14 square meters per additional bedroom |
Individual units in multifamily buildings are compared to the LEED Reference Homes.
Points are awarded according to Table 2.
Table 2. Points for reducing energy usage below LEED energy budget
| Percentage reduction | Points |
|---|---|
| 1% | 1 |
| 2% | 2 |
| 3% | 3 |
| 4% | 4 |
| 5% | 5 |
| 6% | 6 |
| 7% | 7 |
| 8% | 8 |
| 9% | 9 |
| 10% | 10 |
| 12% | 11 |
| 14% | 12 |
| 16% | 13 |
| 18% | 14 |
| 20% | 15 |
| 22% | 16 |
| 24% | 17 |
| 26% | 18 |
| 28% | 19 |
| 30% | 20 |
| 32% | 21 |
| 34% | 22 |
| 37% | 23 |
| 40% | 24 |
| 50% | 25 |
| 60% | 26 |
| 70% | 27 |
| 80% | 28 |
| 90% | 29 |
OR
Option 2. HERS Index with Home Size Adjuster
Design and construct a home whose modeled annual energy usage achieves a HERS index rating of 70 or better (or USGBC-approved equivalent for projects outside the U.S.). Points are awarded according to Table 3.
Table 3. Points for achieving HERS index ratings
| HERS index | Points |
|---|---|
| 70 | 5 |
| 69 | 6 |
| 68 | 7 |
| 67 | 8 |
| 66 | 9 |
| 65 | 10 |
| 64 | 11 |
| 63 | 12 |
| 62 | 13 |
| 60 | 14 |
| 58 | 15 |
| 56 | 16 |
| 54 | 17 |
| 52 | 18 |
| 50 | 19 |
| 45 | 20 |
| 40 | 21 |
| 35 | 22 |
| 30 | 23 |
| 25 | 24 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 15 | 26 |
| 10 | 27 |
| 5 | 28 |
| 0 | 29 |
AND
Earn 1 point for every 4% decrease in conditioned floor area compared with the ENERGY STAR for Homes, version 3, reference home (Table 4). Buildings that are larger than the reference home lose 1 point for every 4% increase in conditioned floor area.
Projects cannot exceed the maximum number of points in the EA section.
Table 4. Conditioned floor area of reference home, by number of bedrooms
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 or more | |
| Floor area (square feet) | 1,000 | 1,600 | 2,200 | 2,800 | 3,400 | 4,000 | 4,600 | + 600 ft2 per additional bedroom |
| Floor area (square meters) | 93 | 148 | 204 | 260 | 315 | 371 | 426 | + 55.6 square meters per additional bedroom |
For multifamily buildings, home size includes only in-unit space.
North America ACP: Passive House US
LEED v4 Homes projects that earn the Passive House US (PHIUS) certificate may automatically earn 20 points in LEED v4 Homes EA Credit Annual Energy Use.
