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LEED v4
Homes
Energy and Atmosphere
Efficient domestic hot water equipment

LEED CREDIT

Homes-v4 EAc12: Efficient domestic hot water equipment 1-3 points

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Install an ENERGY STAR–qualified water heater (1 point), or install a solar water heater that, in combination with an ENERGY STAR water heater, meets at least 40% (2 points) or 60% (3 points) of the annual domestic hot water (DHW) load (Table 1).

Table 1. Points for high-efficiency water heater

 

 Points

ENERGY STAR water heater

1

EF or thermal efficiency greater than 0.9
EF or thermal efficiency greater than 1.8

1.5
2

Solar water heaters

Solar water heater: ≥ 40% of annual DHW load

2

Solar water heater: ≥ 60% of annual DHW load

3

Projects outside the U.S. may use a performance equivalent to ENERGY STAR.
Credit only available for projects using the EA prescriptive path’
See all forum discussions about this credit »

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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 »

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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Install an ENERGY STAR–qualified water heater (1 point), or install a solar water heater that, in combination with an ENERGY STAR water heater, meets at least 40% (2 points) or 60% (3 points) of the annual domestic hot water (DHW) load (Table 1).

Table 1. Points for high-efficiency water heater

 

 Points

ENERGY STAR water heater

1

EF or thermal efficiency greater than 0.9
EF or thermal efficiency greater than 1.8

1.5
2

Solar water heaters

Solar water heater: ≥ 40% of annual DHW load

2

Solar water heater: ≥ 60% of annual DHW load

3

Projects outside the U.S. may use a performance equivalent to ENERGY STAR.
Credit only available for projects using the EA prescriptive path’
See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Homes-v4 EAc12