Pilot-Credits EApc161: Electrification ACP: Energy Simulation Performance Path 18 points

Credit language

Intent

For the world to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050, all new buildings must meet three goals. This alternative compliance path provides metrics intended to evaluate achievement of these goals using building energy simulation:

• GOAL 1: Buildings must be built capable of running without onsite combustion except at very low outdoor temperatures
• GOAL 2: Buildings must have low peak heating and cooling loads
• GOAL 3: Buildings must reduce other energy loads and invest in renewable power

Applicability
This pilot credit applies to v4 and v4.1

• BD+C: New Construction (18 points)
• BD+C: Core & Shell (18 points)
• BD+C: Schools (16 points)
• BD+C: Retail (18 points)
• BD+C: Data Centers (18 points)
• BD+C: Warehouses & Distribution Centers (18 points)
• BD+C: Hospitality (18 points)
• BD+C: Healthcare (20 points)
• ID+C: Commercial Interiors (25 points v4; 24 points v4.1)
• ID+C: Retail (25 points v4; 24 points v4.1)
• ID+C: Hospitality (25 points v4; 24 points v4.1)
• v4 BD+C: Multifamily Midrise (30 points)
• v4.1 Residential BD+C: Multifamily (18 points)
• v4.1 Residential bd+C: Multifamily Core and Shell (18 points)

Requirements

Note: This ACP uses ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G energy simulation. For a prescriptive path intended to accomplish the same goals without requiring detailed energy modeling, reference Pilot ACP EApc160: Electrification – Prescriptive Path.

Alternative Metrics:

1. Demand Adjusted Energy:
Demand Adjusted Energy is a globally applicable metric intended to incentivize electrification of buildings paired with peak loads reductions. This metric is intended to provide consistent, predictable results that will not be subject to unpredictable fluctuations such as are likely when applying the cost, source energy, or GHG emissions metrics.

Similar to an incremental electric demand charge or time-of-use charge when applying the cost metric, the "demand adjustment" places increased value on hourly electric demand occurring during periods when future electric load on the grid is anticipated to be highest. However, unlike the cost metric, site energy consumption associated with electricity and fuel is equally weighted prior to applying the “demand adjustment”.

A full description of the Demand Adjusted Energy metric and hourly calculation methodology is described in the “LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator” published in the Resources tab for this ACP.

2. Greenhouse gas emissions:
The total greenhouse gas emissions metric, in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents, shall be determined using carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

• United States:
  • Use the most recent publication of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regional grid mix coefficients to calculate GHG emissions by energy source;
  or
  • Continental US (required if documenting Optimize Energy Performance Credit greenhouse gas emissions savings for LEED v4.1 Tier 2 renewable)
    • Electricity hourly emissions: Use hourly emissions profiles from the most recent publication year of Cambium Long-run Marginal Emission Rates for Electricity with the following characteristics:
    • Emission: CO2e
    • Emission stage: Combined
    • Start year: 2023
    • Evaluation period: 30 years
    • Discount rate: 0%
    • Scenario: 95% Decarb by 2050
    • Global Warming Potentials: 100-year (AR6)
    • Location: End-Use

SOURCE: Gagnon, Pieter; Cowiestoll, Brady; Schwarz, Marty (2023): Long-run Marginal Emission Rates for Electricity - Workbooks for 2022 Cambium Data. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO. https://data.nrel.gov/submissions/206

• Other Fuels: Use total emissions (direct and indirect) referenced in “LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator” (currently based on most recent ASHRAE 189 addenda proposal).

• All other locations:
  • Use published national or regional average CO2 equivalent emissions factors per energy source such as those published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the EU Taxonomy, ISO 52000-1 (most recent version), or the most recently published International Energy Agency CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion report
  • Electricity future projections: Projects located in areas with mandatory electric grid Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and/or decarbonization requirements may use the average of the current electric grid emissions factor and the 2050 projected grid emissions factor (with a minimum of 5% of the current grid emissions factor).
  • For reporting methods that separate “renewable” and “non-renewable” emissions (e.g. for wood fuel classified as renewable in the project location; or for national average electric emissions that separately report renewable versus non-renewable emissions), the total renewable plus non-renewable emissions factors shall be documented.
  (OR)
  • Canada: Use the most recent publication of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regional grid mix coefficients to calculate GHG emissions by energy source;



Rating-system specific requirements:

LEED v4.1

EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
Comply with all EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance, except that all references to the “Cost” metric shall be replaced with the “Demand Adjusted Energy” metric, and all references to the “Greenhouse Gas Emissions” metric shall be determined as indicated above.

EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance
Comply with all EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance requirements, except that all references to the “Cost” metric shall be replaced with “Demand Adjusted Energy” metric, and all references to “Greenhouse Gas Emissions” shall be determined as indicated above.

LEED v4

Energy simulation shall be completed using ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G with Addendum al, which revises the baseline space heating energy source determination dependent on climate zone, and the water heating energy source based on building activity.

EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
Comply with all EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance, except that all references to the “Cost” metric shall be replaced with the “Demand Adjusted Energy” metric or the “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Metric” determined as indicated above. Renewable energy may not be used to demonstrate achievement of prerequisite compliance using either metric.

EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance or EA Credit: Annual Energy Use
Comply with all EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance requirements, with the following revisions:
Follow the criteria in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance to demonstrate a percentage improvement in the proposed building performance rating compared with the baseline using metrics of “Demand Adjusted Energy” and “Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions” as referenced above. Points are awarded according to Table 1 and Table 2 below.

Table 1. Points for percentage improvement in energy performance: Demand Adjusted Energy (1-9 points NC and CS, 1-8 points Schools, 1-10 points Healthcare, 1-13 points ID+C)

BD+C except Healthcare, CS	Major Renovation	Healthcare	CS	ID+C	MF Midrise	Points BD+C	Points Healthcare	Points ID+C	Points MF Midrise
8%	6%	6%	5%	4%	7%	1	1	2	1
12%	10%	8%	9%	5%	9%	2	2	3	2
16%	14%	12%	13%	6%	11%	3	3	4	3
20%	18%	16%	17%	7%	13%	4	4	5	4
24%	22%	20%	21%	9%	15%	5	5	6	5
29%	27%	24%	26%	11%	17%	6	6	7	6
35%	33%	29%	32%	13%	19%	7	7	8	7
42%	40%	35%	39%	15%	22%	8	8	9	8
50%	48%	42%	47%	17%	26%	9	9	10	9
54%	54%	50%	54%	20%	30%	EP	10	11	10
		54%		24%	36%		EP	12	11
				28%	42%			13	12
				32%	48%			EP	13
					54%				14
					60%				15
					65%				EP

Table 2. Points for percentage improvement in energy performance – GHG Emissions (1-9 points NC and CS, 1-8 points Schools, 1-10 points Healthcare)

BD+C except Healthcare, CS	Major Renovation	Healthcare	CS	ID+C	MF Midrise	Points BD+C	Points Healthcare	Points ID+C	Points MF Midrise
8%	6%	6%	5%	4%	7%	1	1	2	1
12%	10%	8%	9%	5%	9%	2	2	3	2
17%	15%	12%	13%	6%	11%	3	3	4	3
22%	20%	17%	18%	8%	13%	4	4	5	4
28%	25%	22%	22%	11%	16%	5	5	6	5
34%	32%	28%	28%	15%	19%	6	6	7	6
40%	36%	34%	34%	20%	21%	7	7	8	7
50%	46%	40%	40%	26%	25%	8	8	9	8
65%	60%	50%	50%	33%	30%	9	9	10	9
80%	75%	65%	65%	45%	35%	EP	10	11	10
		80%		60%	40%		EP	12	11
				75%	45%			EP	12
					50%				13
					65%				14
					80%				15
					100%				EP


Notes:
• NC, WDC, Hospitality, and Retail projects with process Demand Adjusted Energy exceeding 50% of the proposed Demand Adjusted Energy (excluding renewable savings) may use the Table 1 CS thresholds per LI 10493.
• NC, WDC, Hospitality, and Retail projects with process GHG Emissions exceeding 50% of the proposed GHG Emissions (excluding renewable savings) may use the Table 2 CS thresholds per LI 10493.
• Colocation data centers projects using the BD+C: Data center rating system may use CS thresholds in lieu of NC thresholds per LI 10494.
• ID+C: As an alternative to modeling the ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G prescriptive new construction envelope requirements in the Baseline, project teams may use the existing envelope in the baseline energy model per ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Table G.3.1.5 (baseline) f, subject to a 5% revised percentage improvement thresholds for (EA) prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance and a 2% performance improvement above the performance thresholds shown in Table 1 and Table 2 to earn the corresponding number of points (see LI 10454)
• Project teams modeling the existing envelope in the baseline must demonstrate 5% performance improvement under EA prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance, and must demonstrate a 2% performance improvement above established performance thresholds in EA credit Optimize Energy Performance to earn the corresponding number of points https://www.usgbc.org/leedaddenda/10454
• For Table 2 EAc Optimize Energy Performance, credit may be documented in EAc Optimize Energy Performance for Greenhouse Gas emissions reductions associated with LEED v4.1 Tier 2 New Off-Site renewable energy.
• Projects in the continental United States and other locations where hourly electric emissions factors are available must model baseline and proposed building electric GHG emissions using the hourly GHG emissions factors for the building’s grid region, and model avoided GHG emissions from Tier 2 off-site renewable electricity using the hourly generation profile associated with the renewable asset and the hourly GHG emissions factors for the renewable asset’s grid region. Optimize Energy Performance credit is not available for Tier 2 renewable assets in the continental U.S. where the hourly generation profile and/or grid region is not specified in the documentation

Submittals

General

Register for the pilot credit
• Participate in the optional LEEDuser pilot credit forum
• Complete the feedback survey:
Feedback Survey

Documentation/Compliance

In addition to the standard documentation for this prerequisite, provide the following additional documentation:
• Upload the LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator.
• For projects outside the U.S. and Canada, provide the emissions factors used, and upload the published reference and/or screen shot documenting the current published national or regional GHG emissions for each energy source documented (including total renewable + non-renewable emissions).
• For projects outside the U.S. documenting future average electric GHG emissions factors associated with minimum decarbonization requirements, provide references to the published regulatory requirements with a screen shot or link showing the published required carbon emission factors for electricity in the project location stipulated by 2050.

Changes

• 2/6/23 - Original Publication

See all forum discussions about this credit »