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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Important notes:
Eligibility: The building must be fully operational and occupied for at least four years (to include three years historical data plus one year performance data), must have metering in place for 100% of building energy consumption for at least four years, and must maintain the same functional use for 90% of the gross building area throughout the historical and performance period. Buildings must meet the following criteria below to apply the “High Process Load Building” thresholds identified in this credit:- Process energy comprises at least 60% of the annual source energy consumption. To qualify, projects must demonstrate that the energy use associated with manufacturing or industrial equipment, equipment used for conveyance of people or objects, uncontrollable loads, life safety requirements, and/or security requirements contributes at least 60% of the total energy consumption, meaning that at least 60% of the total building source energy consumption cannot be modified using standard efficiency/retrofit measures including:
- The building is not eligible for an ENERGY STAR rating
- The building is not eligible to use Labs21 Benchmarking using Case 2, Option 1, Path 1;
- The project must submit documentation requesting formal approval of this classification along with a normalization plan upon pilot credit registration to confirm eligibility to proceed as a “High Process Load Building”.
Establishment
EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
All projects: Conduct an analysis to identify any high priority retrofit needs and establish a short term plan that addresses the needs identified. High Process Load Buildings:- Identify the most appropriate metric for determining the source energy use intensity for the facility relative to the manufacturing process or building functional use (e.g. Btu/pound (kWh/kg) of product produced; Btu/unit (kWh/unit) of product produced; Btu/square foot of building area (kWh/square meter of building area)).
- Prepare a normalization plan identifying how the data will be normalized:
- Weather normalization
- Normalization of the production-based, or process-based energy intensity metrics for other factors as applicable.
- Normalization for facility hours of operation versus idling time
Performance
EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
All projects: Demonstrate energy efficiency improvement, measured by source energy use intensity (EUI) , of at least 10% (or 5% for High Process Load Buildings), normalized for climate and building use. The percent reduction is determined by the project building’s energy reduction over the most recent 12 months, and data from three contiguous years of the previous five represents the baseline period. High Process Load Buildings: For a 12 month period corresponding with the current year performance period above, submeter all major energy sources serving any contiguous areas of the building that are 25,000 square feet (2,500 square meters) or greater, are one of the building types eligible for an ENERGY STAR rating, operate independently from the manufacturing or high-process load areas, and are served by dedicated HVAC systems (e.g. supporting office space, warehouses, retail space, etc.). These spaces must be entered into ENERGY STAR as if they were standalone buildings and demonstrate an ENERGY STAR score of at least 75. Energy sources that are calculated or measured to represent less than 5% of one of the ENERGY STAR eligible space’s energy use can forego submetering if the entire energy source is included in the ENERGY STAR documentation (for example if domestic hot water is less than 5% of the office area’s energy use, it may forego submetering if the entire building’s domestic hot water energy use is included in the ENERGY STAR rating for the office portion).EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance
Intent: To achieve increasing levels of energy performance beyond the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental and economic harms associated with excessive energy use.Performance
Demonstrate additional energy efficiency improvement beyond the level demonstrated in the prerequisite, measured by source energy use intensity (EUI), of at least 5% (or 2% for High Process Load Buildings) for each additional point up to a maximum of 6 points.General Pilot Documentation Requirements
Register for the pilot credit- Participate in the LEEDuser pilot credit forum
- Complete the feedback survey:
Establishment:
Provide a copy of the short-term plan that addresses the retrofit needs identified in the analysis.Performance:
- Provide performance period dates; must be at least 12 consecutive months.
- Provide baseline period dates.
- Confirm that the baseline and performance period fall within the previous 5 years.
- Confirm project building square footage.
- Confirm Energy meter(s) that measured the entire energy use of the project building have been in place from the start of the baseline period, and that this was the data used to establish the project building's energy efficiency performance.
- Choose one of the following options for providing energy consumption data to USGBC:
Option 1: The project team is sharing energy consumption data with USGBC through EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and understands that USGBC will check for the following information:
- The project building’s baseline source energy use intensity (as provided by ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool) (kBTU/sf)
- The project building’s performance period source energy use intensity (as provided by ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool) (kBTU/sf)
- Project building’s ENERGY STAR rating
- Use of the “Set Energy Performance Target” tool in Portfolio Manager and set a target, and the estimated target reduction (%).
- If any energy performance improvements have been made during the performance period, the record of improvements in the “Track Energy Performance Improvements” tool in Portfolio Manager.
- Verify that the project team has provided Master Account access to USGBC-LEEDPerformanceReporting. OR
- [This option is not yet available] Verify that the project team has authorized USGBC as their Energy Service Provider (ESP) for Automated Benchmarking Service (ABS) Note: Authorizing USGBC as an ESP will streamline how you share energy data with USGBC. When you authorize USGBC as an ESP to your ENERGY STAR portfolio manager account, you will be allowing USGBC to automatically and regularly pull your energy and water data (as long as it is maintained in Portfolio Manager), and will not have to send USGBC data in another format.
- The project building’s performance period source energy use intensity (as provided by ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool) (kBTU/sf)
- Project building’s ENERGY STAR rating
- Use of the “Set Energy Performance Target” tool in Portfolio Manager and set a target, and the estimated target reduction (%).
- If any energy performance improvements have been made during the performance period, the record of improvements in the “Track Energy Performance Improvements” tool in Portfolio Manager.
Background information
Allowing owners who employ energy management best practices in their buildings to receive a LEED rating by reducing their energy consumption by 20% provides new opportunities for USGBC. This type of leadership can now be rewarded within LEED and supported by USGBC’s performance programs. Annual performance reports and recertification are perfectly suited for these types of buildings. Buildings entering LEED EB: O&M through this performance option are required to show continuous improvement through the LEED Recertification program. The recertification program allows USGBC to ensure that all buildings in LEED are maintaining leadership standards. Buildings addressed by this compliance path have the most to gain and will find the most value in maintaining their LEED certification; without them, the LEED Recertification Program will not be a strong market changing instrument. If we want LEED to drive significant reductions in energy use we are going to need the majority of buildings to reduce their energy use by 20% or more.Changes
- 5/15/2012: Updated documentation form link and reformatted documentation requirement language.
- 8/1/2013: Updated eligible project types to align with ENERGY STAR revisions
- 5/19/2016: Removed 500 project cap Removed certification level cap Changed to 10% performance improvement beyond historical performance (within 5 years) for all Energy Star eligible building types, laboratory projects eligible to follow Case 2, Option 1, Path 1 using Labs21, and for other buildings with process or industrial loads less than 60% 5% performance improvement beyond historical performance (within 5 years) for buildings where process loads comprise more than 60% of the total project energy consumption AND the building type is not eligible for ENERGY STAR or Case 2, Option 1, Path 1 using Labs 21. Allow points for additional improvements beyond historical levels.
Not pursuing this pilot but have a comment you'd like to share with USGBC?
Click here to submit your comment
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Cost estimates for this credit
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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.
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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Important notes:
Eligibility: The building must be fully operational and occupied for at least four years (to include three years historical data plus one year performance data), must have metering in place for 100% of building energy consumption for at least four years, and must maintain the same functional use for 90% of the gross building area throughout the historical and performance period. Buildings must meet the following criteria below to apply the “High Process Load Building” thresholds identified in this credit:- Process energy comprises at least 60% of the annual source energy consumption. To qualify, projects must demonstrate that the energy use associated with manufacturing or industrial equipment, equipment used for conveyance of people or objects, uncontrollable loads, life safety requirements, and/or security requirements contributes at least 60% of the total energy consumption, meaning that at least 60% of the total building source energy consumption cannot be modified using standard efficiency/retrofit measures including:
- The building is not eligible for an ENERGY STAR rating
- The building is not eligible to use Labs21 Benchmarking using Case 2, Option 1, Path 1;
- The project must submit documentation requesting formal approval of this classification along with a normalization plan upon pilot credit registration to confirm eligibility to proceed as a “High Process Load Building”.
Establishment
EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
All projects: Conduct an analysis to identify any high priority retrofit needs and establish a short term plan that addresses the needs identified. High Process Load Buildings:- Identify the most appropriate metric for determining the source energy use intensity for the facility relative to the manufacturing process or building functional use (e.g. Btu/pound (kWh/kg) of product produced; Btu/unit (kWh/unit) of product produced; Btu/square foot of building area (kWh/square meter of building area)).
- Prepare a normalization plan identifying how the data will be normalized:
- Weather normalization
- Normalization of the production-based, or process-based energy intensity metrics for other factors as applicable.
- Normalization for facility hours of operation versus idling time
Performance
EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
All projects: Demonstrate energy efficiency improvement, measured by source energy use intensity (EUI) , of at least 10% (or 5% for High Process Load Buildings), normalized for climate and building use. The percent reduction is determined by the project building’s energy reduction over the most recent 12 months, and data from three contiguous years of the previous five represents the baseline period. High Process Load Buildings: For a 12 month period corresponding with the current year performance period above, submeter all major energy sources serving any contiguous areas of the building that are 25,000 square feet (2,500 square meters) or greater, are one of the building types eligible for an ENERGY STAR rating, operate independently from the manufacturing or high-process load areas, and are served by dedicated HVAC systems (e.g. supporting office space, warehouses, retail space, etc.). These spaces must be entered into ENERGY STAR as if they were standalone buildings and demonstrate an ENERGY STAR score of at least 75. Energy sources that are calculated or measured to represent less than 5% of one of the ENERGY STAR eligible space’s energy use can forego submetering if the entire energy source is included in the ENERGY STAR documentation (for example if domestic hot water is less than 5% of the office area’s energy use, it may forego submetering if the entire building’s domestic hot water energy use is included in the ENERGY STAR rating for the office portion).EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance
Intent: To achieve increasing levels of energy performance beyond the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental and economic harms associated with excessive energy use.Performance
Demonstrate additional energy efficiency improvement beyond the level demonstrated in the prerequisite, measured by source energy use intensity (EUI), of at least 5% (or 2% for High Process Load Buildings) for each additional point up to a maximum of 6 points.General Pilot Documentation Requirements
Register for the pilot credit- Participate in the LEEDuser pilot credit forum
- Complete the feedback survey:
Establishment:
Provide a copy of the short-term plan that addresses the retrofit needs identified in the analysis.Performance:
- Provide performance period dates; must be at least 12 consecutive months.
- Provide baseline period dates.
- Confirm that the baseline and performance period fall within the previous 5 years.
- Confirm project building square footage.
- Confirm Energy meter(s) that measured the entire energy use of the project building have been in place from the start of the baseline period, and that this was the data used to establish the project building's energy efficiency performance.
- Choose one of the following options for providing energy consumption data to USGBC:
Option 1: The project team is sharing energy consumption data with USGBC through EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, and understands that USGBC will check for the following information:
- The project building’s baseline source energy use intensity (as provided by ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool) (kBTU/sf)
- The project building’s performance period source energy use intensity (as provided by ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool) (kBTU/sf)
- Project building’s ENERGY STAR rating
- Use of the “Set Energy Performance Target” tool in Portfolio Manager and set a target, and the estimated target reduction (%).
- If any energy performance improvements have been made during the performance period, the record of improvements in the “Track Energy Performance Improvements” tool in Portfolio Manager.
- Verify that the project team has provided Master Account access to USGBC-LEEDPerformanceReporting. OR
- [This option is not yet available] Verify that the project team has authorized USGBC as their Energy Service Provider (ESP) for Automated Benchmarking Service (ABS) Note: Authorizing USGBC as an ESP will streamline how you share energy data with USGBC. When you authorize USGBC as an ESP to your ENERGY STAR portfolio manager account, you will be allowing USGBC to automatically and regularly pull your energy and water data (as long as it is maintained in Portfolio Manager), and will not have to send USGBC data in another format.
- The project building’s performance period source energy use intensity (as provided by ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager tool) (kBTU/sf)
- Project building’s ENERGY STAR rating
- Use of the “Set Energy Performance Target” tool in Portfolio Manager and set a target, and the estimated target reduction (%).
- If any energy performance improvements have been made during the performance period, the record of improvements in the “Track Energy Performance Improvements” tool in Portfolio Manager.
Background information
Allowing owners who employ energy management best practices in their buildings to receive a LEED rating by reducing their energy consumption by 20% provides new opportunities for USGBC. This type of leadership can now be rewarded within LEED and supported by USGBC’s performance programs. Annual performance reports and recertification are perfectly suited for these types of buildings. Buildings entering LEED EB: O&M through this performance option are required to show continuous improvement through the LEED Recertification program. The recertification program allows USGBC to ensure that all buildings in LEED are maintaining leadership standards. Buildings addressed by this compliance path have the most to gain and will find the most value in maintaining their LEED certification; without them, the LEED Recertification Program will not be a strong market changing instrument. If we want LEED to drive significant reductions in energy use we are going to need the majority of buildings to reduce their energy use by 20% or more.Changes
- 5/15/2012: Updated documentation form link and reformatted documentation requirement language.
- 8/1/2013: Updated eligible project types to align with ENERGY STAR revisions
- 5/19/2016: Removed 500 project cap Removed certification level cap Changed to 10% performance improvement beyond historical performance (within 5 years) for all Energy Star eligible building types, laboratory projects eligible to follow Case 2, Option 1, Path 1 using Labs21, and for other buildings with process or industrial loads less than 60% 5% performance improvement beyond historical performance (within 5 years) for buildings where process loads comprise more than 60% of the total project energy consumption AND the building type is not eligible for ENERGY STAR or Case 2, Option 1, Path 1 using Labs 21. Allow points for additional improvements beyond historical levels.
Not pursuing this pilot but have a comment you'd like to share with USGBC?
Click here to submit your comment
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- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
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- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
