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LEEDuser tip sheets, written by our team of LEED experts, fill gaps in knowledge we’ve observed between the LEED Reference Guide, LEED Online, and LEED Interpretations. We update them regularly so that our members get the most relevant guidance for current issues on their projects.
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Engage in at least a 2-year renewable energy contract to provide at least 35% of the building’s electricity from renewable sources, as defined by the Center for Resource Solutions’ Green-e Energy product certification requirements or an equivalent [Europe ACP: Green Power] [South America ACP: Green Power] [India ACP: Green Power] All purchases of green power shall be based on the quantity of energy consumed, not the cost. If the green power is not Green-e Energy certified, equivalence must exist for both major Green-e Energy program criteria: 1) current green power performance standards, and 2) independent, third-party verification that those standards are being met by the green power supplier over time.
Option 1. Determine baseline electricity use
Use the annual electricity consumption from the results of EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance.OR
Option 2. Estimate baseline electricity use
Use the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey database to determine the estimated electricity use.Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)
Europe ACP: Green-e Energy Equivalent
Projects in Europe may use the following approved standards in place of Green-e Energy:- EKOenergy
- Guarantees of Origin (GOs) with additional parameters
India ACP: Green-e Energy Equivalent
Projects in India may use the Indian Central Electricity Regulatory Commission REC program with additional parameters in place of Green-e Energy.South America ACP: Green-e Energy Equivalent
Projects in South America may use the Brazilian “Certificado de Energia Renovável” (Renewable Energy Certificate) with additional parameters in place of Green-e Energy. [view:embed_resource=page_1=4908164]Credit substitution available
You may use the LEED v4 version of this credit on v2009 projects. For more information check out this article.Credit substitution available
You may use the LEED v4 version of this credit on v2009 projects. For more information check out this article.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.
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LEEDuser tip sheets, written by our team of LEED experts, fill gaps in knowledge we’ve observed between the LEED Reference Guide, LEED Online, and LEED Interpretations. We update them regularly so that our members get the most relevant guidance for current issues on their projects.
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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.
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LEEDuser tip sheets, written by our team of LEED experts, fill gaps in knowledge we’ve observed between the LEED Reference Guide, LEED Online, and LEED Interpretations. We update them regularly so that our members get the most relevant guidance for current issues on their projects.
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Get the inside scoop
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LEEDuser tip sheets, written by our team of LEED experts, fill gaps in knowledge we’ve observed between the LEED Reference Guide, LEED Online, and LEED Interpretations. We update them regularly so that our members get the most relevant guidance for current issues on their projects.
( does not provide premium access to LEEDuser)
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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Engage in at least a 2-year renewable energy contract to provide at least 35% of the building’s electricity from renewable sources, as defined by the Center for Resource Solutions’ Green-e Energy product certification requirements or an equivalent [Europe ACP: Green Power] [South America ACP: Green Power] [India ACP: Green Power] All purchases of green power shall be based on the quantity of energy consumed, not the cost. If the green power is not Green-e Energy certified, equivalence must exist for both major Green-e Energy program criteria: 1) current green power performance standards, and 2) independent, third-party verification that those standards are being met by the green power supplier over time.
Option 1. Determine baseline electricity use
Use the annual electricity consumption from the results of EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance.OR
Option 2. Estimate baseline electricity use
Use the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey database to determine the estimated electricity use.Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)
Europe ACP: Green-e Energy Equivalent
Projects in Europe may use the following approved standards in place of Green-e Energy:- EKOenergy
- Guarantees of Origin (GOs) with additional parameters
