Log in

Search form

LEED v4.1

Retail – New Construction
Energy and Atmosphere
Enhanced Commissioning

LEED CREDIT

Retail-NC-v4.1 EAc1: Enhanced Commissioning 2-6 points

See all forum discussions about this credit »
View the LEED v4 version of this credit »

SPECIAL REPORT

SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

Credit language

USGBC logo

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

Intent

To further support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a project that meets the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Requirements

Implement, or have in place a contract to implement, the following commissioning process activities in addition to those required under EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification. Commissioning Authority Qualifications:

  • The CxA must have documented commissioning process experience on at least two building projects with a similar scope of work. The experience must extend from early design phase through at least 10 months of occupancy;
  • The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team.
Option 1. Enhanced Systems Commissioning (3-4 points)
Path 1: Enhanced Commissioning (3 points)
Complete the following commissioning process (Cx) activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0–2013 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1–2007 for HVAC&R systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability. The commissioning authority must do the following:
  • Review contractor submittals.
  • Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents.
  • Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
  • Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
  • Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
  • Verify seasonal testing.
  • Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
  • Develop an on-going commissioning plan.
Include all enhanced commissioning tasks in the OPR and BOD.
OR
Path 2: Enhanced and Monitoring-Based Commissioning (4 points)
Achieve Path 1.
AND
Develop monitoring-based procedures and identify points to be measured and evaluated to assess performance of energy- and water-consuming systems. Include the procedures and measurement points in the commissioning plan. Address the following:
  • roles and responsibilities;
  • measurement requirements (meters, points, metering systems, data access);
  • the points to be tracked, with frequency and duration for trend monitoring;
  • the limits of acceptable values for tracked points and metered values (where appropriate, predictive algorithms may be used to compare ideal values with actual values);
  • the elements used to evaluate performance, including conflict between systems, out-of-sequence operation of systems components, and energy and water usage profiles;
  • an action plan for identifying and correcting operational errors and deficiencies;
  • training to prevent errors;
  • planning for repairs needed to maintain performance; and
  • the frequency of analyses in the first year of occupancy (at least quarterly).
Update the systems manual with any modifications or new settings, and give the reason for any modifications from the original design.
AND/OR
Option 2. Building Enclosure Commissioning (2 points)
Fulfill the requirements in EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification as they apply to the building’s enclosure in addition to mechanical and electrical systems and assemblies.

Complete the following commissioning process (Cx) activities for the building’s thermal envelope in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0–2013 and ASTM E2947-16: Standard Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning, as they relate to energy, air and water tightness, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

The qualified independent member of the design or construction team responsible for building enclosure commissioning must complete the following:
  • Review contractor submittals.
  • Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents for enclosure systems.
  • For specialty enclosure systems with controls and automation:
    • Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
    • Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
    • Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
    • Verify seasonal testing.
    • Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
  • Develop an on-going enclosure commissioning plan for maintenance, renewal and revitalization cycles.
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 »

Addenda

4/21/2023 – Updated: 5/9/2023
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace all instances of "(CxP)" with: "(Cx)"

Add the following language to the Beta Update section:
"Commissioning Authority criteria are expanded to include an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/21/2023 – Updated: 5/9/2023
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
Replace all instances of "(CxP)" with: "(Cx)"

Add the following language to the Beta Update section:
"Commissioning Authority criteria are expanded to include an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
2/1/2021 – Updated: 11/12/2021
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
v4.1 BD+C, ID+C EA prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification:

1. Under Commissioning Authority Qualifications, delete the following sentence: "Project teams that intend to pursue EA Credit Enhanced Commissioning should note a difference in the CxA qualifications: for the credit, the CxA may not be an employee of the design or construction firm nor a subcontractor to the construction firm."

v4.1 BD+C EA credit Enhanced Commissioning:

1. Under Commissioning Authority Qualifications, revise the second bullet to read as follows: "The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design team."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
2/19/2021 – Updated: 3/1/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Fundamental Commissioning and Verification form edits:

1. Under "Commissioning Authority" section, delete the following note:
"If pursuing EAc Enhanced Commissioning, the CxA may not be an employee of the design or construction firm nor a subcontractor to the construction firm."

2. Under "Commissioning Activities" heading, in the sentence "The commissioning authority (CxA) has completed the following tasks for all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems:" add the phrase "or will complete" after the word "completed".

3. Under "Table: Commissioning systems scope" revise the sentence that begins "Indicate whether the following..." to read as follows:
"Indicate whether the following subsystems are included in the commissioning scope."

4. Under the last upload button titled "Upload an executive summary of the commissioning report that includes a list of systems commissioned (and by whom), a summary of issues corrected, and a list of major outstanding/unresolved issues." add the following note:

"For projects submitted for LEED construction preliminary phase review less than three months after project occupancy: If commissioning is incomplete, in addition to an executive summary of the commissioning report, provide a detailed list of the construction phase commissioning tasks that have not been completed, with a specific timeline for anticipated completion. Include an affidavit signed by the commissioning authority affirming that all unfinished tasks will be completed by the CxA."

Enhanced Commissioning form edits:

1. At the top of the form, below the sentence "Upload documentation demonstrating the commissioning authority's appropriate project experience for at least two similar projects of comparable size. Include the individual's name, certifications, company, and any other relevant information.", add the following sentence:

"If the CxA is an employee of the design or construction firm, upload documentation confirming: that the CxA has no responsibilities related to project design or construction; the CxA is reporting all findings to and communicating directly with the building owner; and the owner has signed off on this arrangement."

2. Delete the following note under the Add File button:

"Note: The CxA may not be an employee of the design or construction firm nor a subcontractor to the construction firm".

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
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.

Get the inside scoop

Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.

USGBC logo

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

Intent

To further support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a project that meets the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

Requirements

Implement, or have in place a contract to implement, the following commissioning process activities in addition to those required under EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification. Commissioning Authority Qualifications:

  • The CxA must have documented commissioning process experience on at least two building projects with a similar scope of work. The experience must extend from early design phase through at least 10 months of occupancy;
  • The CxA may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project’s design or construction team, or a disinterested subcontractor of the design or construction team.
Option 1. Enhanced Systems Commissioning (3-4 points)
Path 1: Enhanced Commissioning (3 points)
Complete the following commissioning process (Cx) activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and renewable energy systems and assemblies in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0–2013 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1–2007 for HVAC&R systems, as they relate to energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability. The commissioning authority must do the following:
  • Review contractor submittals.
  • Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents.
  • Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
  • Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
  • Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
  • Verify seasonal testing.
  • Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
  • Develop an on-going commissioning plan.
Include all enhanced commissioning tasks in the OPR and BOD.
OR
Path 2: Enhanced and Monitoring-Based Commissioning (4 points)
Achieve Path 1.
AND
Develop monitoring-based procedures and identify points to be measured and evaluated to assess performance of energy- and water-consuming systems. Include the procedures and measurement points in the commissioning plan. Address the following:
  • roles and responsibilities;
  • measurement requirements (meters, points, metering systems, data access);
  • the points to be tracked, with frequency and duration for trend monitoring;
  • the limits of acceptable values for tracked points and metered values (where appropriate, predictive algorithms may be used to compare ideal values with actual values);
  • the elements used to evaluate performance, including conflict between systems, out-of-sequence operation of systems components, and energy and water usage profiles;
  • an action plan for identifying and correcting operational errors and deficiencies;
  • training to prevent errors;
  • planning for repairs needed to maintain performance; and
  • the frequency of analyses in the first year of occupancy (at least quarterly).
Update the systems manual with any modifications or new settings, and give the reason for any modifications from the original design.
AND/OR
Option 2. Building Enclosure Commissioning (2 points)
Fulfill the requirements in EA Prerequisite Fundamental Commissioning and Verification as they apply to the building’s enclosure in addition to mechanical and electrical systems and assemblies.

Complete the following commissioning process (Cx) activities for the building’s thermal envelope in accordance with ASHRAE Guideline 0–2013 and ASTM E2947-16: Standard Guide for Building Enclosure Commissioning, as they relate to energy, air and water tightness, indoor environmental quality, and durability.

The qualified independent member of the design or construction team responsible for building enclosure commissioning must complete the following:
  • Review contractor submittals.
  • Verify inclusion of systems manual requirements in construction documents for enclosure systems.
  • For specialty enclosure systems with controls and automation:
    • Verify inclusion of operator and occupant training requirements in construction documents.
    • Verify systems manual updates and delivery.
    • Verify operator and occupant training delivery and effectiveness.
    • Verify seasonal testing.
    • Review building operations 10 months after substantial completion.
  • Develop an on-going enclosure commissioning plan for maintenance, renewal and revitalization cycles.
See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Retail-NC-v4.1 EAc1