Hi, we are working on a LEED NC 2009 project consisting of an office building, where the thermal energy (heating via hot water) is generated and distributed by means of a municipal grid (about 40 million of square meters of served volume) served by thermal plants consisted of turbines, boilers, incinerator and cogenerators.

It is our first case in which we aim to follow DES option 2 (full accounting). According to appendix C of the DES guidance, we need the following information:
- Total annual MBTU of fuel at the plant (using fuel meters);
- Total annual MBTU of hot water delivered to the building serviced by the district plant (using BTU meters)
- Total annual pump energy for the hot water primary loop and distribution loops

We asked to the public authority that and manage the Municipal Energy system but, due to the technical complexity, size of the plant and the employment of distinct typology of fuels our request has been denied except for a global conversion factor between primary and final energy.
The building under LEED certification is designed to achieve high energy performances, for instance it is able to satisfy whole electric energy demand by means on-site site photovoltaic generation.

Despite to an high performing design, it seems that we cannot pursue the maximum score available due the external limitation in terms of plant’s information.

Have you any suggestion to solve this issue?

Thanks in advance.