EAc1 Combined Heat & Power / Cogeneration

Harvard Green Campus has been posting all their LEED Documentation to a public website. Within this there are several projects connected to DES, although none are using microturbines. http://www.greencampus.harvard.edu/theresource/leed-submit/nc/ Lots of good examples there.

On a related subject - I have a new Combined Heat & Power project that is supplying/ supplementing HHW, CHW as well as electricity to an existing DES (campus system). Can anyone advise if you include the equipment for this co-generation operation as a process load in the EAc1 calc? The building only has a small occupied area and therefore a small energy demand attributable to the occupants. It will be impossible to show energy savings if we need to include the process loads.

Are there not more efficient CHP practices beyond the standard CHP plant? If the building you want certified is a CHP plant then you will have to show savings in the CHP process to get the savings needed for EAc1. Establishing the baseline of standard industry practice is the tricky part. This is strictly my opinion as I am not aware of a CHP plant getting certified. I am also not aware of any project being granted a waiver to ignore the credit requirement to include all energy use in and associated with the project. You will need to check the MPRs to make sure it qualifies too.