Using Option 1. Whole Building Energy Simulation, the following note resides in this credit template: “The compliance path selected above and values entered for annual electricity use calculations below MUST correspond with the inputs given in EA Prerequisite 2.” (I emphasized MUST). We provided inputs, in EAp2/EAc1, but were denied 1 point. If Total electricity use from EAp2-15 is linked to EAc6 credit, but EAc6 is reporting total kWh incorrectly because we were denied 1 point in EAp2 - must we pay $500 to appeal EAp2, just to merely change the total electricity usages for this one number to report correctly on EAc6 according to what USGBC thinks the total kWh should be? We are not sure what USGBC did in their energy model to compute one less point. USGBC tells us what the total kWh amount should be in their opinion. We can increase our Green Power purchase to align with what USGBC believes our Total Electricity should be, which reads as 73.5% green power over a two year period (in lieu of “actual” 70%). Will this be acceptable, or does EAp2 need to be revised, to report correctly in EAc6, for both to match?
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Kristina Bach
VP of InnovationSustainable Investment Group
151 thumbs up
August 11, 2015 - 9:06 am
This is a fairly common issue and is definitely one that you do not need to pay any extra appeal fees for just to get the forms to align.
You will need to make sure that you are purchasing power to align with whatever USGBC has officially approved as the annual electricity use (i.e. the total annual kWh they state in their final review comment). As long as you show that you are calculating your credit requirements based on that official approved electricity use and your receipts/invoices back up the power amount you claim, reviewers can still award the credit as they can check to confirm that you've purchased the correct percentage/threshold based on that official energy amount (regardless of what auto-populates the EAc6 Credit Form).
Typically, we mark the Special Circumstances section of the EAc6 Credit Form and include a simple narrative along the lines of:
"The Design Final review of EAp2 indicates that the total annual electricity use of the project is 1,500 kWh/year. As such, a one-time REC purchase of 2,100 kWh has been made for this project. This amount is equal to 70.00% of the total annual electricity use over a 2-year-period as required by the credit and via the approved EAp2 electricity use. Please see the uploaded REC receipt to confirm EAc6 credit compliance."
Peg Manuel
Tetra Tech4 thumbs up
August 11, 2015 - 10:23 am
Thank you for your quick response Kristina!!!!