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We will have cogeneration onsite. Do the credit requirements apply to all electricity used onsite, or only that which is purchased from the grid?

My project is not located in the U.S. Should I still use the emissions factors from the Energy Star program listed in the Reference Guide, or find something closer to home? 

My project is located in the U.S. Can I buy green power or offsets from another part of the world?

Can I still earn this credit through green power or RECs alone?

Do onsite renewables count? 

The owner has purchased RECs for a percentage of energy use of its whole portfolio of buildings, or whole campus. Can we earn this credit for a single LEED building with this purchase?

The owner purchased RECs / carbon offsets based on an earlier prediction, but our energy model is now showing that we are just a little short of the credit threshold. What should we do?

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NC-v4 EAc7:Green power and carbon offsets

Green tags and Tradable Renewable Credits (TRCs)?

Can green tags or TRCs can be used to substitute RECs? Also, I am having a hard time understanding the concept of how RECs work. Basically, you purchase an REC and the electricity is being used by another party. Is the consumer who purchased the REC the same person who generated that renewable energy? Meaning lets say that I produce renewable energy and decide not to use it. I would sell that energy in return for an REC? Am I making profit? Also, what does it mean to trade RECs and to retain RECs? Thanks for your help.

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Profile picture for user tristanroberts
Tristan Roberts
Representative
Vermont House of Representatives
LEEDuser Expert
7780 thumbs up

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 19:22

Jen, I am not familiar with TRCs and a Google search didn't help me much, but at least with "green tags," you're using terms that I believe are interchangeable with RECs.We have a good quick explanation of RECs on the LEED 2009 version of this credit. Start there and post back here with questions. Thanks!
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Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow
7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
4454 thumbs up

Mon, 10/19/2015 - 20:14

TRCs are Tradable Renewable Certificates which are basically the same as Green TAGs and RECs. A REC represents the positive environmental attributes of green power. They are a separate commodity from the power itself and can be traded as such. Who owns the REC is often negotiated between the parties involved in funding the renewable energy project. There are RECs sold into the mandatory market and the price varies widely state to state. The idea is associated with a state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). Basically the state requires utilities to produce so much green power. The utility can build the renewable system themselves or they can buy the RECs from a system someone else builds one. There are also companies in the system who buy RECs from small systems and aggregate them to sell. The voluntary REC market is regulated by Green-e and these are the RECs which can be used for LEED. Other than Green-e RECs or green TAGs or TRCs must demonstrate equivalency. You can buy RECs, typically from an aggregator. If you build a system you can retain the RECs, in other words you don't sell them.

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