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FAQs about EAc7 :

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

Greenhouse gas emissions factors - following guidance from ACP EApc95

Hello, 

Our project is following alternative compliance path EApc95 to document EA Prerequisite Miniumum Energy Performance and EA Credit Optimize Energy Performance, using the GHG emissions factors as determined by the regional average within ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Technical Reference: Greenhouse Gas Emissions. These regional factors differ significantly from the default emission factors listed within the EA Credit Green Power and Carbon Offset section of the Reference Guide and LEEDOnline form. 

Wondering if anyone has tried (and succeeded) purchasing offsets using the regional factors as opposed to the defaults to maintain consistency within the LEED submission? And if so, what documentation was provided?

Of note: regional factors are favourable in our case because of the cleaner grid mix.

Thank you!

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Fri, 01/14/2022 - 19:36

The reference guide states that "project teams must use the default emissions factors established by ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager for the appropriate fuel types", which are the emissions factors built into the form calculations. However, I would think you could make an argument for regional factors to be used, since they are still established by ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. I would recommend submitting a formal inquiry to GBCI.

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