Are we required to use the equipment loads and setpoints from the Energy Star Multifamily High Rise Simulation Guidelines? I found that it is referenced by LEED for Homes, but I haven't found it referenced in LEED NC. When filing out the minimum energy performance calculator it seems to force you to use their values though. Our apartments aren't designed or simulated using a 78F cooling setpoint, but that is what populates in the form.
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Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5921 thumbs up
May 3, 2018 - 11:46 am
No you are not required to use those values. That is just one of several potential sources for values to use or you can apply what you would expect to be applied to the design.
Cory Duggin
Senior Energy WizardTLC Engineering Solutions
53 thumbs up
May 3, 2018 - 4:45 pm
I got this response from LEED Coach:
Multifamily projects must follow the guidance under EAp Minimum Energy Performance, Further Explanation, Multifamily Energy Model Simulation Guidelines in the LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide. As noted in the reference guide, "This section provides mandatory modeling guidelines for multifamily projects. These guidelines are designed to supplement the procedures in ASHRAE Std. 90.1-2010, Appendix G, with the interest of providing clarification and consistency in the modeling process." The proposed and baseline cases must be modeled with the equipment power densities and thermostat setpoints from the Minimum Energy Performance calculator, which are consistent with this section of the reference guide.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5921 thumbs up
May 3, 2018 - 6:39 pm
In my opinion the LEED Coach is incorrect.
LEED Mid-Rise does require the use of these guidelines but LEED NC does not. It is a violation of the rules governing the development of LEED to include credit requirements that are not in the credit language. So those guidelines must be optional, just like the DES was optional under the previous version of LEED. If push came to shove I think you would easily win that argument and modeling a 78 degree cooling set point when your systems are designed for something much less is just ridiculous.
If you want a clear, no reviewer questions asked, sort of response on this you should probably not rely on me or the Coach but submit a LEED Interpretation. Personally I might follow these guidelines where they make sense and ignore the ones that don't. If we were working on a multi-family project right now that is what I would do.
Cory Duggin
Senior Energy WizardTLC Engineering Solutions
53 thumbs up
May 4, 2018 - 10:08 am
I completely agree. I suspected that was going to be their answer because the minimum energy performance calculator doesn't allow anything else. Submitting and interpretation is a good idea. Thanks