The LEEDonline form for this credit requires us to, "Upload On-site Renewable Energy Systems...Contract and evidence of renewable attribute ownership.
- For each on-site renewable system, upload confirmation of renewable attribute ownership if the on-site renewable energy system is owned by the building owner"
Do owners of on-site PV systems who participate in utility programs where the energy produced on-site is pushed back onto the utility owned grid still qualify? We are questioning who technically owns the renewable attribute in this case.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5920 thumbs up
December 18, 2023 - 10:00 am
Maybe. Who owns them would be spelled out in the contract. The attributes must be retained or retired to qualify.
Bryna Dunn
Vice PresidentMoseley Architects
10 thumbs up
January 21, 2025 - 2:10 pm
to clarify, if the utility owns the system and retains the RECs, then the PV install would not qualify for LEED points? it only qualifies for LEED points if the utility allows the building owner to retain the RECs? what then would be the incentive for the utility to partner with a building owner to put PV on their project?
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5920 thumbs up
January 27, 2025 - 5:15 pm
Hey Bryna. Not necessarily. It all depends on the contract. If the utility owns the system, retains or retires the RECs and then the LEED project has a lease to buy the power generated for at least 10 years then that works.