Hi - Our solar PV system is adding two points to our "optimize energy performance" category due to the cost offset. Can I also claim additional points for renewable energy production based on the % of total energy(costs) my solar array is producing? In our case, this will total 3 points in the renewable energy production category, plus 1 additional regional priority point. I want to be sure I can claim all 6 of these points and that this not considered double-dipping by LEED. Thank you.
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Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5909 thumbs up
March 17, 2017 - 10:06 am
You can, and are encouraged to, claim credit under both.
Scott Bowman
LEED FellowIntegrated Design + Energy Advisors, LLC
LEEDuser Expert
519 thumbs up
April 14, 2017 - 5:22 pm
USGBC (with LEED) has been very good at transforming markets. This "double-dipping" for renewable energy is an example of rewarding this option. Note that under v4 the number of points has been reduced somewhat from v2009, which represents the advancement of the standard to push projects to higher performance.
Stephanie Graham
Sustainability ManagerBurns & McDonnell
26 thumbs up
March 16, 2020 - 1:29 pm
Hey EA Experts! I am trying to work through our options on a project.
We have a geothermal central energy plant at a university for which we are pursuing LEED BD+C v4 (not currently electing v4.1 on the Optimize Energy Performance Credit). The university is pursuing a rooftop PV array through a PPA provider who will retain the REAs. I know that the project cannot achieve the Renewable Energy credit unless they purchase an equal amount of REAs for the project under v4.
I read a similar thread in LEEDUser that said that we also cannot apply renewable energy produced onsite to the Optimize Energy Performance credit unless we retain the REAs. If we retain the REAs, or purchase an equivalent amount of REAs, we can apply the Renewable Energy produced toward Optimize Energy Performance. And I believe the project would also earn Renewable Energy if the PPA is a 10-year agreement equal to the amount of electricity being purchased by the project.
If the project would substitute v4.1 credit substitution for v4 Optimize Energy Performance, let me ask a couple of questions:
1. Assuming the University implements the PPO agreement for an onsite PV array, in which the REAs are retained by the provider, could the project apply the PV energy produced to the Energy performance cost portion, but not to the energy performance-GHG portion of Optimize Energy Performance credit?
2. Assuming the University implements the PPO agreement for an onsite PV array, in which the REAs are retained by the provider, AND the project purchases equivalent amount of REAs, could the project apply the PV energy to the Energy performance cost portion, AND to the energy performance-GHG portion of Optimize Energy Performance credit?
Your wise counsel will be much appreciated!