A large office building is being certified using LEED Core & Shell.
All tenant spaces (3 - 5 per floor) will be endowed with energy meters (power meters only because tenant spaces only use electricity).
Power meters will be installed by the local energy supplier and energy use will be invoiced directly to each tenant. Therefore, each tenant will have a direct relation with the energy supplier, will know exactly the amount of energy that is using and will pay for it (energy use and related costs are detailed in the monthly invoice).
According to Advanced Energy Metering Credit (LEED v4 Building Design and Construction), for Core & Shells projects it is necessary to measure total tenant energy use. This requirement is assured. However, it is also stated that “the data collection system must use a local area network, building automation system, wireless network or comparable communication infrastructure”. In this case, as power meters are installed and used by the energy supplier to invoicing purposes, they cannot be connected to a local automation system.
Do you think that power meters and all the subsequent invoicing process complies with LEED requirements (direct invoicing of energy costs is probably the most effective way to induce energy control behaviors) ? Or do you think we will need to install an additional meter (in the same power line of the supplier meter) and connect it to the local network ?
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5907 thumbs up
December 28, 2017 - 12:49 pm
I think that requirement assumes that the submeters will be a part of the building systems and not utility meters. I think utility meters should meet the requirements of this credit without having to install additional meters. The point of that particular part of the requirement is to enable the gathering of this information in one place so that you can also evaluate the whole building energy use. I think that if you had a plan to enable the gathering of whole building energy use you could meet this part of the requirements through an alternative compliance path. Might want to ask GBCI or submit an Interpretation if you want some definitive assurances.
Jens Apel
134 thumbs up
January 2, 2018 - 4:40 am
From my understanding there is no need for tenant submeters to be "advanced". After the requirements for tenant meters are described the ref. guide says "Install advanced energy metering for all base building energy sources used by the building."
As far as I can tell there is no requirement for tenant meters to be advanced. They probably should be accessible by the tenant or at least facility management staff to enable tenants to record their consumption regularly by manual readings. But even that seems to be no requirement.
Max Zayika
2 thumbs up
January 3, 2018 - 11:51 am
I am wondering about the same thing. It seems that the credit says that building level energy meters have to advanced, but that tenant-level meters do not have to be advanced..
Ricardo Sá
Director of SustainabilityEdifícios Saudáveis Consultores (503 910 767)
85 thumbs up
February 16, 2018 - 11:54 am
Do you agree that:
- for tenants, the electricity supplier meter can be used for compliance with this requirement? And no advance energy meter is required?
- for base building, the electricity supplier meter can be used, as long as it complies with the "advanced "requirements (remote access, wireless network or comparable, storage capacity, reporting hourly, daily and monthly, etc.)?
The credit does not say that it has to be a single network or that information has to be in one point. If meters are connected to a wireless network and data is collected in a cloud (for each supplier), do you think it complies?
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5907 thumbs up
February 20, 2018 - 11:30 am
Tenant meters. The Reference Guide clearly states that " All energy sources utilized by a tenant must have advanced metering, including electricity, natural gas, chilled water, and heating hot water (service hot water may be excluded)." So an advance meter appears to be required for tenants.
Base building meters. Reference Guide - "Advanced energy metering must be installed for all energy sources used by the base building."
I agree that the data does not necessarily have to be collected in a single place. I think that a wireless network with data collection in a cloud is fine.
There are several examples in the Reference Guide related to CS projects that will clarify the credit requirements.
This credit should be considered in conjunction with the prerequisite for Building Level Energy Metering which does require the aggregation of the meters to determine the whole building energy consumption.
Ricardo Sá
Director of SustainabilityEdifícios Saudáveis Consultores (503 910 767)
85 thumbs up
February 21, 2018 - 10:20 am
Thank you, Marcus.
To the best of my knowledge, the Reference Guide for Core&Shell project under LEEDV4, states:
"Install meters for future tenant spaces so that tenants will be capable of independently metering energy consumption (electricity, chilled water, etc.) for all systems dedicated to their space. Provide a sufficient number of meters to capture total tenant energy use with a minimum of one meter per energy source per floor.
Install advanced energy metering for all base building energy sources used by the building."
I consulted the paperback version and also the one on USGBC.org (https://www.usgbc.org/node/2612856?return=/credits/core-and-shell/v4).
Is there an addenda I should know about?
Advanced metering only applies to
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5907 thumbs up
February 21, 2018 - 12:21 pm
I use the online Reference Guide. One of the advantages is that it is updated to include the latest addenda.
What you quote and link to above is the credit language. The online Reference Guide is accessed in the Guide button beside the language button you are linking to.
Ricardo Sá
Director of SustainabilityEdifícios Saudáveis Consultores (503 910 767)
85 thumbs up
February 21, 2018 - 2:42 pm
Thank you for your support, again.
I see now that the word "advanced" was introduced. This is a huge difference in the implementation of this credit.
In Portugal, it is not allowed to access locally the suplliers´s meters. It means that, for compliance, we have to install duplicated meters for each tenant (suplliers and local network) and support the huge extra costs, without any real advantage
Do you see any way to avoid these costs and achieve compliance with suppliers´ meters?
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5907 thumbs up
February 21, 2018 - 3:06 pm
My original response to the initial inquire addressed this issue. A definitive answer is not clear to me so I would ask GBCI.
Jens Apel
134 thumbs up
February 22, 2018 - 2:10 am
I think that the addenda #100002150 from April 14, 2017 is somewhat unfortunate. As far as I can see here https://www.usgbc.org/leedaddenda/100002150 there have been no changes in the requirements section for core and shell. This rather important change is only reflected in the rating system variations section. Maybe USGBC could add "advanced" in the requirements as well.
@Pedro, in case you clarify further with USGBC, could you please add your findings here in the forum?
Ricardo Sá
Director of SustainabilityEdifícios Saudáveis Consultores (503 910 767)
85 thumbs up
February 26, 2018 - 6:31 am
I´ve sent the question to GBCI. I will post the update here.
FABIO VIERO
Head of SustainabilityManens S.p.A.
18 thumbs up
February 12, 2019 - 12:19 pm
Hi, any updates about that?
Thank you
Julio Fernandez Amodia
5 thumbs up
November 22, 2023 - 5:39 am
Hi to all,
I have received a response from the GBCI, I am sharing it here:
Thank you for following up with me about this. Under Rating System Variations, Core and Shell, the LEED v4 BD+C Reference Guide section for this credit states:
"All energy sources utilized by a tenant must have advanced metering, including electricity, natural gas, chilled water, and heating hot water (service hot water may be excluded). Advanced metering is not required to measure end-use consumption of systems and equipment installed by tenants."
Therefore, to earn this credit, the tenant gas meters must meet the advanced metering criteria in the credit requirements. The tenants are not required to share their energy consumption data with the building owner/ manager or USGBC.
As Marcus said, this can be consulted in the online reference guide updated with the last addenda.