Electric Utilities commonly have demand and consumption costs. In order to avoid high demand costs for air conditioning, thermal energy storage tanks are sometimes employed and even provided with rebates from the local utility. These TES systems are not mentioned.
Operating emergency generators is not mentioned as a methodology. One university that we worked with looked at the "current cost of electricity", and operated their diesel generators to reduce cost (and to unload the grid).
With natural gas, two types of utility delivery are available: Interruptable and non-interruptable. The data on the LEED website would be particularly applicable to non-interruptable rates. However, large users, like hospitals and factories often purchase natural gas with an interruptable rate and then install a back-up fuel supply such as #2 fuel oil or propane, so that when the utility calls, they switch to the alternate source. These alternate fuel strategies are also not mentioned in the LEED write-up for this credit.
Are any of these successful time tested strategies applicable to this credit?
Do the systems need to curtail on both the heating and cooling end of the spectrum to get 2 points?
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5868 thumbs up
June 7, 2016 - 9:26 am
According to the credit language this only applies to the electric utility. The Reference Guide is pretty silent on the specific strategies to be employed so I would think that many you describe would qualify on the electric side. Since this is electric only and the local utility is either a winter or summer peaking utility demand response typically only applies to one or the other of heating or cooling.
Paul Baker
June 8, 2016 - 7:51 pm
I talked to a fellow in our office that sits on the ASHRAE 90.1 committee and he said that the initial two ideas, thermal energy storage (TES) and using an alternate fuel for heating can be used to reduce your energy cost and thus since the Optimize Energy Performance credits are dollar driven, that the reduced demand charges with TES and reduced natural gas costs for interruptible vs firm service rates can be used to your advantage in that credit. Potentially I need to examine that credit more thoroughly.
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5868 thumbs up
June 9, 2016 - 10:43 am
They can but not completely. Those strategies rely on a different rate than the norm to generate dollar savings. The modeling protocol requires that you use the same rate in both models, so you cannot gain all of the benefit associated with those rates since the baseline model also has to use the same rate.
Christopher Davis
Sr. Sustainability Project ManagerCodeGreen Solutions
43 thumbs up
June 10, 2016 - 11:19 am
The credit language specifically states "On-site electricity generation does not meet the intent of this credit." so diesel generators definitely don't qualify. This line is directly above the Case 1 language, so I suspect a lot of people will miss it. Are heating season demand response programs common? Even in very cold climates, are enough buildings using electric heat to result in peak electricity demand in the middle of winter?
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5868 thumbs up
June 10, 2016 - 1:36 pm
Many utilities in colder climates are winter peaking. They have spent years promoting heat pumps!
Dave Hubka
Practice Leader - SustainabilityEUA
LEEDuser Expert
495 thumbs up
April 3, 2017 - 8:28 pm
USGBC has informed me that as of 3-31-2017 they have begun work on an ACP path for projects that are 'off the grid' as well projects that implement alternate methods to unload the electricity grid.
Not sure of the timing, or specific language the ACP would address, just thought I'd post to this forum.