I have a question regarding LEED v4, LEED v4 - EAc2 (Optimize Energy Performance) & EAc5 (Renewable Energy).
One of our clients is developing a hotel in a site where, due to landscape issues, the installation of PV panels is strongly limited. As an alternative, our client intents to install a biomass boiler (wood pellets) for DWH and heating of common zones (via underfloor heating).
In Portugal, the vast majority of wood pellets manufacturers are industries that had large amounts of mill residues to manage (e.g. pallet production industries), that saw the pellets production as an opportunity to both create value to their businesses and to manage those mill residues. As an example, attached we send the technical datasheet of pellets of one manufacturer, where the origin of the pellets it is clearly referred.
Three questions:
- can the above referred biomass be classified as renewable energy for purposes of EAc2 (Optimize Energy Performance) and EAc5 (Renewable Energy)?
- for purposes of EAp2 and EAc5, renewable energy integration is evaluated using avoided cost as indicator. Does this mean that the cost associated with biomass can be disregarded? Or only the cost difference between biomass and conventional fossil fuel shall be considered as avoided cost? Is it possible to perform de evaluation using CO2 as indicator?
- In v4.1 Renewable Energy credit, there is no reference to biomass. Does this mean that biomass is not eligible for this credit?
Regards.
Stephanie Graham
Sustainability ManagerBurns & McDonnell
26 thumbs up
March 30, 2023 - 1:02 pm
Refer to the v4.1 guide: https://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction-core-and-shell-schools-ne...
On-Site Renewable Energy System Considerations Note: earlier versions of LEED allowed some biofuels produced off-site to qualify as on-site renewable energy. However, based on the clarifications provided in ASHRAE 90.1-2016 for on-site renewable energy, and the clearer distinction between on-site and off-site renewable energy in LEED v4.1, biofuels are only considered on-site renewable systems when the renewable source is harvested on site, and used for on-site generation of electric or thermal energy. Only usable energy generated from the on-site renewable system shall be considered towards the onsite renewable energy contribution. Usable energy is defined as the output energy from the system less any transmission and conversion losses, such as standby heat loss, losses when converting electricity from DC to AC, or waste heat in a cogeneration system that is exhausted to the atmosphere during periods of low thermal demand. Excess energy, beyond the building’s energy demand at a given point, can be sold to the utility company (net metering).
Marcus Sheffer
LEED Fellow7group / Energy Opportunities
LEEDuser Expert
5878 thumbs up
March 30, 2023 - 2:48 pm
1. It appears as if the fuel source qualifies as renewable but since the source is off-site you must have a 10 year contract and retain any RECs.
2. If using cost the cost of the pellets must be accounted for. For non-traditional fuel sources (such as wood pellets) that are unregulated within ASHRAE 90.1, use the
actual cost of the fuel, and provide documentation to substantiate the cost for the non-traditional fuel
source. The same rates are to be used for the baseline and proposed buildings, with the following
exception: If the fuel source is available at a discounted cost because it would otherwise be sent to the
landfill or similarly disposed of, the project team may use local rates for the fuel for the baseline case and
actual rates for the proposed case, as long as documentation is provided substantiating the difference in
rates, and substantiating that the fuel source would otherwise be disposed of. You can use other metrics see https://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction-core-and-shell-schools-ne...