Buildings often use more than double the amount of energy and water that is predicted by statistical models. This discrepancy does not typically result from modeling software, but from a single variable that is difficult to quantify: occupant behavior. The way occupants live and work in their buildings is critical to the overall performance of a building and is something that is often overlooked.

This credit seeks to answer to following question: how can we enable occupants to exhibit energy efficient behavior in existing building spaces in order to improve overall building performance? By rewarding the implementation of innovative, occupant engagement mechanisms that systematically empower occupants to become aware of and responsible for their own energy consumption, this credit will communicate the necessity of creating a culture of sustainability and resource conservation among building occupants in order to improve the overall performance of the building.

For a commercial building, regular building occupants are defined as workers who either have a permanent office or workstation or typically spend a minimum of 10 hours per week in the project building. Broadening the scope of the occupant engagement program to include visitors, transient occupants, and/or maintenance personnel, including janitorial staff, is often recommended, but not required for this credit.

The occupant engagement program may be combined with another type of engagement program that aims to provide building occupants with the knowledge to manage their environmental impact at home or in their communities, but this type of program alone does not satisfy the credit requirements. Additionally, water consumption and/or waste reduction initiatives may be incorporated into the program, but do not satisfy the credit requirements unless they are combined with an energy consumption component.

Credit Submittals

General

1. Register for Pilot Credit(s) LEEDuser.com, and participate in online forum
2. Submit the feedback survey using the link on the USGBC.org credit page; supply PDF of your survey/confirmation of completion with credit documentation

Credit Specific

1. Provide a summary of the occupant engagement program that includes, at a minimum
   1. Performance goals for the program and how they relate to the overall sustainability goals for the building
   2. Communication mechanism(s) used for consumption feedback and the data/information presented to occupants about the actual energy consumption of the building and/or their space
   3. Specific energy-saving actions occupants were encouraged to take
2. Document the results of the occupant engagement program against the established performance goals and identify areas for improvement

Optional

If available, submit any metrics and/or quantitative data used to measure the success of the occupant engagement program (e.g., energy consumption data, records of complaint/report logs, event participation records, etc.)

Additional Questions

• Were you able to understand and comply with the credit language as written?
• In four sentences or less, why did the project choose to pursue this pilot credit?
• Were there barriers to implementing the strategies used under this credit?
• Prior to the implementation of the occupant engagement program, in your own judgment, how would you have defined the level of knowledge the occupants had about energy efficient practices (e.g., environmentally savvy, clueless, not sure)?
• Did you notice any change(s) in occupant behavior in relation to energy efficient practices during and/or after the implementation of the occupant engagement program?
• Were there aspects of the occupant engagement program that you thought about implementing but then decided not to?
• What are your plans for maintaining the occupant engagement program after the conclusion of the performance period?
• Did this program have support from upper-level management?