Hello,
I'm working in a project that consists in a multiple building certification. The buildings are not connected to each other and the same chilled water central plant supplies cooled water for all the buildings. As the chilled water central plant supplies cooled water to only the buildings that will be certified, the district cooling method is not applied. I would like to know how should the building be modeled and analyzed, i.e., should the buildings be modeled and analyzed together as one single building or should they be modeled and analyzed separated?
Thanks!
Christopher Schaffner
CEO & FounderThe Green Engineer
LEEDuser Expert
963 thumbs up
November 23, 2012 - 1:01 pm
I'm a bit confused by your question. It sounds like you should be following the District Energy Systems guidance since you have a central cooling plant.
If the buildings are pursuing individual certification, they should be modeled separately.
Marina Andrade
Sustainability Consultancy ServicesCushman & Wakefield
17 thumbs up
November 27, 2012 - 7:46 am
Hi Christopher,
What I know about District Energy System is that the guidance is only for systems that supplies cooled water to buildings inside and outside the LEED boundary, which is not the case of the project. The system supplies cooled water only to the building inside the building boundary.
I was reading the "LEED Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Project", which says on the EAp2c1 - “The prerequisite cannot be pursued as a campus prerequisite. Each LEED project referencing the Master Site must pursue the prerequisite individually."
My doubt is: If the project is intend to pursue the group certification, Can the building have a single energy model comparing to a single baseline model? or
Does each building need to have an energy model and comply with the EAp2c1 individually?
Thanks for your help!
Christopher Schaffner
CEO & FounderThe Green Engineer
LEEDuser Expert
963 thumbs up
November 27, 2012 - 7:51 am
Each building needs its own model. One model per plaque.
The DES guidance applies if multiple buildings are served. Don't confuse the campus LEED boundary with the building LEED boundary.
Marina Andrade
Sustainability Consultancy ServicesCushman & Wakefield
17 thumbs up
November 27, 2012 - 8:27 am
I understood that the buildings will have its own model. I just don't understand why does the DES guidance is applied.
According to the introduction of the guide "Treatment of District or Campus Thermal Energy in LEED v2 and LEED2009-Design&Construcition" says that - "The document applies to the building using thermal energy produced from or delivered to a source outside the LEED project building."
The design thermal energy is produced in the LEED boundary and delivered to LEED project buidings. Don't you think that the HAVC system design excludes the possibility to use the DES guide?
Thanks!
Christopher Schaffner
CEO & FounderThe Green Engineer
LEEDuser Expert
963 thumbs up
November 27, 2012 - 1:01 pm
Don't confuse the campus LEED boundary with the building LEED boundary. Each building has its own boundary. If the plant serves more than one building it is DES.