Comms/ data room cooling - Process Energy for LEED

Victoria Watson

AECOM

LEEDuser Basic Member

4 thumbs up

Project location :

United States

November 10, 2014

Hi all, I am working on a project where the CRAC unit manufacturers have said they don't need to comply with the efficiency requirements of ASHRAE 90.1 for a data room and comms rooms air conditioning and they have quoted "The provisions of this standard do not apply to equipment and portions of building systems that use energy primarily to provide for industrial, manufacturing, or commercial processes" as the reason for this. I believe that means that the actually air conditioning units themselves become process energy and as such should be the same in the proposed and baseline buildings?

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Marcus Sheffer

LEED Fellow

7group / Energy Opportunities

LEEDuser Expert

4454 thumbs up

Tue, 11/11/2014 - 00:16

The units themselves do not have a minimum efficiency as a mandatory provision but they are not considered process. Usually these units follow Section G3.1.1 Exception b and the baseline is modeled as a system 3 or 4. ASHRAE 90.1-2010 establishes minimum efficiency for these units.

Victoria Watson

AECOM

LEEDuser Basic Member

4 thumbs up

Tue, 11/11/2014 - 00:29

Thanks Marcus, But if we are LEED v2009 and using ASHRAE 90.1-2007 (you mentioned they are covered under ASHRAE 90.1-2010) and the units are exempt then this then that would make them process as they aren't covered by ASHRAE 90.1-2007? Thanks

Marcus Sheffer

LEED Fellow

7group / Energy Opportunities

LEEDuser Expert

4454 thumbs up

Tue, 11/11/2014 - 13:59

That does not make them process. If the lack of an efficiency minimum made something process then whole building space heating and cooling would be process for VRFs which do not have an efficiency minimum in 90.1-2007.