LEED for Homes projects in mild climates that do not install mechanical heating and cooling may use the prescriptive Energy & Atmosphere (EA) pathway for scoring, as well as automatically earn heating and cooling related credits. In addition, they do not need to contract with an energy rater.
In order to use this approach, projects must:
1) Be located in a mild climate, defined as those where each mean monthly temperatures falls within 21 degree C and 27 degree C, and
2) Not install a heating or cooling system, and
3) Use LEED for Homes and Multifamily Lowrise. This approach is not valid for LEED Midrise, and
4) Receive explicit approval from USGBC/GBCI after a formal request is submitted and reviewed. Formal requests must be submitted to homestechnical@gbci.org and must include information on the mean monthly temperatures and relative humidity of the project’s location, as well as details on the project, such as size, envelope features, and ventilation strategy.
If a project is approved, the Energy & Atmosphere prescriptive pathway may be used.
The prerequisites of EA 2.1 Insulation, EA 3.1 Air Infiltration, EA 4.1 Windows, EA 5.1 Heating & Cooling Distribution System, EA 6.1 Space Heating & Cooling Equipment, and EA 11.1 Residential Refrigerant Management are automatically met.
Points within EA 2 Insulation, EA 3 Air Infiltration, EA 4 Windows, EA 5 Heating & Cooling Distribution System, EA 6 Space Heating & Cooling Equipment, and EA 11 Residential Refrigerant Management may be awarded automatically, with the following limitation:
The number of points awarded in the above credits cannot exceed the number of points earned and awarded in EA 7 Water Heating, EA 8 Lighting, EA 9 Appliances, and EA 10 Renewable Energy. For example, if a project earns 7 points in EA credits 7-10, they are also awarded 7 points total in EA 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and/or 11 – for a total of 14 points in the EA category.
In Indoor Environmental Quality, projects may automatically meet the prerequisite and earn 3 points in EQ 6 Distribution of Space Heating and Cooling.