REQUEST: This CIR is requesting approval of a proposed Exceptional Calculation Methodology (ECM) for energy savings in a manufacturing process. INTRODUCTION: The Project consists of a 188,597 ft2 snack food manufacturing facility. The project comprises office, warehouse, and manufacturing that includes extensive oil frying and baking equipment necessary to process salty snack products. Energy required for the manufacturing process exceeds 92% of the facility\'s total energy load, with over 90% of this energy in the form of natural gas. Pursuant to the Credit Interpretation Ruling established by USGBC and EA TAG for NCv2.2 EAc1 dated 08/13/2007; since the industrial energy use associated with specific manufacturing processes are not covered by ASHRAE 90.1-2004, an alternative compliance path must be established. APPROACH: Per EAc1 CIR requested on 7/20/07 and a ruling dated 8/13/07, an alternative compliance path will be established for the manufacturing space using an ECM as described below. Please verify that the following Exceptional Calculation Methodology may be used for the energy baseline and the design project process loads. PROPOSED COMPLIANCE PATH: 1) Energy Baseline Model - Manufacturing Process Load The Project Client is currently recognized as the industry leader in batch kettle manufacturing and supplies the nation\'s largest salty snack company with private branded product. While unique in it\'s large implementation of this process, the Project Client has verified all energy analysis and baselines as listed below using modeling tools created by this largest salty snack manufacturer, as a means to establish standards (over 38 plants in North America) for the amount of energy necessary to convert potatoes and corn raw materials into the suggested salty snack products. In this comparison, the Project Client has established that the historical operational data used for the baseline calculations, as described below, falls within percentage points of the aforementioned standard models. When combined with the Project Client\'s existing mature energy management program and industry new equipment, this presents the baseline as a fair and conservative representation of industry standards and best practice in energy consumption from which reductions are to be created for LEED certification. We would compared with the project design with an existing manufacturing facility that has identical processes and climate coditions, similar envelope and the same industry standard new equipment. Project Client has established the natural gas baseline model using historical operational data at the existing facility over the fiscal year 2008. Existing plant operations monitor and record energy per pound of product over time utilizing sub-meters and HMI (Human Machine Interface) software that provides discrete consumption measurements of energy for individual process lines. These measurements have been verified through stack readings to establish combustion efficiencies and energy consumed per line and per pound of product produced. 2) Design Process Load and Energy Savings: The design project equivalent is established as a measure of natural gas efficiency expressed as Btu\'s of energy per pound of product manufactured (Btu/lb). This calculation also includes the volume of energy necessary to condition and exchange the air necessary to support these manufacturing. Production rates in total pounds per process will be used to model the equivalent amount of energy required in Btu\'s/lb, and will represent the necessary reductions in energy use. Electrical baseline usage is established through historical data for the comparison facility over the fiscal year 2008. The equivalent is established as a measure of KWh per pound of product manufactured (KWh/lb). Design connected electrical load for manufacturing equipment at project site calculated to same as baseline due to identical and energy equivalence of industry standard new equipment specified.