Our LEED project consists of two office buildings of approximately 160,000 sf each plus a central refrigeration plant and parking deck. All buildings will be submitted as one LEED project. The project is currently under construction. The energy model for the project was constructed using Trace700 and is a comprehensive model of all three structures. In addition to the 20% energy savings already being reflected in the model, substantial energy savings will be realized by the investments the Owner has made in advanced energy efficiency measures such as daylighting through a central atrium and interior glazing, raised floor thermodynamics and a hybrid HVAC system. Due to limitations of the Trace700 modeling software, the contributions of these sophisticated energy efficiency measures are not currently reflected in the modeled energy savings. To support the ongoing operations of the building, the Owner has invested in a measurement and verification system, which per EA Credit 5, will include measurement of all electrical power panels, lighting panels broken into interior and exterior lighting, and all hvac equipment. The M&V system will measure and trend demand and consumption of electricity, water and natural gas on an hourly basis for all hours of the year. The project cannot bear the added expense that would be required to perform extensive hand calculations, daylight models or to use more sophisticated energy modeling software, but we would like the Owner to be recognized with LEED points for the contribution that their investment in energy efficient design strategies represents. We would like to incorporate the actual measured performance of the lighting, power, and HVAC systems into the Trace700 model. We propose to delay our LEED application at the end of construction and with all buildings in operation, to measure the building systems performance for 3 to 6 months through the M&V devices. We would then substitute values from the measured performance into the design case energy model. The data would be input on a watt/sqft, kw/cfm, btu/hr, cfh, or gal/min basis. We believe that using measured performance data in the creation of the final design case model would be a cost-effective, accurate means of accounting for the contributions of sophisticated energy efficiency measures, and request permission to use this approach on our project.
The CIR is asking if actual logged energy use data being collected for EAc5 can be used to more accurately represent the proposed building energy use for EAc1, with the caveat that the project certification will be held up until this data has been collected and the energy model has been calibrated. It should be noted that incorporating measured data into an energy model is a strategy fraught with many technical challenges. USGBC encourages project teams to use energy models as a design tool. That said, the proposed technique is acceptable, provided the following conditions are met: [1] One full year\'s worth of energy use data must be included to account for seasonal effects. Additionally, this gives time for the commissioning of the facility to be completed and the "bugs" worked out of the system. [2] The collected energy data cannot be directly compared to the baseline modeled energy data. Instead the collected data should be used to populate the inputs to the energy modeling program (ie- plug loads, lighting densities, etc). This is because modeling programs inherently contain assumptions and methodologies that do not directly correspond to actual building energy use. By still running a simulation for the baseline and proposed cases, these discrepancies effectively cancel each other out. [3] The applicant must be able to show that the occupancy schedules, building set points, and intended use of the facility are the same in the baseline and proposed case. [4 The baseline energy simulation must utilize a weather file that represents the same metrological conditions that occurred during collection of the energy use data. [5] Submit all documentation required for an Exceptional Calculation Methodology, as described in ASHRAE 90.1-2004 Appendix G. Applicable Internationally.