This is a performance-based prerequisite that must be documented through the Arc platform. Teams enter energy consumption into Arc using data from utility bills or invoices. The data must account for all energy used by the project—electricity, natural gas, chilled water, steam, fuel oil, propane, etc. Additionally, the data must cover at least 12 consecutive months with no gaps or missing data.
Meters Are a Must
Your project must have permanently installed metering that captures total energy use. It’s wise to confirm that meters are installed and functioning properly to ensure that the data you receive is accurate.
Interiors projects have two options. Projects with permanently installed sub-metering that captures energy use within the project scope are all set. Alternatively, projects can pro-rate energy use based on occupancy and base building energy use.
A Link to Energy Star
Teams have the option to share energy data from Energy Star Portfolio Manager. See the Documentation Toolkit for guidance on how to setup energy data sharing between Portfolio Manager and Arc.
A Prerequisite with Points
A minimum performance score of 40 must be achieved to earn this prerequisite. Your project will receive 13 LEED points for reaching this threshold. Additional points (up to 33) are achieved as your performance score increases.
Performance Scoring
This prerequisite assesses the total energy used by a project. The overall performance score is calculated based on two metrics (or “sub-scores”)—a greenhouse gas emissions score and a source energy score. Each is weighted at 50% of the overall energy performance score.
The Arc platform uses a few key building details to generate these sub-scores, including total energy consumption, gross floor area, weighted occupancy, weighted operating hours, outside air temperature, and location. The Arc platform also compares your energy use against other high performing buildings worldwide (ie—other LEED certified projects). Check out the LEED v4.1 O+M Beta Guide for more details on how energy performance is scored in v4.1.
What’s New in LEED v4.1
- This is a new prerequisite that assesses metered energy consumption
- Your project’s contributions to climate change (via the GHG emissions sub-score) and energy efficiency (via the source energy sub-score) are assessed together with a single performance score
- Performance is based on actual energy consumption data as provided on utility bills or invoices
Should I upgrade?
The only way to determine your v4.1 energy performance score is to enter 12 months of total energy use data into Arc. Projects that use low-carbon energy sources or have invested in energy-efficiency projects may be good candidates for upgrading. The only way to determine whether you’ll achieve more points through Arc or good old fashioned Energy Star is to benchmark your building with both programs. And remember, you can earn up to 20 points (plus one Exemplary Performance point) in v4, or up to 33 points in v4.1.