To achieve 3 points in this credit in v4.1, our Core & Shell project recently submitted purchased REC's based upon 15% of the project’s floor area -- as per the 15% rule in v4.0 for Green Power and Carbon Offsets.
We were denied, much to our astonishment, stating the 15% rule does not apply in v4.1. Nowhere does any USGBC/GBCI literature state the change. GBCI says it is not a change, only that the 15% C&S rule doesn't apply...! And then also told that this was 'confirmed' by the Energy TAG group in January, (of which there are no public records).
[I vented and said: "This is exactly one of the issues that the LEED program suffers from – not only that it is a midstream alteration that affects a project years in the planning process, but that it is not publicly identified to the LEED community – at least that I can find."]
Question for this group: has anyone received an awarded credit in v4.1 Renewable Energy for a Core & Shell project using the 15% calculated energy rule?
Thank you.
Harry Flamm
Stantec Architecture
Boston
Harry Flamm
Senior Sustainability ConsultantStantec Architecture
20 thumbs up
July 11, 2022 - 10:30 am
End of story: the v4.0 guidance for Core and Shell, able to use a 15% default of total energy usage -- is not applicable to v4.1 Renewable Energy. The project must use the 100% value for purchasing REC's.
Harry Flamm,
Stantec Architecture
Landry Watson
Assistant Vice President - SustainabilityAlexandria Real Estate Equities
29 thumbs up
July 27, 2023 - 2:25 pm
Further questions though....
If using Tier 2 offsite RE to achieve any points in this credit...is the project still allowed to use the 15% rule to estimate the C/S annual consumption?
Whole building annual kwh x (15%) = projected default C/S annual kwh.
then....allocate enough Tier 2 offsite RE to generate the value above to achieve 3 % (or more) through narrative and back up docs.
thoughts on this approach?
Umesh Atre
Sustainability LeadParkhill
10 thumbs up
July 28, 2023 - 10:41 am
Hi Harry,
Thanks for sharing this information and I agree that the language is quite misleading.
We haven't had a C&S project that has gone for this credit yet, so wasn't aware of this.
It does look like the April '23 update to the v4.1 guide now includes clarification on this; see excerpt from the guide:
" Core and Shell
CS projects shall determine total site energy use in the same manner as other BD+C projects, including the total site energy associated with the base building and future tenant fit outs (see Further Explanation, Total Site Energy Use).
Note:
The total site energy reference is aligned with EAc Renewable Energy Production from previous versions of LEED, which evaluates the Core and Shell renewable energy percentage based on total building energy use. The credit does not include provisions for calculating a lower “core and shell building energy” based on Core and shell floor area as was previously allowed in EAc Green Power and Carbon Offsets."