Before the Performance Period

Before deciding which compliance path to follow, consider the age and condition of your base building system. It may make more sense to develop a phase-out plan for CFC-based refrigerants in equipment that has nearly reached the end of its useful life.

If CFC-based refrigerants are used in the building, you must either commit to a comprehensive CFC phase-out plan or complete an economic analysis to determine whether conversion or replacement of the HVAC system is economically feasible.  

A list of common refrigerants and their applications is included below:

EBOM_EAp3.gif" width="590" height="137" />

Project teams often confuse CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs.

The credit forms for EAp3 and EAc5 are linked. If you are pursuing EAc5, make sure that the credit form version is the same as EAp3. If the credit forms for EAp3 and EAc5 are different versions (which would potentially happen if you attempted the EAc5 in LEED Online at a later date that when you had attempted EAp3) the form for EAc5 will not auto-populate, and you will not be able to complete the credit form. The best thing to do is to request updated forms from

Equipment that contains less than 0.5 pounds of refrigerant is not considered part of the base building system and is exempt from this prerequisite. Examples may include small HVAC units, standard refrigerators, and small water coolers.

Collect information on all base building systems that use refrigerants, including manufacturer, model number, installation date, refrigerant type, and the amount of refrigerant used in the equipment. See the Documentation Toolkit for a sample inventory form.

For projects pursuing MRc4: Sustainable Purchasing—Reduced Mercury in Lamps, ensure that any lamps purchased for lighting upgrades or additions do not exceed the maximum level of mercury permitted.  

Take a holistic approach to lighting upgrades. In addition to improving controllability, consider improvements and trade-offs related to comfortable light levels and color temperatures, efficiency and performance, mercury content, and other factors. There may be easy, low-cost opportunities to do things like install more efficient lamps and upgrade fixtures.

Since the credit sets a very achievable threshold, also consider additional opportunities to enhance building performance and occupant comfort. For example, add lighting zones based on specific types of visual tasks and the availability of natural daylight and consider dimming or “stepped” lighting systems tied to daylighting sensors.