Pre-Design

If you choose to submeter your space, you must include lighting, plug loads, and process uses. You also need to submeter heating and cooling systems, unless your building already has a plan for prorated payments based on building square footage, or a central plan that serves many tenants. 

Attempting both options is ideal. This way, you can submeter your actual energy use and pay only for this energy. It may even be possible to pay the utility directly. 

Your project can achieve a total of five points by pursuing both options. 

Determine if one or both of these options are most appropriate for your space type: 

• installing a submetering system to measure energy use within your space (for two points); 
• or negotiating a lease under which you pay for your actual energy usage, rather than a fixed energy bill (for three points).

Case 1: Projects with less than 75% of total building area

The cost implications of this credit vary greatly from project to project. The main factors determining price are:  

• the complexity of the metering and submetering system; 
• the cost of commissioning; 
• and the size and complexity of the building.

Determine if your project falls under Case 1 or Case 2:

• Case 1 projects occupy less than 75% of the total building area. 
• Case 2 projects occupy 75% or more of the total building area. 

All Cases

Contract with an M&V provider early in the design phase so that system components and recommendations can be implemented seamlessly rather than becoming add-ons.

The “M&V provider” develops the M&V plan. This role can be filled by the commissioning agent, energy modeler, mechanical engineer, project engineer, or a facilities manager.