Log in
LEED v2008
Homes
Energy and Atmosphere
Space heating and cooling equipment

LEED CREDIT

Homes-v2008 EAc6: Space heating and cooling equipment 2-4 points

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Explore this LEED credit

Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Note: Both the space heating and the space cooling equipment must meet the requirements of this credit. If only one type of equipment qualifies, then half the points should be taken. Homes built either without air-conditioning or without heating should be modeled under EA 1, using the default (minimum efficiency allowed) in both the reference and the rated homes.

Prerequisites

6.1 Good HVAC design and installation. Meet each of the following requirements:
  1. Design and size HVAC equipment properly using ACCA Manual J, the ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of Fundamentals, or an equivalent computation procedure.
  2. Install HVAC equipment that meets the requirements of the ENERGY STAR for Homes national Builder Option Package (Table 1).
  3. Install programmable thermostat (except heat pumps and hydronic systems).

Credits

6.2 High-efficiency HVAC (2 points). Design and install HVAC equipment that is better than the equipment required by the ENERGY STAR Builder Option Package (Table 1).

OR

6.3 Very high-efficiency HVAC (maximum 4 points). Design and install HVAC equipment that is substantially better than the equipment required by the ENERGY STAR Builder Option Package (Table 1). Any piping designed as part of a heat pump system to carry water that is well above (or below) the thermostatic temperature settings in the home must have R-4 insulation or greater. Note: The maximum of 4 points is available only if a heat pump is installed. Furnace and boiler systems can earn a maximum of 3 points.
Table 1a HVAC Requirements for IECC Climate Zones 4-8

 

End use

HVAC equipment

Central AC and air source
heat pumps

Furnaces (gas, oil or propane)

Boilers (gas, oil or propane)

Ground-source heat pumps

Open loop

Closed loop

Direct expansion

EA 6.1: Good HVAC Design and Installation (prerequisite)

Cooling

≥ 13 SEER

 

 

≥ 16.2 EER

≥ 14.1 EER

≥ 15 EER

Heating

≥ 8.2 HSPF

≥ 90 AFUE

≥ 85 AFUE

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.3 COP

≥ 3.5 COP

EA 6.2: High-Efficiency HVAC (2 points)

Cooling

≥ 14 SEER

 

 

≥ 17.8 EER

≥ 15.5 EER

≥ 16.5 EER

Heating

≥ 8.6 HSPF

≥ 92 AFUE

≥ 87 AFUE

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.9 COP

EA 6.3: Very High Efficiency HVAC (heat pump, 4 points; other systems, 3 points)

Cooling

≥ 15 SEER

 

 

≥ 19.4 EER

≥ 17 EER

≥ 18 EER

Heating

≥ 9.0 HSPF

≥ 94 AFUE*

≥ 90 AFUE

≥ 4.3 COP

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 4.2 COP

* Furnace with low electric energy use.
Table 1b HVAC Requirements for IECC Climate Zones 1-3

 

End use

HVAC equipment

Central AC
and air source
heat pumps

Furnaces (gas, oil or propane)

Boilers (gas, oil or propane)

Ground-source heat pumps

Open loop

Closed loop

Direct expansion

EA 6.1: Good HVAC Design and Installation (prerequisite)

Cooling

≥ 14 SEER

 

 

≥ 16.2 EER

≥ 14.1 EER

≥ 15 EER

Heating

≥ 8.2 HSPF

≥ 80 AFUE

≥ 80 AFUE

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.3 COP

≥ 3.5 COP

EA 6.2: High-Efficiency HVAC (2 points)

Cooling

≥ 15 SEER

 

 

≥ 17.8 EER

≥ 15.5 EER

≥ 16.5 EER

Heating

≥ 8.6 HSPF

≥ 90 AFUE

≥ 85 AFUE

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.9 COP

EA 6.3: Very High Efficiency HVAC (heat pump, 4 points; other systems, 3 points)

Cooling

≥ 16 SEER

 

 

≥ 19.4 EER

≥ 17 EER

≥ 18 EER

Heating

≥ 9.0 HSPF

≥ 92 AFUE*

≥ 87 AFUE

≥ 4.3 COP

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 4.2 COP

* Furnace with low electric energy use. See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Note: Both the space heating and the space cooling equipment must meet the requirements of this credit. If only one type of equipment qualifies, then half the points should be taken. Homes built either without air-conditioning or without heating should be modeled under EA 1, using the default (minimum efficiency allowed) in both the reference and the rated homes.

Prerequisites

6.1 Good HVAC design and installation. Meet each of the following requirements:
  1. Design and size HVAC equipment properly using ACCA Manual J, the ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of Fundamentals, or an equivalent computation procedure.
  2. Install HVAC equipment that meets the requirements of the ENERGY STAR for Homes national Builder Option Package (Table 1).
  3. Install programmable thermostat (except heat pumps and hydronic systems).

Credits

6.2 High-efficiency HVAC (2 points). Design and install HVAC equipment that is better than the equipment required by the ENERGY STAR Builder Option Package (Table 1).

OR

6.3 Very high-efficiency HVAC (maximum 4 points). Design and install HVAC equipment that is substantially better than the equipment required by the ENERGY STAR Builder Option Package (Table 1). Any piping designed as part of a heat pump system to carry water that is well above (or below) the thermostatic temperature settings in the home must have R-4 insulation or greater. Note: The maximum of 4 points is available only if a heat pump is installed. Furnace and boiler systems can earn a maximum of 3 points.
Table 1a HVAC Requirements for IECC Climate Zones 4-8

 

End use

HVAC equipment

Central AC and air source
heat pumps

Furnaces (gas, oil or propane)

Boilers (gas, oil or propane)

Ground-source heat pumps

Open loop

Closed loop

Direct expansion

EA 6.1: Good HVAC Design and Installation (prerequisite)

Cooling

≥ 13 SEER

 

 

≥ 16.2 EER

≥ 14.1 EER

≥ 15 EER

Heating

≥ 8.2 HSPF

≥ 90 AFUE

≥ 85 AFUE

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.3 COP

≥ 3.5 COP

EA 6.2: High-Efficiency HVAC (2 points)

Cooling

≥ 14 SEER

 

 

≥ 17.8 EER

≥ 15.5 EER

≥ 16.5 EER

Heating

≥ 8.6 HSPF

≥ 92 AFUE

≥ 87 AFUE

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.9 COP

EA 6.3: Very High Efficiency HVAC (heat pump, 4 points; other systems, 3 points)

Cooling

≥ 15 SEER

 

 

≥ 19.4 EER

≥ 17 EER

≥ 18 EER

Heating

≥ 9.0 HSPF

≥ 94 AFUE*

≥ 90 AFUE

≥ 4.3 COP

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 4.2 COP

* Furnace with low electric energy use.
Table 1b HVAC Requirements for IECC Climate Zones 1-3

 

End use

HVAC equipment

Central AC
and air source
heat pumps

Furnaces (gas, oil or propane)

Boilers (gas, oil or propane)

Ground-source heat pumps

Open loop

Closed loop

Direct expansion

EA 6.1: Good HVAC Design and Installation (prerequisite)

Cooling

≥ 14 SEER

 

 

≥ 16.2 EER

≥ 14.1 EER

≥ 15 EER

Heating

≥ 8.2 HSPF

≥ 80 AFUE

≥ 80 AFUE

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.3 COP

≥ 3.5 COP

EA 6.2: High-Efficiency HVAC (2 points)

Cooling

≥ 15 SEER

 

 

≥ 17.8 EER

≥ 15.5 EER

≥ 16.5 EER

Heating

≥ 8.6 HSPF

≥ 90 AFUE

≥ 85 AFUE

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 3.6 COP

≥ 3.9 COP

EA 6.3: Very High Efficiency HVAC (heat pump, 4 points; other systems, 3 points)

Cooling

≥ 16 SEER

 

 

≥ 19.4 EER

≥ 17 EER

≥ 18 EER

Heating

≥ 9.0 HSPF

≥ 92 AFUE*

≥ 87 AFUE

≥ 4.3 COP

≥ 4.0 COP

≥ 4.2 COP

* Furnace with low electric energy use.
See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Homes-v2008 EAc6