Pilot-Credits EApc161: Electrification ACP: Energy Simulation Performance Path 18 points

Credit language

Intent

For the world to reach zero carbon emissions by 2050, all new buildings must meet three goals. This alternative compliance path provides metrics intended to evaluate achievement of these goals using building energy simulation:

• GOAL 1: Buildings must be built capable of running without onsite combustion except at very low outdoor temperatures
• GOAL 2: Buildings must have low peak heating and cooling loads
• GOAL 3: Buildings must reduce other energy loads and invest in renewable power

Applicability
This pilot credit applies to v4, v4 2024 Update, and v4.1

• BD+C: New Construction (18 points)
• BD+C: Core & Shell (18 points)
• BD+C: Schools (16 points)
• BD+C: Retail (18 points)
• BD+C: Data Centers (18 points)
• BD+C: Warehouses & Distribution Centers (18 points)
• BD+C: Hospitality (18 points)
• BD+C: Healthcare (20 points)
• ID+C: Commercial Interiors (25 points v4; 24 points v4.1)
• ID+C: Retail (25 points v4; 24 points v4.1)
• ID+C: Hospitality (25 points v4; 24 points v4.1)
• v4 BD+C: Multifamily Midrise (30 points)
• v4.1 Residential BD+C: Multifamily (18 points)
• v4.1 Residential bd+C: Multifamily Core and Shell (18 points)

Requirements

Note: This ACP uses ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G energy simulation. For a prescriptive path intended to accomplish the same goals without requiring detailed energy modeling, reference Pilot ACP EApc160: Electrification – Prescriptive Path.

Rating-system specific requirements:

Document the energy performance in accordance with the rating-system specific requirements identified below.

LEED v4.1

EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance and EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance
Comply with all EAp Minimum Energy Performance and EAc Optimize Energy Performance requirements, except to replace all references to the “Cost” metric with the “Demand Adjusted Energy” metric defined below

LEED v4 2024 Update (project registration beginning March 1, 2024)

Complete energy simulation using ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G with Addendum al, which revises the baseline space heating energy source determination dependent on climate zone, and the water heating energy source based on building activity.

EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance and EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance Comply with all EAp: Minimum Energy Performance and EAc: Optimize Energy Performance requirements, except to replace all references to the “Cost” or “Source Energy” metric with the “Demand Adjusted Energy” metric defined below.

LEED v4 (project registration prior to March 1, 2024)

Energy simulation shall be completed using ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G with Addendum al, which revises the baseline space heating energy source determination dependent on climate zone, and the water heating energy source based on building activity.

EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance
Comply with all EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance, except that all references to the “Cost” metric shall be replaced with the “Demand Adjusted Energy” metric or the “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Metric” determined as indicated below. Renewable energy may not be used to demonstrate achievement of prerequisite compliance using either metric.

EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance or EA Credit: Annual Energy Use
Comply with all EA Credit: Optimize Energy Performance requirements, with the following revisions:
Follow the criteria in EA Prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance to demonstrate a percentage improvement in the proposed building performance rating compared with the baseline using metrics of “Demand Adjusted Energy” and “Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions” as defined below. Points are awarded according to Table 1 and Table 2 below.

Table 1. Points for percentage improvement in energy performance: Demand Adjusted Energy (1-9 points NC and CS, 1-8 points Schools, 1-10 points Healthcare, 1-13 points ID+C)

BD+C except Healthcare, CS	Major Renovation	Healthcare	CS	ID+C	MF Midrise	Points BD+C	Points Healthcare	Points ID+C	Points MF Midrise
8%	6%	6%	5%	4%	7%	1	1	2	1
12%	10%	8%	9%	5%	9%	2	2	3	2
16%	14%	12%	13%	6%	11%	3	3	4	3
20%	18%	16%	17%	7%	13%	4	4	5	4
24%	22%	20%	21%	9%	15%	5	5	6	5
29%	27%	24%	26%	11%	17%	6	6	7	6
35%	33%	29%	32%	13%	19%	7	7	8	7
42%	40%	35%	39%	15%	22%	8	8	9	8
50%	48%	42%	47%	17%	26%	9	9	10	9
54%	54%	50%	54%	20%	30%	EP	10	11	10
		54%		24%	36%		EP	12	11
				28%	42%			13	12
				32%	48%			EP	13
					54%				14
					60%				15
					65%				EP

Table 2. Points for percentage improvement in energy performance – GHG Emissions (1-9 points NC and CS, 1-8 points Schools, 1-10 points Healthcare)

BD+C except Healthcare, CS	Major Renovation	Healthcare	CS	ID+C	MF Midrise	Points BD+C	Points Healthcare	Points ID+C	Points MF Midrise
8%	6%	6%	5%	4%	7%	1	1	2	1
12%	10%	8%	9%	5%	9%	2	2	3	2
17%	15%	12%	13%	6%	11%	3	3	4	3
22%	20%	17%	18%	8%	13%	4	4	5	4
28%	25%	22%	22%	11%	16%	5	5	6	5
34%	32%	28%	28%	15%	19%	6	6	7	6
40%	36%	34%	34%	20%	21%	7	7	8	7
50%	46%	40%	40%	26%	25%	8	8	9	8
65%	60%	50%	50%	33%	30%	9	9	10	9
80%	75%	65%	65%	45%	35%	EP	10	11	10
		80%		60%	40%		EP	12	11
				75%	45%			EP	12
					50%				13
					65%				14
					80%				15
					100%				EP

Notes:

• NC, WDC, Hospitality, and Retail projects with process Demand Adjusted Energy exceeding 50% of the proposed Demand Adjusted Energy (excluding renewable savings) may use the Table 1 CS thresholds per LI 10493.
• NC, WDC, Hospitality, and Retail projects with process GHG Emissions exceeding 50% of the proposed GHG Emissions (excluding renewable savings) may use the Table 2 CS thresholds per LI 10493.
• Colocation data centers projects using the BD+C: Data center rating system may use CS thresholds in lieu of NC thresholds per LI 10494.
• ID+C: As an alternative to modeling the ASHRAE 90.1 Appendix G prescriptive new construction envelope requirements in the Baseline, project teams may use the existing envelope in the baseline energy model per ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Table G.3.1.5 (baseline) f, subject to a 5% revised percentage improvement thresholds for (EA) prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance and a 2% performance improvement above the performance thresholds shown in Table 1 and Table 2 to earn the corresponding number of points (see LI 10454)
• Project teams modeling the existing envelope in the baseline must demonstrate 5% performance improvement under EA prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance, and must demonstrate a 2% performance improvement above established performance thresholds in EA credit Optimize Energy Performance to earn the corresponding number of points https://www.usgbc.org/leedaddenda/10454.
• For Table 2 EAc Optimize Energy Performance, credit may be documented in EAc Optimize Energy Performance for Greenhouse Gas emissions reductions associated with LEED v4.1 Tier 2 New Off-Site renewable energy.
• Projects in the continental United States and other locations where hourly electric emissions factors are available must model baseline and proposed building electric GHG emissions using the hourly GHG emissions factors for the building’s grid region, and model avoided GHG emissions from Tier 2 off-site renewable electricity using the hourly generation profile associated with the renewable asset and the hourly GHG emissions factors for the renewable asset’s grid region. Optimize Energy Performance credit is not available for Tier 2 renewable assets in the continental U.S. where the hourly generation profile and/or grid region is not specified in the documentation.

Alternative Metrics:

1. Demand Adjusted Energy:
Demand Adjusted Energy is a globally applicable metric intended to incentivize electrification of buildings paired with peak loads reductions. This metric is intended to provide consistent, predictable results that will not be subject to unpredictable fluctuations such as are likely when applying the cost, source energy, or GHG emissions metrics.

Similar to an incremental electric demand charge or time-of-use charge when applying the cost metric, the "demand adjustment" places increased value on hourly electric demand occurring during periods when future electric load on the grid is anticipated to be highest. However, unlike the cost metric, site energy consumption associated with electricity and fuel is equally weighted prior to applying the “demand adjustment”.

A full description of the Demand Adjusted Energy metric and hourly calculation methodology is described in the “LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator” published in the Resources tab for this ACP.

2. Greenhouse gas emissions:
Calculate the total greenhouse gas emissions using carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Use the following Greenhouse gas emissions factors per fuel source (with the most recent available annual data unless otherwise indicated):

• United States or Canada:
  • Use U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Factors for the most recently available year (see Energy Star Portfolio Manager Technical Reference: Greenhouse Gas Emissions or https://www.epa.gov/egrid/data-explorer).
    • For electricity, use indirect greenhouse gas emission factors per eGRID region in the U.S., and indirect greenhouse gas emission factors per province in Canada.
    • For fuel (including biomass), use direct GHG emissions factors per fuel source, as applicable.
    • For purchased heating or purchased chilled water, use indirect GHG emissions factors per fuel source.
  OR
• Continental US (required for projects documenting GHG emissions savings for LEED v4.1 Tier 2 renewable energy)
  • Electricity hourly emissions factors: Use hourly Cambium Levelized Long-Run Marginal Emission Rates published by NREL for the project’s Generation and Emission Assessment (GEA) region with characteristics as defined in the LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator. The hourly electricity consumption is multiplied by the hourly CO2e emissions factor to determine the hourly CO2e emissions.
  • Other Fuels: Use the total CO2e emissions factors that include both direct and indirect CO2e referenced in the LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator.
  
  Note: These references account for both indirect and direct emissions (i.e. combustion + pre-combustion), leading to higher reported GHG emissions for fossil fuel and for the portion of eGRID electricity generated by fossil fuel).
• European Union:
  • European Environment Agency (EEA) – National emissions reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and complete energy balances from Eurostat. (https://www.eea.europa.eu).
• All other locations, and EU countries without EEA data reporting
  • Climate Transparency - Enerdata national emissions factors (https://www.climate-transparency.orghttps://www.enerdata.net/).

For references above that report only electricity emissions factors, use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) direct GHG emissions per fuel source published in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager Technical Reference: Greenhouse Gas Emissions for non-electric fuel sources.

Submittals

General

Register for the pilot credit

• Participate in the optional LEEDuser pilot credit forum
• Complete the feedback survey:

Feedback Survey

Documentation/Compliance

In addition to the standard documentation for this prerequisite, provide the following additional documentation:

• Upload the LEED Hourly Cambium, Demand Adjusted Energy Metrics Calculator.
• For projects outside the U.S. and Canada, provide the emissions factors used, and upload the published reference and/or screen shot documenting the current published national or regional GHG emissions for each energy source documented (including total renewable + non-renewable emissions).
• For projects outside the U.S. documenting future average electric GHG emissions factors associated with minimum decarbonization requirements, provide references to the published regulatory requirements with a screen shot or link showing the published required carbon emission factors for electricity in the project location stipulated by 2050.

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