Updated to align with v4.1 November 2020 Addenda
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View the LEED v4 version of this credit »
SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser expert
Pamela Mendez
WSP
SPECIAL REPORT
LEEDuser’s viewpoint
Frank advice from LEED experts
LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Do not use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based refrigerants in heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems unless a third-party audit shows that system replacement or conversion is not economically feasible or unless a phase-out plan for CFC-based refrigerants is in place. Phase-out plans should be scheduled for completion within 10 years. The replacement or conversion of HVAC&R equipment is considered not economically feasible if the simple payback of the replacement or conversion is greater than 10 years. Perform the following economic analysis:
If CFC-based refrigerants are maintained in the project, reduce annual leakage to 5% or less using the procedures in the Clean Air Act, Title VI, Rule 608, governing refrigerant management and reporting (or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.), and reduce the total leakage over the remaining life of the unit to less than 30% of its refrigerant charge.
Small HVAC&R units (defined as containing less than 0.5 pound [225 grams] of refrigerant), standard refrigerators, small water coolers, and any other cooling equipment that contains less than 0.5 pound (225 grams) of refrigerant are exempt.
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 »Frequently asked questions
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Do small appliances (such as refrigerators and water coolers) that have greater than 0.5 pounds of refrigerant have to be included in the prerequisite calculations? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
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We don’t control tenant supplied supplemental cooling equipment for uses like server closets, data centers, etc. Are we required to address the tenant equipment for the prerequisite? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
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Are HCFC or HFC refrigerants considered CFC-based refrigerants? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
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If a project’s base-building systems do use CFCs, and an economic analysis is required, is it necessary to analyze both the conversion AND replacement of those building systems? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
The prerequisite states that if CFCs are maintained in the building, the project building must reduce annual leakage to 5% or less, and total leakage over the remaining life to less than 30%. Do we need to submit documentation demonstrating the leakage rates? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
Addenda
11/9/2020 – Updated: 2/3/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
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.
Get the inside scoop
Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Do not use chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based refrigerants in heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems unless a third-party audit shows that system replacement or conversion is not economically feasible or unless a phase-out plan for CFC-based refrigerants is in place. Phase-out plans should be scheduled for completion within 10 years. The replacement or conversion of HVAC&R equipment is considered not economically feasible if the simple payback of the replacement or conversion is greater than 10 years. Perform the following economic analysis:
If CFC-based refrigerants are maintained in the project, reduce annual leakage to 5% or less using the procedures in the Clean Air Act, Title VI, Rule 608, governing refrigerant management and reporting (or a local equivalent for projects outside the U.S.), and reduce the total leakage over the remaining life of the unit to less than 30% of its refrigerant charge.
Small HVAC&R units (defined as containing less than 0.5 pound [225 grams] of refrigerant), standard refrigerators, small water coolers, and any other cooling equipment that contains less than 0.5 pound (225 grams) of refrigerant are exempt.
In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
|
Do small appliances (such as refrigerators and water coolers) that have greater than 0.5 pounds of refrigerant have to be included in the prerequisite calculations? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
We don’t control tenant supplied supplemental cooling equipment for uses like server closets, data centers, etc. Are we required to address the tenant equipment for the prerequisite? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
Are HCFC or HFC refrigerants considered CFC-based refrigerants? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
If a project’s base-building systems do use CFCs, and an economic analysis is required, is it necessary to analyze both the conversion AND replacement of those building systems? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
|
The prerequisite states that if CFCs are maintained in the building, the project building must reduce annual leakage to 5% or less, and total leakage over the remaining life to less than 30%. Do we need to submit documentation demonstrating the leakage rates? The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
11/9/2020 – Updated: 2/3/2021
Form Update
Description of change:
Updated to align with v4.1 November 2020 Addenda
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
LEEDuser expert
Pamela Mendez
WSP
