Log in
LEED v2009
Commercial Interiors
Energy and Atmosphere
Optimize Energy Performance—Equipment and Appliances

LEED CREDIT

CI-2009 EAc1.4: Optimize energy performance - equipment and appliances 1-4 points

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Credit achievement rate

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

LEEDuser expert

Marcus Sheffer

7group / Energy Opportunities
LEED Fellow

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

USGBC logo

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

Requirements

For all ENERGY STAR® eligible equipment and appliances installed as part of the tenant’s scope of work, achieve one of the following percentages (by rated power). Equipment that meets the same requirements as ENERGY STAR® qualified products but does not bear the ENERGY STAR® label is acceptable. Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ENERGY STAR®.

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 »

Frequently asked questions

Does my piece of equipment qualify for Energy Star? Is there an Energy Star label for my piece of equipment? Where can I find out more about Energy Star and how it relates to my equipment type?

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.)

There is not an Energy Star category for a very specific type of an appliance that fits within a broader appliance category. Can I exclude my product?

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.)

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Addenda

1/15/2016Updated: 4/7/2016
Form Update
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/14/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
In the first line of the first paragraph, replace "qualified" with "eligible" so the text becomes "...ENERGY STAR
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2012Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Add the following sentence after the first sentence: "Equipment that meets the same requirements as ENERGY STARr qualified products but does not bear the ENERGY STARr label is acceptable. Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ENERGY STARr."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/14/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the first line of the first paragraph, replace "qualified" with "eligible" so the text becomes "...ENERGY STAR
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/3/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the first line, replace "Table 2" with "Table 3" and before the sentence insert "Table 2 lists values that represent average rated power figures for different office equipment types."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2012Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Add the following sentence to the end of Step 2: For gas equipment, convert BTU/h to watts to compare power usage.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/16/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the paragraph (which begins with "All appliances and equipment...") with the following text:Only new appliances and equipment purchased as part of the scope ofwork for the project need to be included in the credit for EA Prerequisite2 and EA Credit 1.4. Equipment and appliances must meet the ENERGYSTAR criteria current at the time of purchase:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2014
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

The ENERGY STAR program is continuously releasing new and updated standards for products. Project teams may be unaware that a product they are purchasing is subject to an ENERGY STAR standard. Can a project team exclude equipment covered by recently developed ENERGY STAR product specifications from the prerequisite and credit calculations? If all equipment must be included, are teams required to use the rated power or can teams “discount” the rated power to reflect average consumption or actual operating power demand? And how should international projects apply this to new ENERGY STAR product specifications or other equipment or appliances where an ENERGY STAR option is not available locally?

Ruling:

As required in LEED Interpretation 10044, all equipment classified as eligible by ENERGY STAR must be included in the calculations. Equipment that is procured within two years of the effective date of the first (i.e. Version 1.0) ENERGY STAR product specification for that equipment category may be included or excluded at the discretion of the project team; however, all equipment within that category must be included or excluded consistently. Refer to the ENERGY STAR product specification(s) for the effective date.

Calculations may be completed using either the rated power OR the average annual power consumption, but the metric selected must be consistent for all equipment included in the calculations. For the purposes of demonstrating equivalency to the ENERGY STAR product specification by average annual power consumption, equipment purchased may use no more than the average annual energy consumption of the equivalent ENERGY STAR-qualified product as determined by the appropriate ENERGY STAR savings calculator. The average annual power consumption for purchased equipment may be demonstrated by manufacturer documentation or calculated from actual equipment operating data and anticipated use profiles.

For Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) equipment:

If using the rated power methodology, the UPS “rated power” for the LEED Calculation may optionally be derated to 35% of the UPS Rated Output Power to more accurately reflect the relative energy usage associated with UPS equipment compared to other Energy Star equipment.

If using the average annual power consumption methodology, the UPS average annual power consumption (in units of kWh/year) shall be calculated as:
UPS Annual Power Consumption = 6,600 x Power x (1-EffAVGMIN)

Where:

Power is the UPS Rated Output Power in units of kW.

EffAVGMIN is determined consistently with the ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements, or 93.7% if unknown.

For projects located outside of the United States, the following approved standards may be used in place of ENERGY STAR for equipment categories covered by these standards: EU ENERGY STAR, TCO, Blue Angel. Additionally, equipment classified as eligible by ENERGY STAR but not ENERGY STAR-qualified may be deemed equivalent if the equipment has been labeled by a local energy label and has been rated by the labeling program to use no more than the average annual energy consumption of the equivalent ENERGY STAR-qualified product as determined by the appropriate ENERGY STAR savings calculator.

Updated 01/05/18 for rating system version applicability and to provide additional calculation options for Uninterruptible Power Supply equipment.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
2/9/2009
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Our client has purchased and will be reusing Energy Star rated equipment and appliances for their LEED CI build-out. However, 84 of the desktop computers will be switching over to Thin Client, a device that allows users to operate off of one interface rather than having individual PCs at each desk. Instead, each desk will only require a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The maximum power usage on this product is 5.6 Watts, which is far below the standard 120 Watts for desktops. Likewise, Thin Client also uses far less energy than any of the current Energy Star rated PCs on the market. However, Energy Star does not add Thin Client to their qualifications until July 1, 2009, this is past when we expect to submit our project to the USGBC. Below is the link to Energy Star\'s Version 5.0 for reference and to confirm Thin Clients addition to the program in July. www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/prod_development/revisions/downloads/comp... Not only does Thin Client reduce energy use, it also reduces maintenance and operation costs as well as reduction of overall material generation and utilization. We believe that this piece of equipment goes above and beyond the current ES requirements and surely meets the intent of the credit; we consider it to be the next innovative step in office equipment, and recommend that our client be allowed to use Thin Client toward their 90% Energy Star rated Equipment and Appliance goal.

Ruling:

The applicant is requesting permission to include Thin Client equipment towards meeting the 90% Energy Star rated equipment goal. While it is clear that in the near future many office projects will be able to use this technology and achieve significant savings, it appears that Thin Client is a type of equipment. There can be various types of Thin Clients that a project team may select and there is variation in the performance characteristics of each. Without a valid Energy Star certification for the exact make and model of Thin Client equipment proposed on this project, it will not be possible to determine if the specified piece of equipment is efficient or not. At this time, Thin Client cannot be accounted towards meeting the 90% Energy Star equipment. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
6/27/2008
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Our client has made an excellent effort to purchase and use Energy Star equipment and appliances wherever possible in an effort to achieve the 90% threshold to achieve two points. By using the template spreadsheet they are slightly above this threshold, however, we have determined that Energy Star does not provide a label for or recognize microwave ovens. They are attempting to purchase an Energy Star model but can not find one since they are nonexistent. Since the client has (3) microwaves on the project, the template spreadsheet indicates that the threshold met for total percentage of energy star rated power on the project is down around 85% if the microwaves are listed as "Non-Energy Star". The Commercial Interiors reference guide states "for all ENERGYSTAR eligible equipment and appliances installed in the project." We strongly believe that in this instance efficient microwaves are not eligible and shall be considered as neither "Energy-Star" rated nor "Non-Energy Star" rated. Consequently, this appliance shall not be included in the calculation template.

Ruling:

The applicant is inquiring whether microwave ovens are exempt from the requirements of this credit, as Energy Star does not provide a label for them. Since there is no Energy Star label for microwave ovens, they would not be considered Energy Star eligible equipment and therefore are exempt from the requirements of this credit. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/1/2015
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Can a project team demonstrate compliance with EA Credits 1.1 through 1.4 by the use of a tenant-level energy simulation?

Ruling:

Project teams may demonstrate compliance with the Minimum Energy Performance Prerequisite, and EA Credits 1.1 through 1.4 by a tenant-level energy simulation. If this path is selected, this compliance path must be used in its entirety to replace EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance, and EA Credit 1.1 through 1.4: Optimize Energy Performance.

Demonstrate an improvement in the proposed performance rating compared with the baseline performance rating for portions of the building within the LEED project boundary. Calculate the baseline according to ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2007, Appendix G, with errata (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.), using a simulation model for all tenant project energy use.

The proposed design must meet the following criteria:
- compliance with the mandatory provisions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2007, with errata, (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.);
- inclusion of all energy consumption and costs within and associated with the tenant project; and
- comparison against a baseline tenant project that complies with Standard 90.1–2007, Appendix G, with errata but without addenda (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.).

Percentage Improvements Required to Achieve EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance, and points under EA Credit 1.1 through 1.4: Optimize Energy Performance are as shown in the Related Resource "ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Point Scale for LEED-CI v2009 Tenant-Level Energy Models".

Document the energy modeling input assumptions for unregulated loads. Unregulated loads should be modeled accurately to reflect the actual expected energy consumption of the tenant project.

If unregulated loads are not identical for both the baseline and the proposed performance ratings, and the simulation program cannot accurately model the savings, follow the exceptional calculation method (ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2007, G2.5). Alternatively, the following exceptional calculation methods are approved for unregulated loads:
- use the COMNET modeling guidelines and procedures to document measures that reduce unregulated loads;
OR
- for equipment that is classified as eligible by ENERGY STAR, complete the appropriate ENERGY STAR savings calculator. The baseline design energy consumption for ENERGY STAR-eligible equipment shall be the average annual power consumption for the equivalent Conventional equipment as determined by the ENERGY STAR savings calculator. The proposed design energy consumption may be either the average annual power consumption for ENERGY STAR equipment as determined by the ENERGY STAR savings calculator, or manufacturer reported average annual power consumption that has been calculated in accordance with the appropriate ENERGY STAR product specification.

Modeling the Baseline Case:
The baseline HVAC system type must be based on the building’s area and number of floors (not the project’s area and number of floors).
Existing conditions for lighting and HVAC systems must be modeled as new construction in the baseline case, following Appendix G, for all components and systems.
If appropriate, apply Section G3.1.1 exceptions (a–f) to the model. More specifically, if the building heating source (fossil fuel or hybrid versus electric) or building type (nonresidential versus residential) varies from the predominant conditions of the building for an area exceeding 20,000 square feet, an alternative system type should be modeled for the space where exception (a) applies. Additional systems should be modeled in any portions of the space where exceptions (b) through (d) apply.

Allocation of Central HVAC and DHW systems to the project space:
In many projects, a portion of a base building HVAC or service water heating system serves the project’s tenant space. To allocate a percentage of that HVAC or service water heating system to the tenant area, use whichever of the following two methods is more appropriate. (Note: for air handling units, this method should be consistent with the method used for IEQ Prerequisite 1: Minimum Indoor Air Quality).

Method 1:
Method 1 is applicable when the additional spaces served by the HVAC or service water heating system have similar occupancies to the project space, provided the resulting unmet load hours for the proposed design do not exceed the amount allowed by ASHRAE 90.1.
- Determine the total square footage (square meters) served by the HVAC or service water-heating system.
- Determine the project floor area served by the HVAC or service water-heating system.
- For air-handling units, determine the design supply airflow, design fan power, design heating capacity, design cooling capacity, and outdoor airflow. For central service water heaters or thermal energy plants (e.g., steam, hot water, or chilled water) located in the building, determine the chiller or boiler quantities and capacities, storage tank volumes as applicable, pump design supply volume for each pump as applicable, heat rejection fan power, and any other pertinent parameters relative to HVAC system capacities.
- Determine the relative contribution of the HVAC or service water-heating system to the project floor space by applying the project floor space ratio to each design parameter (design supply airflow, design fan power, design heating capacity, design cooling capacity, outdoor airflow, chiller capacity, service water heating storage volume, or pump capacity):
Adjusted parameter = Parameter x Project area served by system / Total area served by system
- Model the HVAC or service water-heating system based on the actual design conditions and sequence of operations, but use the adjusted parameters as calculated above.
- For chilled water, hot water, or steam central plants, the District Energy Guidance may be used in lieu of the method above to determine average efficiencies for the central plant equipment.

Method 2:
Method 2 is applicable when the other spaces served by the air-handling unit have dissimilar occupancies to the project space.
- For air-handling units, determine the design supply airflow, design fan power, design heating capacity, design cooling capacity, and outdoor airflow. For central thermal energy plants or service water heaters located in the building, determine the chiller or boiler quantities and capacities, storage tank volumes as applicable, pump design supply volume for each pump as applicable, heat rejection fan power, and any other pertinent parameters relative to HVAC system capacities.
- Determine the percentage allocation of HVAC or service water heating capacity to the project space, using the following equations:
% allocation = Airflow allocated to project space / Total design supply airflow
% allocation = Chilled water capacity allocated to project space / Total chilled water capacity

Example: A dedicated outside air system supplies the entire building, and VAV boxes distribute the outside air to each tenant space. The team makes the calculation as follows:
% allocation = [AHU design supply flow] / [Sum of all VAV box peak design flows] x [VAV box peak design flow for project space]

- Provide documentation from the base building’s owner identifying the airflow and/or thermal capacity allocated to the project space versus the total design supply airflow and/or thermal capacity. Justify this percentage allocation in a narrative.
- Identify the different occupancies, by type and square footage (square meters), served by the air-handling unit or thermal energy system.
- In ASHRAE 90.1 User’s Manual or ASHRAE 62.1, look up default assumptions for the other occupancies’ lighting loads, ventilation, occupancy, etc. Use these values to determine (per square foot or square meter) the peak heating and cooling loads, design supply air volume, and design outside air volume for the other occupancies:
Total load = Sum [(Design load/ft2) x (Area)]
Adjusted parameter = Parameter x Total project area served by AHU or thermal system / Total area served by AHU or thermal system
- Model the air-handling unit or thermal energy system based on the actual design conditions, but use the adjusted parameters as calculated above.
- For chilled water, hot water, or steam central plants, the District Energy Guidance may be used in lieu of the method above to determine average efficiencies for the central plant equipment.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/25/2008
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

LEED CI v2.0 Cr EA 1.4 uses ENERGY STAR as its benchmark. ENERGY STAR issued new specifications in 2007. We are looking for clarification on equipment purchased prior to the new specifications that were ENERGY STAR rated when purchased but do not appear on the new list of compliant products. We are moving 1870 employees, including existing equipment, to a new 300,000 sf building that is seeking both LEED CS and LEED CI certifications. Our client\'s corporate policies include purchasing ENERGY STAR rated equipment and appliances and our intent is to meet Cr EA 1.4 90%, by rated power, of ENERGY STAR eligible equipment and appliances shall be ENERGY STAR rated. As mentioned above, in 2007, ENERGY STAR updated many of its specifications. We are looking for clarification on which ENERGY STAR specifications to follow. In many credits that use guidelines LEED specifically calls out which year to follow. ASHRAE 90.1 2004 is an example of this. When LEED does call out a specific year, it does not change the requirements until the newer version of LEED comes out even if there is a more up to date guideline. If we follow this logic, all equipment and appliances would need to meet ENERGY STAR specifications from when LEED CI was issued. In this instance, LEED does not specify the ENERGY STAR rating specification date to follow. More than 90% our existing products we plan to move to our new facility are ENERGY STAR rated by the previous standard or the current specifications. In addition our client\'s policy going forward continues to include purchasing ENERGY STAR rated products that meet the current ENERGY STAR criteria. Our client\'s IT department replaces 25% of its equipment each year and by the time we apply for LEED CI certification 50% of the equipment will be compliant with the Energy Star 2007 Criteria. Additionally by 2011, two years after filing for LEED CI, our client will be fully compliant with the new standard. We feel it would be inherently unsustainable to discard pre-2007 energy star compliant equipment in order to meet this credit. Please confirm for LEED CI v2.0 Cr EA 1.4 equipment and appliances purchased pre-2007 ENERGY STAR specifications will comply with this credit if they met the previous ENERGY STAR specifications. All equipment and appliances purchased since the new specifications were issued will meet the new specification. Note: If this method is acceptable LEED should work with the EPA to make the older standards available to the LEED community. The older standards are not currently available on the EPA website.

Ruling:

The CIR is requesting confirmation that ENERGY STAR rated appliances purchased prior to the publication of the current criteria and complying with the previous criteria can meet the intent and requirements of LEED-CI EAc1.4. This equipment can be considered ENERGY STAR eligible equipment for the submittal, provided that documentation proving the same can be provided. Documentation should include a list of equipment eligible according to old criteria, purchase dates, ENERGY STAR rating at time of purchase, and the date new ENERGY STAR criteria was issued. All equipment purchased after the new criteria have been issued need to meet the new specification. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
9/15/2009
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

The project team proposes an alternative compliance approach for the achievement of this credit. The intent of this credit is to "achieve increasing levels of energy conservation beyond the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use" (LEED-CI v2.0 Reference Guide). The intent of this credit leads the project team to believe that this should be an ongoing initiative beyond just project completion and occupancy. Our project is a relocation that will include bringing computers, printers and other equipment from the existing offices to the new space. The project team feels that disposing of this equipment at the time of the relocation and buying all new equipment is not appropriate stewardship of materials nor is it cost-efficient. With an ongoing approach to improving energy conservation as the key focus while still being mindful of the appropriate use of resources (both material and financial), the project team proposes the use of a phasing plan to shift to more energy efficient equipment. This phasing plan will apply only to relocated equipment and will encompass a strict purchasing policy to replace that equipment with only energy efficient equipment as prescribed by current Energy Star guidelines. The project team will include, upon credit submission, a copy of the purchasing plan signed by upper management and a 5-year phasing plan that includes a comprehensive list of what equipment is included in the scope of the project (assessing inventory according to the spreadsheet template of LEED-CI EAc1.4) and a replacement schedule indicating the anticipated replacement timeframe and a replacement deadline for each piece of equipment. Phasing plans have been used in many situations to promote the triple bottom line goals of environment, social and financial benefits. Some examples of successful phase-out plans are the Montreal Protocol for the global phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and many project-specific phase-outs of light bulbs (through replacing less efficient bulbs, like T-12 lamps, with more energy efficient ones, like T-8 or T-5 lamps, only after the old bulbs burned out and required replacement).

Ruling:

The intent of EAc1.4 focuses on immediate decreases in energy use by utilizing energy efficient appliances as defined by the Energy Star rating system. Over the course of the five years of the phase-out the rated equipment would actually use more energy than the Energy Star baseline. The intent of this credit is to reduce the energy use of the project at project completion and while the proposed alternate compliance approach does provide benefits regarding re-use of existing equipment, it does not provide the energy savings to meet the credit requirements. A CIR dated 3/31/2008 for CIv2.0 Cr EA1.4 requested a similar approach. The existing equipment had to meet the equivalent Energy Star performance requirements at that time. If the equipment did not meet those requirements than it could not be counted towards the threshold. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/1/2015
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Is there an adjusted point scale and minimum point threshold where applicable for LEED v2009 projects using ASHRAE 90.1-2010?

Ruling:

**July 1, 2016 update:This ruling has been revised to address the LEED 2009 minimum point requirement released 4/8/2016.**

Yes, LEED v2009 projects that demonstrate compliance using ASHRAE 90.1-2010 may utilize the adjusted point scale as shown in the Related Resource "ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Adjusted Point Scale for LEED v2009 Projects", subject to the following limitations:

• All mandatory provisions associated with ASHRAE 90.1-2010 (or an approved alternative standard) must be met in order for the project to use this compliance path.
• The ID+C thresholds shown are only relevant for projects using the Alternative Compliance Path described in LEED Interpretation 10412 that replaces the LEED 2009 requirements for EAp2, EAc1.1, EAc1.2, EAc1.3, and EAc1.4 with a Performance compliance path. All other ID&C projects would use the standard points available from EAc1.1 through EAc1.4 to comply with the 4-point minimum requirements.
• The CS 2009 EAp2-c1 ACP (http://www.usgbc.org/resources/cs-2009-eap2-c1-acp) may not be used in conjunction with this ASHRAE 90.1-2010 ACP. The project team must either use ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Appendix G with the CS 2009 EAp2-c1 ACP or use ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G without the CS 2009 EAp2-c1 ACP.

For projects that register on or after April 8th, 2016 and are subject to the mandatory Optimize Energy Performance point minimum:
If the project complies with all LEED v4 Minimum Energy Performance requirements for the relevant LEED v4 rating system, the project shall be considered to satisfy the LEED 2009 EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance mandatory minimum EAc1 points requirements (applicable for projects registered on or after April 8th, 2016), regardless of number of points achieved when applying this LEED Interpretation. The points documented under EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance shall be as shown in the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Adjusted Points Scale for LEED v2009 for projects following the Performance Path, and zero for projects following a Prescriptive path.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Checklists

Step by step to LEED certification

LEEDuser’s checklists walk you through the key action steps you need to earn a credit, including how to avoid common pitfalls and save money.

See all forum discussions about this credit »

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.

Credit achievement rate

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

LEEDuser expert

Marcus Sheffer

7group / Energy Opportunities
LEED Fellow

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.

USGBC logo

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

Requirements

For all ENERGY STAR® eligible equipment and appliances installed as part of the tenant’s scope of work, achieve one of the following percentages (by rated power). Equipment that meets the same requirements as ENERGY STAR® qualified products but does not bear the ENERGY STAR® label is acceptable. Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ENERGY STAR®.

XX%

Upgrade to LEEDuser Premium to see how many projects achieved this credit. Try it free »

Got the gist of EAc1.4 but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Premium members get:

  • Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
  • Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
  • Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
  • Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
  • All checklists organized by project phase.
  • On-the-fly suggestions of useful items from the Documentation Toolkit and Credit Language.

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.

Does my piece of equipment qualify for Energy Star? Is there an Energy Star label for my piece of equipment? Where can I find out more about Energy Star and how it relates to my equipment type?

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.)

There is not an Energy Star category for a very specific type of an appliance that fits within a broader appliance category. Can I exclude my product?

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.)

1/15/2016Updated: 4/7/2016
Form Update
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
4/14/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Rating System Correction
Description of change:
In the first line of the first paragraph, replace "qualified" with "eligible" so the text becomes "...ENERGY STAR
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2012Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Add the following sentence after the first sentence: "Equipment that meets the same requirements as ENERGY STARr qualified products but does not bear the ENERGY STARr label is acceptable. Projects outside the U.S. may use a local equivalent to ENERGY STARr."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/14/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the first line of the first paragraph, replace "qualified" with "eligible" so the text becomes "...ENERGY STAR
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/3/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the first line, replace "Table 2" with "Table 3" and before the sentence insert "Table 2 lists values that represent average rated power figures for different office equipment types."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2012Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Add the following sentence to the end of Step 2: For gas equipment, convert BTU/h to watts to compare power usage.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/16/2010Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Replace the paragraph (which begins with "All appliances and equipment...") with the following text:Only new appliances and equipment purchased as part of the scope ofwork for the project need to be included in the credit for EA Prerequisite2 and EA Credit 1.4. Equipment and appliances must meet the ENERGYSTAR criteria current at the time of purchase:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
10/1/2014
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

The ENERGY STAR program is continuously releasing new and updated standards for products. Project teams may be unaware that a product they are purchasing is subject to an ENERGY STAR standard. Can a project team exclude equipment covered by recently developed ENERGY STAR product specifications from the prerequisite and credit calculations? If all equipment must be included, are teams required to use the rated power or can teams “discount” the rated power to reflect average consumption or actual operating power demand? And how should international projects apply this to new ENERGY STAR product specifications or other equipment or appliances where an ENERGY STAR option is not available locally?

Ruling:

As required in LEED Interpretation 10044, all equipment classified as eligible by ENERGY STAR must be included in the calculations. Equipment that is procured within two years of the effective date of the first (i.e. Version 1.0) ENERGY STAR product specification for that equipment category may be included or excluded at the discretion of the project team; however, all equipment within that category must be included or excluded consistently. Refer to the ENERGY STAR product specification(s) for the effective date.

Calculations may be completed using either the rated power OR the average annual power consumption, but the metric selected must be consistent for all equipment included in the calculations. For the purposes of demonstrating equivalency to the ENERGY STAR product specification by average annual power consumption, equipment purchased may use no more than the average annual energy consumption of the equivalent ENERGY STAR-qualified product as determined by the appropriate ENERGY STAR savings calculator. The average annual power consumption for purchased equipment may be demonstrated by manufacturer documentation or calculated from actual equipment operating data and anticipated use profiles.

For Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) equipment:

If using the rated power methodology, the UPS “rated power” for the LEED Calculation may optionally be derated to 35% of the UPS Rated Output Power to more accurately reflect the relative energy usage associated with UPS equipment compared to other Energy Star equipment.

If using the average annual power consumption methodology, the UPS average annual power consumption (in units of kWh/year) shall be calculated as:
UPS Annual Power Consumption = 6,600 x Power x (1-EffAVGMIN)

Where:

Power is the UPS Rated Output Power in units of kW.

EffAVGMIN is determined consistently with the ENERGY STAR® Program Requirements, or 93.7% if unknown.

For projects located outside of the United States, the following approved standards may be used in place of ENERGY STAR for equipment categories covered by these standards: EU ENERGY STAR, TCO, Blue Angel. Additionally, equipment classified as eligible by ENERGY STAR but not ENERGY STAR-qualified may be deemed equivalent if the equipment has been labeled by a local energy label and has been rated by the labeling program to use no more than the average annual energy consumption of the equivalent ENERGY STAR-qualified product as determined by the appropriate ENERGY STAR savings calculator.

Updated 01/05/18 for rating system version applicability and to provide additional calculation options for Uninterruptible Power Supply equipment.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
2/9/2009
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Our client has purchased and will be reusing Energy Star rated equipment and appliances for their LEED CI build-out. However, 84 of the desktop computers will be switching over to Thin Client, a device that allows users to operate off of one interface rather than having individual PCs at each desk. Instead, each desk will only require a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. The maximum power usage on this product is 5.6 Watts, which is far below the standard 120 Watts for desktops. Likewise, Thin Client also uses far less energy than any of the current Energy Star rated PCs on the market. However, Energy Star does not add Thin Client to their qualifications until July 1, 2009, this is past when we expect to submit our project to the USGBC. Below is the link to Energy Star\'s Version 5.0 for reference and to confirm Thin Clients addition to the program in July. www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/prod_development/revisions/downloads/comp... Not only does Thin Client reduce energy use, it also reduces maintenance and operation costs as well as reduction of overall material generation and utilization. We believe that this piece of equipment goes above and beyond the current ES requirements and surely meets the intent of the credit; we consider it to be the next innovative step in office equipment, and recommend that our client be allowed to use Thin Client toward their 90% Energy Star rated Equipment and Appliance goal.

Ruling:

The applicant is requesting permission to include Thin Client equipment towards meeting the 90% Energy Star rated equipment goal. While it is clear that in the near future many office projects will be able to use this technology and achieve significant savings, it appears that Thin Client is a type of equipment. There can be various types of Thin Clients that a project team may select and there is variation in the performance characteristics of each. Without a valid Energy Star certification for the exact make and model of Thin Client equipment proposed on this project, it will not be possible to determine if the specified piece of equipment is efficient or not. At this time, Thin Client cannot be accounted towards meeting the 90% Energy Star equipment. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
6/27/2008
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Our client has made an excellent effort to purchase and use Energy Star equipment and appliances wherever possible in an effort to achieve the 90% threshold to achieve two points. By using the template spreadsheet they are slightly above this threshold, however, we have determined that Energy Star does not provide a label for or recognize microwave ovens. They are attempting to purchase an Energy Star model but can not find one since they are nonexistent. Since the client has (3) microwaves on the project, the template spreadsheet indicates that the threshold met for total percentage of energy star rated power on the project is down around 85% if the microwaves are listed as "Non-Energy Star". The Commercial Interiors reference guide states "for all ENERGYSTAR eligible equipment and appliances installed in the project." We strongly believe that in this instance efficient microwaves are not eligible and shall be considered as neither "Energy-Star" rated nor "Non-Energy Star" rated. Consequently, this appliance shall not be included in the calculation template.

Ruling:

The applicant is inquiring whether microwave ovens are exempt from the requirements of this credit, as Energy Star does not provide a label for them. Since there is no Energy Star label for microwave ovens, they would not be considered Energy Star eligible equipment and therefore are exempt from the requirements of this credit. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/1/2015
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Can a project team demonstrate compliance with EA Credits 1.1 through 1.4 by the use of a tenant-level energy simulation?

Ruling:

Project teams may demonstrate compliance with the Minimum Energy Performance Prerequisite, and EA Credits 1.1 through 1.4 by a tenant-level energy simulation. If this path is selected, this compliance path must be used in its entirety to replace EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance, and EA Credit 1.1 through 1.4: Optimize Energy Performance.

Demonstrate an improvement in the proposed performance rating compared with the baseline performance rating for portions of the building within the LEED project boundary. Calculate the baseline according to ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2007, Appendix G, with errata (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.), using a simulation model for all tenant project energy use.

The proposed design must meet the following criteria:
- compliance with the mandatory provisions of ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2007, with errata, (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.);
- inclusion of all energy consumption and costs within and associated with the tenant project; and
- comparison against a baseline tenant project that complies with Standard 90.1–2007, Appendix G, with errata but without addenda (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.).

Percentage Improvements Required to Achieve EA Prerequisite 2: Minimum Energy Performance, and points under EA Credit 1.1 through 1.4: Optimize Energy Performance are as shown in the Related Resource "ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Point Scale for LEED-CI v2009 Tenant-Level Energy Models".

Document the energy modeling input assumptions for unregulated loads. Unregulated loads should be modeled accurately to reflect the actual expected energy consumption of the tenant project.

If unregulated loads are not identical for both the baseline and the proposed performance ratings, and the simulation program cannot accurately model the savings, follow the exceptional calculation method (ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2007, G2.5). Alternatively, the following exceptional calculation methods are approved for unregulated loads:
- use the COMNET modeling guidelines and procedures to document measures that reduce unregulated loads;
OR
- for equipment that is classified as eligible by ENERGY STAR, complete the appropriate ENERGY STAR savings calculator. The baseline design energy consumption for ENERGY STAR-eligible equipment shall be the average annual power consumption for the equivalent Conventional equipment as determined by the ENERGY STAR savings calculator. The proposed design energy consumption may be either the average annual power consumption for ENERGY STAR equipment as determined by the ENERGY STAR savings calculator, or manufacturer reported average annual power consumption that has been calculated in accordance with the appropriate ENERGY STAR product specification.

Modeling the Baseline Case:
The baseline HVAC system type must be based on the building’s area and number of floors (not the project’s area and number of floors).
Existing conditions for lighting and HVAC systems must be modeled as new construction in the baseline case, following Appendix G, for all components and systems.
If appropriate, apply Section G3.1.1 exceptions (a–f) to the model. More specifically, if the building heating source (fossil fuel or hybrid versus electric) or building type (nonresidential versus residential) varies from the predominant conditions of the building for an area exceeding 20,000 square feet, an alternative system type should be modeled for the space where exception (a) applies. Additional systems should be modeled in any portions of the space where exceptions (b) through (d) apply.

Allocation of Central HVAC and DHW systems to the project space:
In many projects, a portion of a base building HVAC or service water heating system serves the project’s tenant space. To allocate a percentage of that HVAC or service water heating system to the tenant area, use whichever of the following two methods is more appropriate. (Note: for air handling units, this method should be consistent with the method used for IEQ Prerequisite 1: Minimum Indoor Air Quality).

Method 1:
Method 1 is applicable when the additional spaces served by the HVAC or service water heating system have similar occupancies to the project space, provided the resulting unmet load hours for the proposed design do not exceed the amount allowed by ASHRAE 90.1.
- Determine the total square footage (square meters) served by the HVAC or service water-heating system.
- Determine the project floor area served by the HVAC or service water-heating system.
- For air-handling units, determine the design supply airflow, design fan power, design heating capacity, design cooling capacity, and outdoor airflow. For central service water heaters or thermal energy plants (e.g., steam, hot water, or chilled water) located in the building, determine the chiller or boiler quantities and capacities, storage tank volumes as applicable, pump design supply volume for each pump as applicable, heat rejection fan power, and any other pertinent parameters relative to HVAC system capacities.
- Determine the relative contribution of the HVAC or service water-heating system to the project floor space by applying the project floor space ratio to each design parameter (design supply airflow, design fan power, design heating capacity, design cooling capacity, outdoor airflow, chiller capacity, service water heating storage volume, or pump capacity):
Adjusted parameter = Parameter x Project area served by system / Total area served by system
- Model the HVAC or service water-heating system based on the actual design conditions and sequence of operations, but use the adjusted parameters as calculated above.
- For chilled water, hot water, or steam central plants, the District Energy Guidance may be used in lieu of the method above to determine average efficiencies for the central plant equipment.

Method 2:
Method 2 is applicable when the other spaces served by the air-handling unit have dissimilar occupancies to the project space.
- For air-handling units, determine the design supply airflow, design fan power, design heating capacity, design cooling capacity, and outdoor airflow. For central thermal energy plants or service water heaters located in the building, determine the chiller or boiler quantities and capacities, storage tank volumes as applicable, pump design supply volume for each pump as applicable, heat rejection fan power, and any other pertinent parameters relative to HVAC system capacities.
- Determine the percentage allocation of HVAC or service water heating capacity to the project space, using the following equations:
% allocation = Airflow allocated to project space / Total design supply airflow
% allocation = Chilled water capacity allocated to project space / Total chilled water capacity

Example: A dedicated outside air system supplies the entire building, and VAV boxes distribute the outside air to each tenant space. The team makes the calculation as follows:
% allocation = [AHU design supply flow] / [Sum of all VAV box peak design flows] x [VAV box peak design flow for project space]

- Provide documentation from the base building’s owner identifying the airflow and/or thermal capacity allocated to the project space versus the total design supply airflow and/or thermal capacity. Justify this percentage allocation in a narrative.
- Identify the different occupancies, by type and square footage (square meters), served by the air-handling unit or thermal energy system.
- In ASHRAE 90.1 User’s Manual or ASHRAE 62.1, look up default assumptions for the other occupancies’ lighting loads, ventilation, occupancy, etc. Use these values to determine (per square foot or square meter) the peak heating and cooling loads, design supply air volume, and design outside air volume for the other occupancies:
Total load = Sum [(Design load/ft2) x (Area)]
Adjusted parameter = Parameter x Total project area served by AHU or thermal system / Total area served by AHU or thermal system
- Model the air-handling unit or thermal energy system based on the actual design conditions, but use the adjusted parameters as calculated above.
- For chilled water, hot water, or steam central plants, the District Energy Guidance may be used in lieu of the method above to determine average efficiencies for the central plant equipment.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
4/25/2008
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

LEED CI v2.0 Cr EA 1.4 uses ENERGY STAR as its benchmark. ENERGY STAR issued new specifications in 2007. We are looking for clarification on equipment purchased prior to the new specifications that were ENERGY STAR rated when purchased but do not appear on the new list of compliant products. We are moving 1870 employees, including existing equipment, to a new 300,000 sf building that is seeking both LEED CS and LEED CI certifications. Our client\'s corporate policies include purchasing ENERGY STAR rated equipment and appliances and our intent is to meet Cr EA 1.4 90%, by rated power, of ENERGY STAR eligible equipment and appliances shall be ENERGY STAR rated. As mentioned above, in 2007, ENERGY STAR updated many of its specifications. We are looking for clarification on which ENERGY STAR specifications to follow. In many credits that use guidelines LEED specifically calls out which year to follow. ASHRAE 90.1 2004 is an example of this. When LEED does call out a specific year, it does not change the requirements until the newer version of LEED comes out even if there is a more up to date guideline. If we follow this logic, all equipment and appliances would need to meet ENERGY STAR specifications from when LEED CI was issued. In this instance, LEED does not specify the ENERGY STAR rating specification date to follow. More than 90% our existing products we plan to move to our new facility are ENERGY STAR rated by the previous standard or the current specifications. In addition our client\'s policy going forward continues to include purchasing ENERGY STAR rated products that meet the current ENERGY STAR criteria. Our client\'s IT department replaces 25% of its equipment each year and by the time we apply for LEED CI certification 50% of the equipment will be compliant with the Energy Star 2007 Criteria. Additionally by 2011, two years after filing for LEED CI, our client will be fully compliant with the new standard. We feel it would be inherently unsustainable to discard pre-2007 energy star compliant equipment in order to meet this credit. Please confirm for LEED CI v2.0 Cr EA 1.4 equipment and appliances purchased pre-2007 ENERGY STAR specifications will comply with this credit if they met the previous ENERGY STAR specifications. All equipment and appliances purchased since the new specifications were issued will meet the new specification. Note: If this method is acceptable LEED should work with the EPA to make the older standards available to the LEED community. The older standards are not currently available on the EPA website.

Ruling:

The CIR is requesting confirmation that ENERGY STAR rated appliances purchased prior to the publication of the current criteria and complying with the previous criteria can meet the intent and requirements of LEED-CI EAc1.4. This equipment can be considered ENERGY STAR eligible equipment for the submittal, provided that documentation proving the same can be provided. Documentation should include a list of equipment eligible according to old criteria, purchase dates, ENERGY STAR rating at time of purchase, and the date new ENERGY STAR criteria was issued. All equipment purchased after the new criteria have been issued need to meet the new specification. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
9/15/2009
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

The project team proposes an alternative compliance approach for the achievement of this credit. The intent of this credit is to "achieve increasing levels of energy conservation beyond the prerequisite standard to reduce environmental impacts associated with excessive energy use" (LEED-CI v2.0 Reference Guide). The intent of this credit leads the project team to believe that this should be an ongoing initiative beyond just project completion and occupancy. Our project is a relocation that will include bringing computers, printers and other equipment from the existing offices to the new space. The project team feels that disposing of this equipment at the time of the relocation and buying all new equipment is not appropriate stewardship of materials nor is it cost-efficient. With an ongoing approach to improving energy conservation as the key focus while still being mindful of the appropriate use of resources (both material and financial), the project team proposes the use of a phasing plan to shift to more energy efficient equipment. This phasing plan will apply only to relocated equipment and will encompass a strict purchasing policy to replace that equipment with only energy efficient equipment as prescribed by current Energy Star guidelines. The project team will include, upon credit submission, a copy of the purchasing plan signed by upper management and a 5-year phasing plan that includes a comprehensive list of what equipment is included in the scope of the project (assessing inventory according to the spreadsheet template of LEED-CI EAc1.4) and a replacement schedule indicating the anticipated replacement timeframe and a replacement deadline for each piece of equipment. Phasing plans have been used in many situations to promote the triple bottom line goals of environment, social and financial benefits. Some examples of successful phase-out plans are the Montreal Protocol for the global phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and many project-specific phase-outs of light bulbs (through replacing less efficient bulbs, like T-12 lamps, with more energy efficient ones, like T-8 or T-5 lamps, only after the old bulbs burned out and required replacement).

Ruling:

The intent of EAc1.4 focuses on immediate decreases in energy use by utilizing energy efficient appliances as defined by the Energy Star rating system. Over the course of the five years of the phase-out the rated equipment would actually use more energy than the Energy Star baseline. The intent of this credit is to reduce the energy use of the project at project completion and while the proposed alternate compliance approach does provide benefits regarding re-use of existing equipment, it does not provide the energy savings to meet the credit requirements. A CIR dated 3/31/2008 for CIv2.0 Cr EA1.4 requested a similar approach. The existing equipment had to meet the equivalent Energy Star performance requirements at that time. If the equipment did not meet those requirements than it could not be counted towards the threshold. Applicable Internationally.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/1/2015
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:

Is there an adjusted point scale and minimum point threshold where applicable for LEED v2009 projects using ASHRAE 90.1-2010?

Ruling:

**July 1, 2016 update:This ruling has been revised to address the LEED 2009 minimum point requirement released 4/8/2016.**

Yes, LEED v2009 projects that demonstrate compliance using ASHRAE 90.1-2010 may utilize the adjusted point scale as shown in the Related Resource "ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Adjusted Point Scale for LEED v2009 Projects", subject to the following limitations:

• All mandatory provisions associated with ASHRAE 90.1-2010 (or an approved alternative standard) must be met in order for the project to use this compliance path.
• The ID+C thresholds shown are only relevant for projects using the Alternative Compliance Path described in LEED Interpretation 10412 that replaces the LEED 2009 requirements for EAp2, EAc1.1, EAc1.2, EAc1.3, and EAc1.4 with a Performance compliance path. All other ID&C projects would use the standard points available from EAc1.1 through EAc1.4 to comply with the 4-point minimum requirements.
• The CS 2009 EAp2-c1 ACP (http://www.usgbc.org/resources/cs-2009-eap2-c1-acp) may not be used in conjunction with this ASHRAE 90.1-2010 ACP. The project team must either use ASHRAE 90.1-2007 Appendix G with the CS 2009 EAp2-c1 ACP or use ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Appendix G without the CS 2009 EAp2-c1 ACP.

For projects that register on or after April 8th, 2016 and are subject to the mandatory Optimize Energy Performance point minimum:
If the project complies with all LEED v4 Minimum Energy Performance requirements for the relevant LEED v4 rating system, the project shall be considered to satisfy the LEED 2009 EA Prerequisite: Minimum Energy Performance mandatory minimum EAc1 points requirements (applicable for projects registered on or after April 8th, 2016), regardless of number of points achieved when applying this LEED Interpretation. The points documented under EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance shall be as shown in the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 Adjusted Points Scale for LEED v2009 for projects following the Performance Path, and zero for projects following a Prescriptive path.

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes

LEEDuser expert

Marcus Sheffer

7group / Energy Opportunities
LEED Fellow

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Unsubscribe from discussions about CI-2009 EAc1.4