CI-2009 EAc3: Measurement and Verification

  • Two choices for Commercial Interiors

    EAc3 chartAn M&V program in a LEED-CI project will follow the following approaches depending on the percentage of the building your space occupies:

    • Case 1: Projects that occupy less than 75% of the total building area. Your project does not need to develop an M&V plan, but you’ll need to submeterSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy or water use within a building attributable to specific end uses such as tenant spaces, or subsystems such as the heating component of an HVAC system. your individual space (separately from the rest of the building) and/or negotiate a lease that allows you to pay for the energy you use rather than a set amount included in your base rent. This allows you to benefit from any energy-saving upgrades you make as well as to be accountable for your own energy usage. Locating your tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. in a LEED-CS certified building that has attained EAc5.2 will make achievement of the first option in Case 1 easier. 
    • Case 2: Projects that occupy 75% or more of the total building area. Your project needs to develop an M&V program, install continuous metering devices, and develop a plan for corrective action. An M&V program typically records actual energy and water use over the course of project occupancy and compares that data with design-estimated energy and water use. An M&V process ensures that your systems are performing as specified and identifies any anomalies in equipment, operational procedures, or user habits. An M&V plan can also help reduce energy and water costs, assist with commissioning and, over time, document and improve the efficiencies of conservation measures. While M&V for LEED-NC, CS, and Schools does not require monitoring water, M&V for LEED-CI projects does (only for Case 2 projects)—and you’ll need to install continuous metering equipment for the specific end-uses defined in LEED-CI requirements. Locating your tenant space in a LEED-CS-certified building that has attained EAc5.2 will make achievement of this credit easier. This option is virtually identical to the M&V credit for LEED-NC.

    Why do M&V?

    Despite aiming high during design, LEED-certified buildings don’t always perform as well as expected. A measurement and verification (M&V), or submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system)., program not only can make building operators, owners, and tenants aware of performance issues and provide accountability for actual energy usage, but also locate the source of problems and identify poor design assumptions while providing a better overall sense of how the building’s systems are functioning. 

    Is it worth it?

    The cost of an M&V program varies from one project to the next. Added costs come from designing and installing specific monitoring systems for larger and more complex buildings. 

    • Case 1: Projects that occupy less than 75% of the total building area. This is a pretty straightforward option that allows you to take advantage of any efficiency upgrades you install. For tenants occupying an entire floor, or multiple floors, submetering is usually simple, and can be accomplished with a utility grade check meter, or a direct utility meter (with separate billing). For smaller tenants that may share a floor, electrical distribution may also be shared. In this situation, installing metering may be more difficult, as multiple meters and/or reconfiguration of the electrical distribution may be required.
    • Case 2: Projects that occupy 75% or more of the total building area. To make the investment worth it, the owner must be committed to developing and implementing an M&V plan, analyzing and understanding equipment performance, and acting on the results. The cost premium of M&V installation and operation is typically offset by long-term energy savings, but this is highly dependent on the building type as well as the owner’s and tenant’s willingness to make needed changes and implement upgrades. 

    Who does it?

    The “M&V provider” takes responsibility for developing the M&V plan in spaces that occupy 75% or more of the total building area. This role can be filled by the commissioning agent, energy modeler, mechanical engineer, project engineer, or a facilities manager. In spaces that are less than 75% of the total building area, the owner typically works with the tenant to confirm accurate lease language, and the engineer provides the submetering devices and controls.

    What’s the standard?

    The industry standard for M&V, both in the U.S. and internationally, is the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits.), owned by the nonprofit Efficiency Valuation Organization. LEED has singled out Volume I of the IPMVP guidance as the basis of its requirements. Several organizations have published M&V guidelines based on IPMVP. Among them are ASHRAE, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and some utilities and states that fund energy-efficiency projects. Some organizations with M&V standards offer guidance in writing M&V plans, including sample language.

Legend

  • Best Practices
  • Gotcha
  • Action Steps
  • Cost Tip

Pre-Design

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  • All Cases

  • 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. 

  • 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.

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

  • 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).

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

  • 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. 

  • 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. 

  • You do not have to separately submeter your electrical systems—you could have a single metering system cover HVAC, lighting, and plug loads, for example. However, you must separately meter fuel oil, district or distributed energy, steam, chilled water, other fuels, and process water. 

  • If you choose to pay for energy use separately from the base lease, you must negotiate a lease with the landlord that does not include utility bills in the base rent or as a yearly flat rate. You can choose to pay a prorated or proportional amount based on tenant space square footage; flat rates, however, are not compliant. 

  • Installing submeters is not typically associated with high cost. It is more typically associated with cost savings, as tenants paying for their actual energy use tend to reduce their energy bills by including energy-efficient equipment and operating their space more efficiently. 

  • Case 2: Projects with 75% or more of total building area

  • Determine if IPMVP Volume I, Option B, C, or D will be most appropriate for your project design. (See table for details on the different options.)  

  • Consider incorporating a building management system (BMS) into your space. This is not necessary for projects—installing simple, continuous metering can meet the credit requirements. A BMS can be a valuable facility component that records and verifies the energy and water use of a space. It provides central control of all identified systems while providing a user-friendly interface. In addition, a BMS can be used to pull out energy and water data throughout the day—typically at 15-minute intervals—to provide insight into peak usage and opportunities to make relevant changes. 

  • A BMS records energy and water use data that can be revisited to compare to usage predicted during design. Using a BMS is also more convenient for the facilities manager. 

  • There can be a high cost associated with the installation of a BMS (especially if your building was not planning on including one), but such systems can reduce operational costs and certainly provide the ability to identify high energy and water use during peak loads.

  • Include the development of an M&V plan in the Owner’s Project Requirements (OPR) for the commissioning credits EAp1 and EAc2. 

  • Consider the impact of an M&V program on mechanical system design and space requirements. Keep in mind that your mechanical system must be capable of providing the necessary outputs for continuous metering. (The outputs are typically energy usage as kWs, BTUs or therms over a given period of time.) Whether an automated record from a BMS or a metered reading taken manually on a continual basis, the specifics of output metric and duration must be defined in your M&V plan. 

  • 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. 

  • Contract with the M&V provider early in the process so that system components and recommendations can be implemented seamlessly into systems rather than as add-ons.

Schematic Design

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  • All Cases

  • If there is a building-wide BMS, individual tenants can connect their systems into the base building’s BMS to help keep costs lower.

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

  • Discuss as a team the operational energy savings and benefits of submetering or paying for actual energy consumption. 

  • Determine if there are any incentives or rebates for submetering. This will help in planning your approach, and there may also be specific requirements you need to meet to earn those rebates.

  • In some districts, tenant submetering and charging by a third-party provider is prohibited. In others, utilities have rebates or incentives for projects providing tenant submetering. Check with your local district and utility for rebates and incentive—and if your local utility does not allow third-party submetering, see if it will install separate meters for tenants.

  • Case 2: Projects with 75% or more of total building area

  • Discuss as a team the operational energy savings and benefits of implementing an M&V program for your project. Determine if M&V will contribute to your project’s energy reduction goals and system monitoring goals. Consider your project’s size and complexity, and whether you plan to run a whole-building energy model for EAp2: Minimum Energy Performance. Also think about how your building is likely to be operated. If an M&V program is not likely to be fully utilized, it may not be an appropriate investment.

  • Determine the extent of the M&V program based on the owner’s goals, the project type and function, the IPMVP requirements, and the required metering equipment. When determining the extent of the M&V program, establish the specific systems to be monitored. 

  • Determine if there are any incentives or rebates for adding a BMS or for your M&V program. 

  • Data to support this credit are typically taken from a combination of engineered calculations, utility information, meters, and submeters—and through temporary installation of additional sensors and data loggers, as needed.

  • You can gain useful information on energy consumption, and insight into energy reduction measures that need to be considered, by isolating and metering different energy conservation measures, such as those for HVAC system and lighting load. This is not required for the credit, however.

  • Introduce the M&V program early in the design process because it can affect the design of mechanical and electrical systems, the cost of the program, as well as the building management system. Designers should think ahead about how systems will be monitored. There is also inherent value in having your design team think early on about how the project building will operate.

  • Permanent submetering or a building management system (BMS) is not necessary—you can chose to have a combination of utility analysis, spot metering, and permanent metering instead. However, these methods do not provide as detailed information as a BMS, and may not help you determine the source of unanticipated energy consumption. 

  • The majority of M&V programs submeter individual building systems such as lighting, heating, cooling, and plug loads. 

  • An M&V program generally includes both sensors—which measure the energy volume and rate of flow, watts of energy draw, temperature, length of time, and other variables—and a central processor, which stores the collected information and helps building managers interpret it. A BMS typically includes the central processor needed for M&V, but not all of the sensors or additional programming to tally energy use and track patterns. However, adding these pieces to a BMS should pose little difficulty.

  • The highest return on investment for an M&V program occurs when the system operates over the life of the building. While the credit does not require a specific duration of the M&V effort, at least one year post occupancy is recommended.

  • If possible, include the facility operations staff in your discussion of financial benefits and operational requirements. Ideally, obtain their buy-in from the beginning of the project, as they will be key to realizing energy savings through M&V. 

  • The cost implications for ECM isolation depend upon the number of meters installed and how complicated the metered mechanical and electrical systems are.  

  • As the LEED Reference Guide states, the accuracy and cost of an M&V program is influenced by:

    • The level of detail and effort associated with verifying post-construction conditions
    • The number and type of metering points
    • The duration and accuracy of metering activities
    • The number and complexity of dependent and independent variables that must be measured or determined on an ongoing basis
    • The availability of existing data collection systems (e.g., energy management systems)
    • The confidence and precision levels for the analyses.

  • Studies find that, for retrofits, M&V costs average no more than 5% of the total project cost. Operational costs appear to be, on average, less than 10% of the savings associated with a retrofit.  

  • Studies find that, for new construction the combined cost of the installed equipment and the first year of monitoring is less than 1% of the total project cost for buildings larger than 150,000 ft2, and less than 1.5% for smaller buildings. 

  • A BMS typically includes some M&V capabilities. In buildings with these systems planned or already installed, the cost premium for M&V should be smaller than the percentages given above.

Design Development

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  • All Cases

  • The M&V provider should work with the MEP to verify that all mechanical and electrical systems have the capability, and are designed, to allow metering and submetering. In addition, these systems must be designed to properly interface with any BMS or submetering installed. The M&V provider can verify that the M&V systems installed are capable of providing the information required for the credit.

  • The payoff of the investment in an M&V program comes while the building is in use. However, there is a danger that operations and maintenance staff will not be prepared to understand the significance of data trends reported by the submetering or measurement system, or won’t have the time to investigate anomalies that aren’t causing immediate problems. Consider how your building is likely to be operated when planning and designing your M&V program—commitment from the owner is the key to success.

  • Implementing M&V into your project after mechanical and electrical systems have been designed can cause this credit to become cost-prohibitive due to redesign costs.

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

  • Verify that process water is being submetered, along with lighting, plug loads, heating and cooling. Process water is the only water that needs to be submetered, water for restrooms, kitchens, and janitorial rooms doesn’t need to be submetered. Process water is the only water that needs to be submetered. Process water includes water used for cooling, heating, and domestic hot water. Water for tenant uses such as restrooms, janitorial purposes, and break rooms does not need to be submetered. 

  • Case 2: Projects with 75% or more of total building area

  • Create a baseline for comparison to actual measured data. The baseline depends on your building type, its complexity, and the IPMVP option you’ve chosen. Your baseline will be either the whole building or space, or system-specific, and in accordance with the extent of the M&V plan you previously developed. Projected baseline energy usage can be determined by using energy-efficiency standards or guidelines. If your project is a retrofit, the baseline will be the usage for systems in place before renovation began. 

  • Determine the systems and equipment that need to be monitored and metered, as well as the number of meters required. (See the list of Commonly Monitored Items in the Documentation Toolkit.) 

  • As stated in the LEED Reference Guide, the following items must be monitored:

    • lighting systems and controls
    • constant and variable motor loads
    • variable-frequency-drive operation
    • chiller efficiency at variable loads
    • cooling load
    • air and water economizer and heat recovery cycles
    • air distribution static pressures and ventilation air volumes
    • boiler efficiencies
    • building-related process energy systems and equipment
    • indoor water risers and outdoor irrigation system.

  • If your project is attempting IPMVP, Option D, track the total energy consumption of your building. Since the energy model must be recalibrated, any variables that can influence consumption also need to be tracked. For example, you might track occupancy if it fluctuates. Also verify the savings from efficiency measures by tracking any data that gives clues to whether or not energy-saving strategies are working.

Construction Documents

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  • All Cases

  • Your M&V or submetering program necessitates coordination with the mechanical and electrical engineers to verify that the control devices are able to provide the information needed for credit compliance.

  • Upload necessary information to LEED Online, including:

    • floor plans
    • the lease (or sample lease) 
    • a lease documenting an energy-cost agreement (with the agreement highlighted)
    • installation records or floor plan documenting the location of submetering equipment
    • your M&V plan.

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

  • Be sure to include any necessary language on submetering or tenant payment plans in the lease agreement. This will be needed for credit documentation through LEED Online. 

  • Case 2: Projects with 75% or more of total building area

  • Determine predicted savings based on the final design estimate minus the baseline case. Calculate as monthly cost savings for the whole building or space, or by system. During this process, try to account for any varying factors that could affect the final design and baseline cases. These could include anything from weather patterns to occupancy levels.  

  • Finalize the option your project will attempt under IPMVP Volume I (Option B, C, or D). (See the table above for details on the different options.) 

  • The M&V provider writes the M&V plan, but if possible, involve the facility’s operational staff. The plan must provide the following (see a sample M&V plan in the Documentation Toolkit):

    • standard IPMVP language and terminology
    • which option or method from the document will be used
    • who will conduct the M&V program
    • assumptions about significant variables or unknowns
    • an accurate baseline using techniques appropriate to your project
    • the method of ensuring an accurate energy-savings determination 
    • a post-installation inspection plan
    • criteria for equipment metering, calibration, and measurement period
    • the level of accuracy to be achieved by all major components
    • quality assurance measures
    • the contents of reports to be prepared, along with a schedule. 

  • The owner’s goals and IPMVP guidelines should drive your M&V plan, which should specify the systems to be submetered, those being spot-metered, and how you will accomplish this. Your plan also explains energy and water conservation measures that will be implemented, how the energy end-use will be predicted and measured, and how the M&V information will be used, for example, to adjust building operations to reduce energy use. 

  • Your plan should: 

    • define actions that will be taken by the facility manager to investigate the cause of any discrepancies found and to correct malfunctioning equipment;
    • demonstrate your system’s ability to identify specific problem areas, performance issues, and discrepancies that may exist between design predictions and actual metered data; 
    • provide useful feedback for tracking the source of problems and making adjustments if goals are not met or unexpected performance occurs; 
    • specify any computer modeling software or tools that will be used to predict and document energy savings; 
    • and define the timeframe of ongoing verification to occur during operations. 

  • Variable loads (such as dimming controls) can be profiled with short-term measurements that determine a load value pegged against another variable point that can be measured or accurately estimated over time. Also, if your project does not submeter plug loads, you’ll need to interpolate data in a similar manner. 

  • If applicable, your M&V plan should specify submetering sensor locations, sensors requiring trending, sampling rates, required energy model outputs, and how measured data will be compared to the energy model. Also include how loads are arranged and grouped in electric panels. (It is best, for example, not to mix power, lighting, and HVAC equipment loads within individual panels.) 

  • If you are attempting this credit through Option D, energy modeling and recalibration of the energy model will incur additional fees for your project—more if your design team did not use an energy model to do the actual design work for the energy optimization of lighting and HVAC. 

Construction

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  • Install the M&V submeter devices, BMS, or other measurement mechanisms and commission them (for EAp1) to verify functional accuracy. Address any issues that are found. 

  • With proper planning, installation of the M&V system should be fairly straightforward. However, depending on your system and the experience of your subcontractors, specialized contractors may be needed. (See Resources for information on qualified practitioners.) 

Operations & Maintenance

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  • All Cases

  • Implement your M&V program. If applicable, track and archive trending data with utility meter and energy submeter systems, as defined in your M&V plan.

  • Continue to reevaluate ongoing energy savings and correct any deviations, in line with the timeframe identified in your M&V plan. 

  • Meters and submeters should be recalibrated per manufacturers’ recommendations. 

  • Encourage the operations team to focus not just on keeping the building running, but on running it at optimal efficiency.

  • Recording any upgrades, or operational and maintenance changes, will help you understand post-installation energy use. 

  • Measurement and submetering have always proven to be useful for smooth operations and can be used to maximize energy savings and optimize the functioning of all controls.

  • Case 2: Projects with 75% or more of total building area

  • Determine the actual energy savings of the whole building or your space, or all building systems, after occupancy. You’ll need to adjust both baseline and actual energy performance based on changes in weather, occupancy, and other variables that affect energy performance. The facilities manager and M&V provider should determine these variables and adjust baseline and actual energy performance accordingly. 

  • If energy use discrepancies exist between projected use and actual use, your project team needs to identify the cause and follow your M&V plan for corrective action. Examples of common discrepancies are:

    • inaccuracies in the building simulation model; 
    • different building use or occupancy than anticipated; 
    • improperly functioning equipment; 
    • and switches and controls not calibrated as intended.  

  • If applicable, program the BMS to provide monthly reports as required by your M&V plan. 

  • If your project is attempting IPMVP, Option D, 12 months of data from the metered categories are used to calibrate the computer simulation model. Your M&V plan needs to demonstrate your system’s ability to identify specific problem areas if discrepancies occur between modeled and metered data. 

  • The payback period for an M&V program depends on the initial cost of additional meters and whether the system identifies inefficiencies that wouldn’t have been found otherwise. Some fixes may be substantial enough to pay for the metering system. After your BMS or submetering system has been installed, true return depends on the commitment of the owner and operations staff to making the best use of the system.

  • Because your M&V program monitors actual building operations over time, M&V procedures can lead to valuable operational savings by uncovering building system design, installation, and control issues not caught by fundamental, or even additional, commissioning. 

  • Recalibrating the energy model to match the actual energy use of tenant spaces will add some cost to your project. Recalibration should be done 10 to 12 months after occupancy, and the added cost should be minor if it only involves something like adjusting occupancy hours. However, note that unforeseen complexities can drive up these costs. 

  • USGBC

    Excerpted from LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors

    COPYRIGHT © 2009 BY THE U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

    EA Credit 3: Measurement and verification

    2–5 Points

    Intent

    To provide for the ongoing accountability and optimization of tenant energy and water consumption performance over time.

    Requirements

    Case 1. Projects Less Than 75% of the Total Building Area

    Complete 1 or more of the following:

    • Install submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). equipment to measure and record energy use within the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space.. (2 points)
    • Negotiate a lease whereby energy costs are paid by the tenant and not included in the base rent. (3 points)

    OR

    Case 2. Projects 75% or More of the Total Building Area

    Install continuous metering equipment for the following end uses: (5 points)

    • Lighting systems and controls.
    • Constant and variable motor loads.
    • Variable frequency drive operation.
    • Chiller efficiency at variable loads (kW/ton).
    • Cooling load.
    • Air and water economizerAn economizer is a device used to make building systems more energy efficient. Examples include HVAC enthalpy controls, which are based on humidity and temperature. and heat recovery cycles.
    • Air distribution static pressures and ventilation air volumes.
    • Boiler efficiencies.
    • Building-related process energy systems and equipment.
    • Indoor water riser and outdoor irrigation systems.

    Develop and implement a measurement and verification (M&V) plan that incorporates the monitoring information from the above end uses and is consistent with Option B, C, or D of the 2001 International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol (IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits.), Volume I: Concepts and Options for Determining Energy and Water Savings.

    Provide a process for corrective action if the results of the M&V plan indicate that energy savings are not being achieved.

    Potential Technologies & Strategies

    For projects with an area that constitutes less than 75% of the total building area, tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. is submetered and has a direct pay clause in their lease for energy actually used instead of on a square foot basis. For projects with an area that constitutes 75% or more of the total building area, model the energy and water systems to predict savings. Design the project with equipment to measure energy and water performance. Draft a M&V plan to apply during building operations that compares predicted savings to those actually achieved in the field.

Technical Guides

IPMVP Volume I and III

IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits. is the standard upon which the LEED M&V requirements are based. Use these documents should be used in designing the M&V system and plan. 

ASHRAE Guidelines 14-2004, M&V Guidelines

ASHRAE provides technical guidelines for designing an M&V plan. This document can assist project teams in designing and implementing the M&V systems and plan.

M&V Guidelines: Measurement and Verification for Federal Energy Projects

These M&V guidelines are written for federal buildings but could be helpful for many projects. 

Articles

Environmental Building News, June 2006.

This article discusses the usefulness of M&V, including examples of problems that M&V systems have been able to identify. 

Organizations

The Energy Valuation Organization and the Association of Energy Engineers

The Energy Valuation Organization, in conjunction with the Association of Energy Engineers, offers an M&V professional certification program. The Association of Energy Engineers holds training seminars for those preparing to take the certification exam and anyone else interested in learning the fundamentals of M&V and working with IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits..

Template for M&V Plan

Option D: Calibrated Simulation

The Measurement and Verification (M&V) plan template shown here is based on Option D: Calibrated Simulation.

CI-2009 LEED Online Sample Forms – EA

The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each CI-2009 EA credit. You'll need to fill out the live versions of these forms on LEED
Online for each credit you hope to earn.

Version 4 forms (newest):

Version 3 forms:

These links are posted by LEEDuser with USGBC's permission. USGBC has certain usage restrictions for these forms; for more information, visit LEED Online and click "Sample Forms Download."

Design Submittal

PencilDocumentation for this credit can be part of a Design Phase submittal.

M&V Plan Sample

Option D: Calibrated Simulation

This Measurement and Verification (M&V) plan sample follows Option D: Calibrated Simulation.

LEED-CI Silver Office – EAc3

Complete documentation for achievement of EAc3 on a LEED-CI 2009 project.

74 Comments

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Victor Avedano Principal JALRW Eng. Group Inc.
Apr 18 2013
LEEDuser Member
102 Thumbs Up

Process Loads Description

Im trying to find out what would be considered process loads to be metere separately, is there a definition from LEED? Would loads from Water distiller, Sterilizer, Fume hood, Commercial dishwasher, Water purifier be considered process loads?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Apr 18 2013 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

A process load in LEED generically refers to as any energy end use not regulated by ASHRAE 90.1. All but the fume hood in your list is a process load. Most plug loads are process. Anything basically that is not HVAC, lighting, or service hot water.

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Maria Porter Environmental Certification Engineer Skanska Sweden
Mar 19 2013
LEEDuser Member
867 Thumbs Up

Regarding Level of Sub metering

Hi
Have I understood it correctly, that for a tenant less than 75 %, it is enough to sub meter the electricity for that tenant (plug loads and lighting) in one meter? You do not need to sub meter end uses within the tenant area (plug loads and lighting separately)?
Thank you!

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Mar 19 2013 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

Correct you just need to submeterSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy or water use within a building attributable to specific end uses such as tenant spaces, or subsystems such as the heating component of an HVAC system. by energy source.

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Maria Porter Environmental Certification Engineer, Skanska Sweden Mar 20 2013 LEEDuser Member 867 Thumbs Up

Marcus, thank you for the fast and straight response!

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Carolina Acevedo Designer, Sustainability Department
Jan 15 2013
LEEDuser Member

Alternative Compliance Path Case 1: Lease Document

Is there an alternative compliance approach to this credit? My project falls under Case 1 (less than 75% of the project space), but my client owns the floors hence the lack of a lease agreement. However, they do pay their own energy bills based on actual consumption. Is there another way to document this?

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Luis Miguel Diazgranados Green Factory Jan 15 2013 LEEDuser Member 687 Thumbs Up

Hi Carolina
You could scan two energy bills from different months in which the floor number or any other identification of your client space is clearly shown. Since the electricity consumption would vary from one month to the other, you can show that the energy bills are based on actual consuption. I haven't tried this approach with the reviewers, but i would believe it's pretty straight forward, and therefore would be accepted. Just in case you could also upload a picture of the energy meter that serves your client's space.

Hope it helps.

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Carolina Acevedo Designer, Sustainability Department Jan 15 2013 LEEDuser Member

Thanks Luis Miguel, I'll give it a try!

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Michelle Rosenberger Partner ArchEcology, LLC
Dec 18 2012
LEEDuser Member
1448 Thumbs Up

Submetering - Process Water

I can see in the threads some discussion about submeters and what really constitutes complying with Case 1 but I'm still confused. Our understanding has always been that a house meter for energy and a water meter will suffice for this credit for less than 75% occupancy.

However, I've received a comment that indicates that process waterProcess water is used for industrial processes and building systems such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. It can also refer to water used in operational processes, such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and ice making. MUST be submetered to comply. So first of all, this is an energy credit about submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). and yet multiple energy sources can be combined in one meter but water cannot? Secondly, this project is a restaurant so the non-process water use is actually negligible. So we'd have to separately meter restrooms to comply with the credit? That seems onerous and unreasonable and the value of these metrics would be really questionable. I could understand this in Case 2 where all the end uses come into play but not in Case 1.

So we have three meters - electric, gas and water - and we can't comply?
Can anyone provide insight into this?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Dec 19 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

I do not believe that multiple energy sources can be combined into one meter. Each energy source must have a meter. Perhaps you meant energy uses.

I agree that a single water meter should suffice for this credit as no submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). is required within the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space.. If all of your energy and water use is accounted for with the three meters it sounds like you would comply to me.

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Michelle Rosenberger Partner, ArchEcology, LLC Dec 19 2012 LEEDuser Member 1448 Thumbs Up

Hi Marcus,
Thanks for the response. Yes, I did mean electrical energy uses can be combined, thanks. And that's what we thought, also. But my reviewer is saying that "electrity and fossil fuel for process uses (other than plug loads) and the process waterProcess water is used for industrial processes and building systems such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. It can also refer to water used in operational processes, such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and ice making. consumption must be separately submetered".

The reference guide says "install submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). equipment to measure and record ENERGY use with the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space.". Then in the text of pg 191 says "Water used for the convenience of occupants does not need to be submetered. This includes restrooms, changing facilities, water fountains, breakrooms and janitorial uses". However Table 2 right below that statement indicates that process uses including water, electric and fuels is a Yes in the required to be submetered column.

Since the only way to isolate process water use would be to submeter the restrooms, that seems to be in conflict. I will try and push back on the comment and see what happens. I'll post the results. Thanks.

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Carolina Acevedo Designer, Sustainability Department Dec 19 2012 LEEDuser Member

Hi Michelle,

I've been looking at this credit (it has very confusing syntax) and I think what you might not understand is that "process waterProcess water is used for industrial processes and building systems such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. It can also refer to water used in operational processes, such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and ice making." in this case is not water used in the restrooms: it refers to water used to provide energy. This would refer to chilled water from a cooling tower, used for an HVAC system, for instance, or water used for industrial processes. The intent is to understand energy consumption from all different sources of energy.

I don't entirely understand how one would submeterSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy or water use within a building attributable to specific end uses such as tenant spaces, or subsystems such as the heating component of an HVAC system. water from a closed-loop cooling tower (this is my dilemma at the moment), but apparently there are ways to know how much energy you are using (in cooling) from a cooling tower.

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Michelle Rosenberger Partner, ArchEcology, LLC Dec 19 2012 LEEDuser Member 1448 Thumbs Up

Hi Carolina,
I certainly am confused and that might be why. I will say though that the Table 2 SubmeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). requirements lists water in the Heating and Cooling categories which would speak to your comment. But then also lists service water and process waterProcess water is used for industrial processes and building systems such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. It can also refer to water used in operational processes, such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and ice making. separately.

We are a restaurant with many appliances and equipment that use water. When we do ID credits for process water savings on other projects, we focus on appliance water use to make that case. Hence my understanding that process water has to do with equipment and appliances. I will look further at some of these definitions, thanks.

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Mark Taake United Excel Design
Dec 18 2012
LEEDuser Member
6 Thumbs Up

multiple renovation areas within a large hospital building

The project does not qualify for LEED Healthcare, since it only involves discrete renovations within various segments of the building. Instead, application is being made under LEED CI. There are no "tenants" per se, all spaces are occupied by the hospital personnel. Hence, there is no opportunity for submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system)., since the building is fed from multiple air handling systems and electric panels serving in many cases areas that are beyond a given work area as well. Is this credit beyond our reach?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Dec 18 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

Does not sounds like you can earn it.

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Mark Taake United Excel Design Dec 31 2012 LEEDuser Member 6 Thumbs Up

Thank you, Marcus. I assume since there are no lease space tenants then the lease base cost/energy cost consideration available for a conventional office building makes those 3 points moot as well?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Dec 31 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

Yep sounds like they are not applicable as well.

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Susan Walter Sr Project Architect, Wilmot/Sanz Jan 02 2013 LEEDuser Member 6668 Thumbs Up

Mark,

A couple of other thoughts. Have you reached out to the GBCI? Since they push hospital renovation projects into CI, then they may have a preferred way of dealing with these issues. Alternatively, you may be able to pursue some pathway that makes sense for the project and maintains the rigor of the credit. There may be some leeway in the definition of 'tenant' that would provide you a pathway for earning those 3 points. You will have to work it out with GBCI in advance if they allow it. They will be very adamant about the credit rigor.

Also, what is the state of metering in the existing facility? I typically find them sorely lacking. Adding some meters may be good for the overall facility even if it does not earn you this point now. It may set them up for getting the credit in the future.

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Nandana Kumar LEAD Consultancy & Engineering Services
Dec 10 2012
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Cooling Fuels

Hi,

We need a clarification about the cooling fuels. What are cooling fuels referred to?
Thank you
Nandana

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Dec 10 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

The fuel type used for providing cooling perhaps? Usually electricity but could be natural gas.

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Nandana Kumar LEAD Consultancy & Engineering Services Dec 10 2012 Guest 28 Thumbs Up

Hi Marcus,

Thank you for your reply.. The projects uses Water Cooled Chillers and there is no natural gas utilized, BtuA unit of energy consumed by or delivered to a building. A Btu is an acronym for British thermal unit and is defined as the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit, at normal atmospheric pressure. Energy consumption is expressed in Btu to allow for consumption comparisons among fuels that are measured in different units. meters are in place to measure the chilled water consumption. Will this meet the credit requirement for submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system)., or do we need to show submetering for any other application?

Thanks
Nandana

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Dec 11 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

If pursuing case 1 you would also need an electric meter and probably a water meter as well.

Case 2 is completely different.

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Rudolph Carneiro HVAC consultant Sustentech
Nov 12 2012
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To meter or not to meter

I have a store (case 1) with a small 60 ton chiller, 2 AHU1.Air-handling units (AHUs) are mechanical indirect heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning systems in which the air is treated or handled by equipment located outside the rooms served, usually at a central location, and conveyed to and from the rooms by a fan and a system of distributing ducts. (NEEB, 1997 edition) 2.A type of heating and/or cooling distribution equipment that channels warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process of channeling the conditioned air often involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or air-handling units. Air-handling units are hidden in the walls or ceilings, where they use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork.'s, lighting, and plug loads. If HVAC, plug loads, and lighting can be measured on one meter, how many meters do I need? Does the chiller fall under HVAC in this case?

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 26 2012 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

The chiller is an HVAC load and can be metered with the remainder of the HVAC systems, lighting, and plug loads.

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Matthew Tovar Energy Engineer
Oct 02 2012
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Metering Requirements Case 1

For case 1 (project less than 75% of the total bldg sqft), can temporary metering fulfill the metering requirement? If so, under what circumstances (e.g. minimum monitoring period length, BMS visibility).

Reading through the IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits. for Option D (Calibrated model), the savings are determined by the base case model and the calibrated model. While there is no magic period length for calibrating a model, 3-months of between two seasons can be provide sufficient data variability. If the IPMVP option is satisfied, will the LEED credit be awarded.

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Oct 03 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

Case 1 does not follow the IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits.. Basically you earn case 1 if you submeterSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy or water use within a building attributable to specific end uses such as tenant spaces, or subsystems such as the heating component of an HVAC system. the total energy use of electricity, any fuel and water usage. Temporary meters would not meet the intent of the requirement to provide ongoing accountability.

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Matthew Tovar Energy Engineer Oct 16 2012 Guest 4 Thumbs Up

Thank you for you reply. I have a question about fuels. Heating hot water is monitored by a flow meter, and temperature sensors, however, the gas fired domestic hot water heater does not have metering. In the reference guide it states that "Natural gas, which may be used for both space heating and service heating, can be submetered." Must natural gas be submetered if only used for domestic hot water?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Oct 17 2012 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

You need to be able to measure gas fuel use in the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. even if it is for DHWDomestic hot water (DHW) is water used for food preparation, cleaning and sanitation and personal hygiene, but not heating. only. You do not need to measure gas consumption directly if you can make the case that the natural gas usage in the space can be derived from the metering installed.

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Rubén Morón Rojas Codirector CIVITA
Oct 04 2011
LEEDuser Member
543 Thumbs Up

Case 1, Energy cost paid by the tenant

In this case the tenant has a contract with the utility company and pays for his electricity. But the base building provides chilled water and this cost is included in the base rent.

Can we comply only with the contract with the utility company?

Or do we also need to make two payments to the owner, one for rent and one for the energy provided? If this is the case, how should the owner determine the amount to be charged? The owner doesn´t have submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system)., he only knows the basebuilding total consumption.

Thanks

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 21 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

The chilled water must be submetered and billed to the tenant as specified in the RG. It does not have to be a separate payment, but it must be separately identified from the rent. There are a number of potential approaches to identifying the "cost" of the chilled water, but the simplest would be to analytically disaggregate the base building chiller energy use and bill it pro-rata based on the tenant chilled water consumption.

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Carolina Acevedo Designer, Sustainability Department Dec 13 2012 LEEDuser Member

Hi Gordon,

I'm in a similar situation as Ruben, and I would like to ask you to clarify this way that you described to identify the cost of the chilled water: How do you disaggregate the base building chiller energy use? The building in which my project is located has a cooling tower and is only partially occupied to date (4 of 10 floors are currently occupied).

Thanks in advance!

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Dec 17 2012 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

Hi Carolina,

As I indicated above, there are several potential approaches to this, and the details would depend on a number of factors, including the willingness of the base building owner/operator to cooperate and the amount of assistance subsequently offered. At a high level, the unit cost of producing the base building chilled water must be determined (e.g. cost per ton-hr), and a chilled water cost levied at the tenant level based on the submetered tenant chilled water use.

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Raphael Sperry Simon & Associates, Inc. Green Building Sonsultants
Sep 28 2011
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276 Thumbs Up

Are Form submetering requirements greater than Ref Guide?

In Case 1 (project <75% of building), for the SubmeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). option, the form has lines for Heating, Cooling, and Process Use (Water) that seem to indicate that if these systems are within the project scope they must be submetered to earn the credit (unless they are supplied by a "Central Plant" - which is a confusing term anyway in this context). But the credit requirements don't seem to specify that these systems need to be submetered to earn the points. For instance:

- If process waterProcess water is used for industrial processes and building systems such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. It can also refer to water used in operational processes, such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and ice making. is used in the space (e.g. commercial kitchen), is a submeter required in EA3?
- If the building is served by multiple split units that provide heating and/or cooling, such that a building-owned electric unit serves the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space., is a submeter required? What if your tenant space is served by a small unit but is not 100% of the space served by that unit?
- If electric reheat is part of an air handling system serving the space, is a submeter required?

Any thoughts or experience with this?

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Ante Vulin Sustainability Manager, YR&G Oct 18 2011 LEEDuser Expert 353 Thumbs Up

Based on Table 2 in the Reference Guide I think the answers to your questions are:
- A submeterSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy or water use within a building attributable to specific end uses such as tenant spaces, or subsystems such as the heating component of an HVAC system. is required for process waterProcess water is used for industrial processes and building systems such as cooling towers, boilers, and chillers. It can also refer to water used in operational processes, such as dishwashing, clothes washing, and ice making.
- If an all-electric AHU1.Air-handling units (AHUs) are mechanical indirect heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning systems in which the air is treated or handled by equipment located outside the rooms served, usually at a central location, and conveyed to and from the rooms by a fan and a system of distributing ducts. (NEEB, 1997 edition) 2.A type of heating and/or cooling distribution equipment that channels warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process of channeling the conditioned air often involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or air-handling units. Air-handling units are hidden in the walls or ceilings, where they use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork. is serving only your space then a submeter is required. If the AHU serves your tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. and another space, then a submeter is not required (if you are already paying a pro-rated portion of the bill as part of rent)
- It seems as if a submeter would be required if the electric reheat is only present in your space

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Sarah Marvez Architect Jacobs
Aug 17 2011
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M&V- energy costs paid by tenant

Our project occupies < 75% of the total building area and we are pursuing compliance through tenant payment of energy costs.

Utilities are based on the tenant's Pro Rata share and are paid in addition to the base rent. However, there are two provisions in the lease not addressed in the LEED credit that may impact our eligibility:

1. The project will be completed in August 2011. The tenant will not pay utilities until Jan. 1 2013, with 2012 serving as a base year.
2. The 2012 base year will be used to estimate utilities payments for year 2013. If utilities costs increase over the base year the landlord will adjust the amount payable, but the increase is capped at 4% per year on a cumulative, compounded basis.

Do either of these items put this credit in jeopardy? Thanks in advance for your comments.

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 21 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

I'm not sure if I follow the technicalities of the question, but in the end I think that they are irrelevant. Paying utilities on a pro rata basis is exactly what the credit is trying to discourage and is ineligible. The energy must be submetered so that the tenant is aware of, and pays for their actual energy use, not on a shared pro-rata basis.

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Steve Khouw Principal DNA GreenDesign
Jun 26 2011
LEEDuser Member
1289 Thumbs Up

LEED project defined boundary 1.5 buildings

Just to be sure, to be sure, not trying to be picky here. Our new LEED-CI project encompasses 2 buildings, but only 1 is going to be fully occupied and the other only partially, <75% of that building space. On this project, if one takes the sum of the whole, the aggregate space occupied is less than 75%, even though in one building, it covers the entire 100% of that building.

To secure this credit, do we need to prepare an M&V Plan?

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David Posada Sustainability Manager, GBD Architects Jun 27 2011 LEEDuser Expert 11360 Thumbs Up

To be consistent with the intent of the credit, it sounds like you'd want to follow Case 2 (prepare an M&V plan) for the full occupied building and follow Case 1 (sub-metering) for the partially occupied building.

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Steve Khouw Principal, DNA GreenDesign Jun 30 2011 LEEDuser Member 1289 Thumbs Up

Yes sir, but not sure if a hybrid is permitted. However our MEP argued from a holistic perspective, the M&V plan is unnecessary (work) so our approach should be to follow Case 1, arguing that the total space constitute <75 percent of total area thereby we simply submeterSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy or water use within a building attributable to specific end uses such as tenant spaces, or subsystems such as the heating component of an HVAC system..

What you think? A quick reply is appreciated, I got to conclude this matter in a meeting tomorrow!

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 21 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

The first question that I would pose is whether these two buildings/projects can even be submitted as a single CI project..... I would think not.

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Breeze Glazer Research Knowledge Manager: Healthcare Sustainability Perkins+Will
May 11 2011
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354 Thumbs Up

Case 1 Option 2

We have a situation where the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space., is within a building owned, by the owner. There essentially is no lease as they own the entire building - Is the project eligible for 3 points where energy costs are paid by the tenany and not included in base rent?

Thanks!

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. May 26 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

Interesting situation from the perspective of semantics, but the intent of the credit is to facilitate awareness of energy use. In this regard while the tenant is technically paying the energy costs, there must still be a mechanism in place to provide direct feedback re. the energy use and/or cost of that space in particular, as opposed to the entire building. If it's simply energy submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). with no cost information , then the project would be in compliance with Option 1. If the submetering also provides cost information related to the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space., then I would argue that it meets the intent of Option 2.

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Tapio Peltonen
May 10 2011
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426 Thumbs Up

LEED-CI EAc3

LEED-CI 2009 EAc3 Case 1 Online form has options for sub-metering or central plant. Does the central plant mean that the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. is served by e.g. a dedicated chiller and no sub-metering is necessary, since you cannot fill out both?
If the whole facility is served by chillers piped to a common header at the central plant, the tenant space needs sub-metering on the chilled water branch serving the space. What is the correct way to fill out the form, sub-metering or central plant?

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. May 26 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

What is really being asked is whether the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. is served by a base building plant or by its own plant i.e. under the control of the tenant. If it's the former, submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). of the energy flows provided to the tenant space is required. If it's the latter, then monitoring of the tenant-controlled plant falls within the metering requirements.

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Susan M Kaplan Director of Specifications and Sustainability HLW
Mar 29 2011
LEEDuser Member
565 Thumbs Up

Case 2: Meter base building/ Submetering tenant space

This might be a redundant question; I'm sorry if it is.

We fall into the Case 2 category as we're more than 75% of the building. The base building developer (also in design and pursuing LEED CS) has told us they are not installing metering equipment for the base building systems (chiller, boiler, water).

Is it correct to assume that in order to achieve LEED CI EAc3 (M&V), my client must install (or require the base building to install) metering equipment and access for my client for base building systems?

If my client will be metering base building systems (boiler, chiller, etc.), should we install sub-metering for the systems that are specific to our space (lighting/ lighting controls, variable air, air distribution, etc.) or meter these for the base building?

Many thanks.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Apr 22 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

Susan, I think the answer depends on your space. There are three different options described above -- B, C, and D.

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Santhosh Manavalan
Dec 13 2010
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For the Case1 where the

For the Case1 where the project is less than 75% of the building area, if we have to get the 3 points related to the agreement between the tenant and the building owner.

The electricity is submetered and paid by the tenant itself. But for the water, the building is having its own underground bore facility. And they are not submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). nor charging any of the tenants for the water usage.
What has to be done in this case, to get the 3 points?
Pl advise. Thanks in advance

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Jan 11 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

Notwithstanding the fundamental problems with the EAc3 language as I have described in strings above (the matter is making its way up the EA TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system. priority list for discussion and hopefully resolution), the second part/requirement of Case 1 specifies only energy costs, not water. While I suppose that it could be argued that if the building owner pays for water, then water should be inherently included in deference to the intent of the credit, that is not the situation in this case. So, my interpretation is that you do not have to include water to achieve the 3rd point. However, I cannot speak for the GBCI on the matter, and given the lack of absolute clarity, so a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide may be in order if this point is critical to your project.

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Chi-Chung Sue Steven Leach International Asia Inc. Taiwan Branch
Oct 27 2010
LEEDuser Member
3405 Thumbs Up

M&V Option C

I read the IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits. Vol 1 on option C, as our project is 75% more than the total building area.
i not too sure what i read is correctly, therefore need more clarification.
base on this option, we need to install submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). at major energy consumption load (lighting, hvac system, irrigation, etc). once we installed these metering, do we need to have a BAS to monitor it?
as i read along the IPMVP book,. at clause (4.9.5 Option C: Metering), it mention that ,we could track our usage base on utilities bill as we need to do the actual payment every months. this method could allow us to track our usage as compare with the baseline as well.

am i correct?

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Chi-Chung Sue Steven Leach International Asia Inc. Taiwan Branch Nov 04 2010 LEEDuser Member 3405 Thumbs Up

Hi Tristan and Christopher, can help to comment about my doubt?
do we need to installing a BAS as to comply to Case 2?

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 16 2010 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

As I mentioned in a previous reply/string above, Option C is not an appropriate approach in most cases and arguably should not have been included in the credit language. Regardless, the submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). systems must have some means of collecting and collating data into a useable form. This can be through the BAS or a standalone system. Utility bills can be used as a component of the metering system (provided that the bills can be aligned with the submetering data), but I suggest that this is an awkward approach.

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Steve Khouw Principal DNA GreenDesign
Oct 20 2010
LEEDuser Member
1289 Thumbs Up

Metering and Submetering

We are still confused between the two. Correct me if I am wrong. Metering means installing an electricity (and water meter) device that record consumption for the entire project (or whole tenancy space usually) area; whereas submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). means the installation of meters (plural) that record consumption by specific energy components, such as HVAC, lighting, plug loads and process uses. Thus there will be 4 metering devices upstream from the main tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. meter, right?

What is confusing is the narrative above "you could have a single metering system" that covers all these energy component. Then how would you know how is consumed say for lighting in isolation for the purpose of taking steps for operational energy reduction due to lighting?

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 16 2010 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

I concur that the nomenclature is confusing. For Case 1, "submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system)." essentially means metering of the main energy sources in the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. e.g. electricity, natural gas, hot water, chilled water, etc. (Note that with the exception of process, electrical end-uses can be combined into a single meter.) More technically speaking, this is "submetering" relative to the main building meters. In the context of Case 2, "submetering" is the metering of the individual energy uses - notwithstanding that the credit language above calls this "metering", which is arguably incorrect.

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Ralf Lehmann M.Sc. | Dipl.-Ing. (FH) | LEED AP BD&C, ALPHA Energy & Environment GmbH Oct 04 2011 Guest 224 Thumbs Up

Sorry Gordon, but did I get you right.
In a Case 2 project I allways have to meter electricity for Lighting, Plug Loads, Heating, Cooling, etc. separatly. A combiened meter for "all" the electricity consumed by the tenant is not sufficient.
Thanks!

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James Wilson
Sep 10 2010
Guest
273 Thumbs Up

Tenant paid energy, but not a lease.....

I am working on a LEED CI 2009, where the tenant spaceTenant space is the area within the LEED project boundary. For more information on what can and must be in the LEED project boundary see the Minimum Program Requirements (MPRs) and LEED 2009 MPR Supplemental Guidance. Note: tenant space is the same as project space. is owned, and the spaces is individually metered. the Space owner pays the bill and has the account with the electric company. Can I apply for the 3 points for "Negotiate a lease whereby energy costs are paid by the tenant and not included in the base rent"? If so, what can I show to document proof of compliance.

Thanks!

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 16 2010 LEEDuser Moderator

I would say you can do this. Check what is normally requested as documentation and then provide something as close to this as possible. A letter on the owner/tenant's letterhead describing the situation would probably be a good adjunct.

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John Bauer
Jun 13 2010
Guest
1151 Thumbs Up

Metering

We are doing a fit-out for 1 floor in a multi-storey office building. There is a power metering provided by the tenant for all lighting and plug loads and for some of the Fan Coil Units. No chilled water metering is provided for the fan coil units. The power is paid based on actual consumption and the HVAC is part of the rent in form of dollars per area. After hour AC is paid based on time. Is this ok for getting the credit under EA C3 or would there be some additional metering required to qualify for the 5 credits - John

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Jun 22 2010 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

First, please see the various comments above that the reference to IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits. for Case 1 should be ignored.

Notwithstanding the problems with the EAc3 Reference Guide material (mostly related to Case 2), the metering and utility payment requirements for Case 1 are OK and fairly clear. In this particular case the electrical requirements appear to be met (with the possible exception of the electricity for some of the fan coil units - clarification is needed on this issue). Allocating HVAC costs on a prorata area basis is acceptable provided that the "gross" costs reflect the actual HVAC utility cost for the billing period i.e. not a "flat" or constant rate built into the lease. See page 191 of the CI RG under "Payment" for further elaboration.

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Julian Bott Principal Design Consultant Cundall Hong Kong
Jun 07 2010
LEEDuser Member
663 Thumbs Up

M&V case 2: System required to be monitored not installed

Hi,

We have a project where we are converting a warehouse into an office, it will have a site area > 75% of the building area, infact the whole structure will be the office.

In case 2, LEED requires the monitoring of system where we are not going to install:

Lighting and Controls (Yes we can monitor)
Motor Load (No motor load apart from motor in AC)
Varible frequency drive operation (do the VRV AC fall into here? Cannot Monitor though)
Chill efficiency (no chiller)
Cooling load (does only relates to chiller operation? it will be almost impossible to measure VRV AC cooling load outside a lab)
Air and water econmizers (not installed)
Boiler efficiencies (no boiler installed)
Building related energy process and system (we will sub meter server load)
water risers and outdoor irrigation (not installed)

At it stands, we can only measure: total energy, lighting, AC (VRV units), and server load.

We cannot measure all the other as required by LEED simply because we do not have the systems. Do anyone have experience on this credit where system required to be monitored are simply not included in your site??

Any comments will be appreciated.

Julian

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Julian Bott Principal Design Consultant, Cundall Hong Kong Jun 14 2010 LEEDuser Member 663 Thumbs Up

I'm still not sure that the Case 2 requirements to monitor all the items in the manual is correctly specified.
An interior project is much less likely to install a BAS or monitoring sytstem, nor is it likely to include many of the components of a centralised plant that would make sense to monitor items like boiler efficencies, cooling load, air and heat recovery economy cycles requested by the credit as minumum requirements.

Also the comment that this follows LEED-NC is not true, it is based on the old version of LEED-NC2.2 as NC-2009 now is not so specific in its requirements.

I think the LEED-CI tech committee has copied the old version of LEED without thinking through what is really required assuming that a tenat occupying >75% of a building must be a owner occupier of a large commerical office.

Does anyone have any experience in submitting Case 2 for LEED-CI 2009 or think we can make a case not to install air pressure monitoring and items not easliy monitored in a relatively small building <20,000ft2

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Jun 16 2010 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

Yes, there are serious problems with the EAc3 CI language on a number of levels. Rather than reusing/rehashing the NC 2.0/2.1 language as Julian points out above, Case 2 should have adapted the 2009 BD&C EAc5 language (also used for NC 2.2). It cites IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits. Vol. III with specific guidance for the available options (Option C makes little sense for CI) and dispenses with the arguably flawed "old" list of prescriptive requirements. Instead, Vol. III inherently provides the necessary flexibility and discretion to deal with projects, including CI, on an individual basis.

The USGBC is aware of these problems and this posting will prompt me to follow up to see if any resolution has been reached regarding a correction. In terms of immediate advice, I would suggest following the 2009 BD&C EAc5 language (using IPMVP Vol. III) and adapting it accordingly. I can also confirm that the CI RG requirement for IPMVP compliance for Case 1 is also an error.

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Tiombe Parrish Sustainable Design Coordinator, Jacobs GBNA Aug 24 2011 LEEDuser Member 90 Thumbs Up

Has there been any more movement by USGBC to clarify the language?

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 21 2011 LEEDuser Expert 702 Thumbs Up

I know that this is something on the proverbial bike rack, but I am not aware of any more movement on it. Having said this, I also know that the USGBC staff has its hands full with LEED 2012 as well as other initiatives/issues. Perhaps a few communications with the USGBC on this matter would help to move it up the priority scale.

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Luis Miguel Diazgranados Green Factory Nov 28 2011 LEEDuser Member 687 Thumbs Up

Searching through the internet, I found this document of the minute of a EA Technical Advisory Group meeting that took place on April 7 2011.
In point 4, the TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system. "discussed a proposed addendum to LEED 2009 for CI EAc3 Case 2. Language in this version regarding submeteringSubmetering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the heating subsystem of an HVAC system). was not carried properly from CIv2.2, and the TAG agreed that alignment with 2009 BD&C EAc5 was necessary. A motion to approve an addendum for EAc3 clarifying the requirements was made by Nathan Gauthier and seconded by Gord Shymko. Motion approved by consent."

So it looks like an addenda was approved but it never came out. DO you think this can be considered as precedent setting?

http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=9386

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Nov 28 2011 LEEDuser Moderator

I received the following comment from Gord via email":

As you will note, I was part of that TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system. discussion. It occurred just before the end of my term with the EA TAG. Unfortunately the purview of the TAG is limited. While the motion supports amending/correcting the language, there are other hurdles and committees that the change must clear. In this regard while the TAG discussion is significant, it by no means makes the change "official".

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Luis Miguel Diazgranados Green Factory Nov 29 2011 LEEDuser Member 687 Thumbs Up

Thanks for the advice Tristan and Gordon. I already wrote to the USGBC regarding this matter, insisting on the need to make an addendum about in this item. My arguments were the TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system. meeting's suggestion and the fact that one of the topics that are more important now a days is performance measuring. Therefore it's necessary to be clear in the credits regarding this topic.

I hope others will follow Gordon's advice as well.

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Nov 29 2011 LEEDuser Expert 19847 Thumbs Up

Luis,

If you want to make this an official part of LEED you might consider submitting a LEED InterpretationLEED Interpretations are official answers to technical inquiries about implementing LEED on a project. They help people understand how their projects can meet LEED requirements and provide clarity on existing options. LEED Interpretations are to be used by any project certifying under an applicable rating system. All project teams are required to adhere to all LEED Interpretations posted before their registration date. This also applies to other addenda. Adherence to rulings posted after a project registers is optional, but strongly encouraged. LEED Interpretations are published in a searchable database at usgbc.org..

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Luis Miguel Diazgranados Green Factory Jan 30 2012 LEEDuser Member 687 Thumbs Up

Hi everyone;
Some days ago, USGBC answered my inquiry regarding Case 2, and the TAGLEED Technical Advisory Group (TAG): Subcommittees that consist of industry experts who assist in developing credit interpretations and technical improvements to the LEED system. suggestion.

Here is their answer:
"Dear Luis Miguel,

Thank you for your inquiry.

We are currently working on revised language for this credit. Changes will be published in the April 1st release.

Thank you for your patience."

So, as you can see we need to wait till April 1st to find out what will happen with this credit.

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Dave Intner Firmitas Architecture & Planning
Dec 15 2009
Guest
1302 Thumbs Up

M&V plan required for case 1, or not?

It seems logical that no M&V plan would be required for Case 1 as you state above. However, the reference guide (page 187) appears to clearly call for it in both cases. Our project is well below 75% of the building area, and is both submetered and the tenant pays their own utilities. I've looked over the IPMVPThe International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) provides best-practice protocol for measurement and verification of new construction. This standard is referenced in LEED's measurement and verification credits. requirements and it seems that the only reasonable compliance path you could follow in this case, without extensive equipment monitoring devices or a complex whole-building energy simulation, would be Option C (using a similar building or buildings as a baseline). It would be great to avoid this requirment altogether, since the IPMVP readily acknowledges this method is fraught with inaccuracy. However, when I check "Case 1" on LEED online, it still asks for an M&V plan to be uploaded. Some clarification as to whether or not it really is required would be very helpful; this credit could represent as much as 10% of our project's points.

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Christopher Schaffner Principal & Founder, The Green Engineer, LLP Dec 16 2009 LEEDuser Expert 5336 Thumbs Up

Dave - good question. It looks like you've caught one of the areas where LEED 2009 has subtly changed from older versions of LEED.

Under LEED-CI v2.0 there was no requirement for a plan if your space was less than 75% of the building area. But under LEED CI 2009, the requirement is clearly there, right in the credit language. To make things more confusing, the reference guide goes on to describe what is required, but for Case 1, makes no further mention of a plan. But it's there in the credit template as well.

I have to admit the requirement came as a surprise to me. I'm wondering where the new requirement came from, and if it was really the intention of the USGBC to get M&V plans for small CI projects. I am checking with a few sources, to see if I can get some insight. As soon as I know more, I'll post it here.

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