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Lower cost strategies come first
Capturing useful energy from natural energy flows like sunshine, wind, moving water is a great concept. The technologies to capture this energy aren’t cheap, however, nor do they work equally well in all locations. Typically, it’s hard to generate a significant fraction of total electricity we use onsite.
Before investing a lot of time and energy into this credit, focus on energy efficiency and passive energy collection such as daylighting, natural ventilation, passive solar heating before investing in renewable energy systems. This work will probably pay off faster than renewable energy, and if you do invest in renewable energy, you’ll have a lighter load for it to carry.
What types of systems count
All electricity generated and used on site is counted towards...
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10 Comments
1% from 15%?
I'm working on a Core and Shell project and recently I was given the energy model made for us by a consultant. Although the scope of the project is only Core and Shell, the model covers the whole building. It's OK.
Today the Client decided that he wants to implement photovoltaic cells on the facade (= on-site renewable energy) and he asked me to calculate how much energy needs to be generated by those cells, in order to fulfill LEED requirements.
Right now I am wondering if I should:
a) take the whole building energy use and cost and multiply by 1%, or
b) take the 15% of the whole building energy use and cost, in order to have Core and Shell energy usage, and multiply this number by 1%.
For those who don't know where the 15% came from, in Green Power credit it is said that if you don't know what's the Core and Shell energy use you take 15% of the whole building energy use (correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm quite sure it's like that).
As you can imagine, it's quite a difference to take 1% or 1% from 15% of the building energy use/cost.
Please advice if this rule also applies to the on-site renewable energy credit.
Thanks!
For EAc2 you are required to produce 1% of the building total energy use (tenant load included) using on-site renewables.
Developer Owned On-Site Renewable Energy Sold to Tenants
We are working on a LEED CS project where the investor will sell the energy produced on-site by photovoltaic systems to the tenants in the project building, according to internal fees at a premium rate compared to the market rate of non-renewable energy (though a typical rate for local renewable energy). No renewable energy will be delivered to the grid. The only energy sold will be directly to the tenants for energy consumption in the project building. The potential to buy renewable energy produced on-site will be outlined in the tenant design and construction guidelines (the primary tenant is already pursuing LEED CI). As long as all the renewable energy is produced and used on site, is charging the tenants in this manner eligible for LEED CS EAc2?
Severin, I would definitely say it is eligible.
Time line for PV installation
In our project we intend to install PV panels for 300KWp capacity. Its a NC2009 project aiming for LEED platinum. The building is office building with a 24hrs cafeteria. The building has been completed and we are ready (except the PV stuff) to submit the project for GBCI review. We are counting 7+7 = Total of 14 pts through PV. However the procurement and PV installation will take another 6 months. Is it possible to submit the project for GBCI review before completion of PV and get Platinum. The Client's Management has a KPI to achieve Platinum by end of June 2011.
My question is whether GBCI will allow for some time say 6 months to 12 months for PV installation and award the points now with client commitment to install 300KWp PV panels. Any one has experience with the time line for PV installation?
Since this credit is reviewed during the design phase, the timeline of PV installation shouldn't affect achieving this credit. As long as it's on the drawings, planned and specified to be installed, and you have the owner's commitment to install the system, that should be sufficient.
who has to pay for the renewable systems?
Hi Everyone,
we have an Core&Shell office Building. The Owner is not providing any renewable energy source but the tenant wants to install Photovoltaic systems on the roof.
Can we use this for Credit 2?
Or do the owner of the project have to participate on the costs of the Photovoltaic system?
Many thanks for your answers,
Tatjana
I'm confused—is the project a LEED-CI or LEED-CS project? For CS, you could apply it here. For LEED-CI, it would fall under SSc1.
points table
Please confirm that 4 LEED points are earned if 1% of annual energy cost is offset with on-site renewable energy systems under LEED CS 2009. I don't understand why GBCI departed from the more complex points table found in EAc2 NC 2009?
Daniel, I double-checked both our credit language tab above and the LEED Reference Guide and yes, it's 4 points for 1% of annual energy cost. I hadn't specifically noticed this before and it does seem like an "interesting" choice. But so it is. You are right that it's different from LEED-NC v2009 EAc2.
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