CS-2009 EAc5.2: Measurement and Verification—Tenant Submetering

  • A system tenants can connect to

    Measurement and Verification (M&V) can keep the owner and tenant informed of energy-use details, typically by recording actual energy use over the course of project occupancy and comparing that data with design-estimated energy use. An M&V program can ensure that all systems perform as specified in the design and identify any anomalies in equipment, operational procedures, or user habits. While M&V can be applied to a variety of metrics, including water use and indoor environmental quality, this credit focuses only on energy performance. 

    The intent of EAc5.2 is to provide a monitoring or metering system in the base building to which tenants can connect to monitor their spaces. This credit does not require your project to install all the components of an M&V program, but it does require writing an M&V plan for tenants that provides guidance on connecting to the base building monitoring system and developing a corrective action plan if energy goals are not being achieved. 

    EAc5.1 actually measures the base building energy use, and EAc5.2 sets up the infrastructure and provides guidance for tenant 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).. EAc5.2 is ideal if your project will have LEED-CI tenants or if tenants plan to make energy improvements. Your project can attempt one or both of these credits.  

    Is it worth it?

    The cost of M&V varies from one project to the next. Added costs come from designing and installing specific monitoring systems in larger and more complex buildings. To make the investment worth it, the owner must be committed to developing and implementing an M&V plan, encouraging tenants to monitor or 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. their spaces, analyzing and understanding the building’s performance, and acting on the results. 

    Who does it?

    The “M&V provider” takes responsibility for developing the M&V plan. This role can be filled by the commissioning agent, energy modeler, mechanical engineer, project engineer, or a facilities manager. However, the tenant is then responsible for providing themselves with the means to connect to the M&V systems and to use the information in an effective manner. 

    What’s the standard?

    Although this credit does not require the M&V plan to be based on a specific standard, LEED-CS EAc5.1 and LEED-CI EAc3 require specific standards that you should be aware of when choosing base building infrastructure and writing M&V guidance for tenants.

    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 III of the IPMVP guidance as the basis of its LEED-NC and LEED-CS requirements, and Volume I of the IPMVP as the basis for LEED-CI 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.

    FAQs for EAc5.2

    What are projects required to submeter for this credit?

    The only required submetering is for electricity. Tenant spaces must be submetered or independently metered by the electric utility.

    Are there any other requirements?

    Fees for shared building utilities such as steam or hot water should be pro-rated among tenants based on area or occupancy, and based on actual building consumption. In other words, gross leases, where tenants pay a fixed lump sum for all rent and other expenses, will not meet the intent of this credit.

Legend

  • Best Practices
  • Gotcha
  • Action Steps
  • Cost Tip

Pre-Design

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  • Discuss as a team whether M&V will contribute to your project’s goals for energy reduction and system monitoring. Consider your project’s size, its complexity, and your tenants’ needs. Also think about how the building will be operated. If the M&V program is not likely to be fully utilized by the tenants, it may not be an appropriate investment.

  • Introduce the M&V program into the design early in the process, because it can affect the design of the mechanical and electrical systems as well as the BMS, if you have one. There is also inherent value in having the design teams think about how the building will be operated.

  • Determine whether attempting EAc5.1, EAc5.2, or both is best for your project. Achieving both will earn your project a total of six points.  You can attempt one or both—neither is dependent on the other.

    • EAc5.1: Measurement and Verification—Base Building develop an M&V program that measures the energy uses of the base building. If your project does not have any electrical equipment, it is ineligible for this credit.
    • EAc5.2: Measurement and Verification—Tenant Submetering you will only need to write an M&V plan for tenants to use and set up infrastructure, but don’t actually have to do any measurements —which is a good idea if your project will have LEED-CI tenants or if tenants plan to make energy improvements.

  • This credit focuses on setting up the infrastructure for tenants to submeter their space, and helping them meet the requirements of LEED-CI EAc3: Measurement and Verification.

  • You’ll need to write an M&V plan that provides guidance for future tenants. The plan should encourage tenants to submeter their space, and should provide guidance on attempting LEED-CI EAc3. You’ll also need to provide information on developing corrective actions if the M&V program indicates that the assumed energy savings are not being achieved. 

  • Consider the impact of an M&V program on mechanical system design requirements. Keep in mind that a tenant’s mechanical system must be capable of providing the necessary outputs for the monitoring or submetering system. Typically, the outputs are energy usage stated as kWs, BTUs, or therms over a given period of time. Whether you receive an automated record from a BMS or take a metered reading on the equipment manually at regular intervals, the specific output metrics and duration need to be defined in your M&V plan so that tenants can take advantage of the base building monitoring system.  

  • When writing the M&V plan for tenant guidance, provide detailed information on ways to connect to the base building M&V infrastructure. It is helpful to give product information and specific recommendations for mechanical and electrical systems. 

  • Consider incorporating a building management system (BMS) into your building design. A BMS is not required by the credit, but the level of detail provided by a BMS can be much more helpful than a simple monitoring system. 

  • 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 an M&V provider early in the design phase so that system components and recommendations can be implemented seamlessly rather than becoming add-ons.

Schematic Design

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  • Discuss as a team whether M&V will contribute to project goals for energy reduction and system monitoring. Consider your project’s size, complexity, and tenant needs. Also think about how the building is likely to be operated. If an M&V program is not likely to be fully utilized, it may not be worth the investment.

  • Determine the best infrastructure for a metering network. The system must be installed in a central location and have the capability to expand to metering tenant spaces. Although for this credit you do not actually have to meter tenant spaces, you do need to provide the means for tenants to connect to the system. You’ll also need to include a section in the M&V plan on developing corrective actions if the measurements of tenants’ actual energy use differ from those predicted. 

  • Discuss how the facility manager will support the M&V plan. Include expected staffing for tenant M&V efforts and operation of the monitoring system.

  • Write an M&V plan and provide the tenants with information on submetering their individual spaces as soon as possible.   

  • You need to write but not implement the M&V plan for tenants. Your M&V plan should include detailed information for tenants—what actions they need to take to connect their spaces to the base-building metering network, and what they need to do to achieve LEED-CI EAc3. 

  • The M&V plan  (written for tenant use) for EAc5.2 does not need to be as detailed (or as building- or space-specific) as those written for EAc5.1 or LEED-NC EAc5. The plan for this credit is designed to inform tenants about M&V, the building, its metering system, connecting to it to submeter their space, and a process for corrective action if the results of metering differ from the anticipated energy usage. Your plan should address tenant options for achieving LEED-CI EAc3: Measurement and Verification, and briefly cover the IPMVP, Volume I options that are acceptable for LEED-CI certification. Be aware that LEED-CS EAc5.1 and LEED-NC EAc5 require projects to follow IPMVP, Volume III rather than Volume I. Volume I deals with general concepts of M&V while Volume III is specific to new construction.

  • Utility companies may provide incentives or rebates for submetering and BMS programs. Check with your local utility to see if it offers rebates.

  • Some utility districts prohibit tenant submetering and charging by a third-party provider. If your local utility does not allow third-party submetering, find out if your utility will install separate meters for tenants.

  • The cost of M&V can vary significantly from one project to another. You’ll need to get project-specific bids based on your individual design needs. Accuracy and cost of M&V plans are influenced by the following: 

    • level of detail and effort associated with verifying post-construction conditions;
    • number and types of metering points;
    • duration and accuracy of metering activities;
    • number and complexity of dependent and independent variables that must be measured or determined on an ongoing basis;
    • availability of existing data collection systems, such as energy management;
    • and the level of precision designed and specified into the system, and your confidence in the data analysis.

  • Design your M&V program for use throughout the life of the building to provide the highest return on investment. However, for credit compliance it is best monitor for at least one year.

  • Talk to facility operations staff and tenants about the financial benefits and operational requirements of an M&V plan, because any energy savings achieved through M&V depends heavily on their participation.

  • Introduce your M&V program into the design early in the process, because it can affect the design of the mechanical and electrical systems. There is also inherent value in having your design teams think about how the building will operate. For example, if the architect knows that certain spaces will only be operated during the nighttime then they might not want to include daylight sensors. 

  • An M&V program generally includes sensors—which measure the volume and rate of flow (if water is included), 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. 

Design Development

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  • The M&V provider works with the mechanical engineer to determine the best monitoring system and to verify that all systems are designed to allow metering and submetering within the tenant space.

  • The M&V provider verifies that tenants can easily connect to the main metering network.

  • The mechanical engineer designs and specifies appropriate submetering or monitoring devices. The M&V provider verifies that the M&V program and systems are capable of providing the information required for the credit and that tenants can easily connect to the monitoring devices. 

  • Permanent installation of water meters, although not required for LEED, allows easier monitoring of water consumption and savings. Water metering of graywater and rainwater systems is generally included in M&V plans, and monitoring general water use is also useful for verifying projected savings. 

  • Attempting to add on a submetering or monitoring system once mechanical and electrical systems have been designed can be cost-prohibitive due to redesign charges.

Construction Documents

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  • Coordinate with your mechanical and electrical engineers to verify that the control devices are able to provide the information needed for credit compliance.

  • Your M&V plan should define the actions to be taken by the facility manager to investigate discrepancies and correct malfunctioning equipment. If energy-saving goals are not met, or if unexpected performance occurs, the M&V system provides useful feedback for tracking the source of problems.

Construction

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  • The M&V submetering devices are installed, and then commissioned (for EAp1 and EAc3) to verify their functional accuracy.

  • Installation of the M&V system should be fairly straightforward. Depending on your system and the experience of the subcontractors, however, specialized contractors may be needed. If the tenant is performing M&V they need to include the facilities manager in the planning. The M&V plan for core and shell buildings should anticipate this and establish a process for collaboration with future tenants. (See Resources for information on qualified practitioners.) 

  • Inform tenants, including potential tenants, about the M&V plan and metering network that has been installed for their use. This can be a great selling point, especially for tenants planning to pursue LEED-CI certification. Provide a copy of your M&V plan early on so that they can determine if LEED-CI or tenant submetering is right for their project. 

Operations & Maintenance

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  • Meters and submeters should be recalibrated periodically according to manufacturers’ recommendations.

  • Encourage the operations team to focus on running the building at optimal efficiency. 

  • The payback period for a submetering program depends on its initial cost and whether the M&V program identifies inefficiencies that wouldn’t have been found otherwise—substantial fixes can pay for the metering system. The true return on investment, however, depends on the commitment of the tenant, owner, and operational staff. Because M&V monitors actual building operation over time, the data provided can lead to valuable operational savings by uncovering system design, installation, and control issues not caught during commissioning. 

  • USGBC

    Excerpted from LEED 2009 for Core and Shell Development

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

    EA Credit 5.2: Measurement and verification - tenant submetering

    3 Points

    Intent

    To provide for ongoing accountability of building electricity consumption performance over time.

    Requirements

    Include a centrally monitored electronic metering network in the base building design that is capable of being expanded to accommodate the future tenant 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). as required by LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors Rating System EA Credit 3: Measurement and Verification.

    Develop a tenant measurement and verification (M&V) plan that documents and advises future tenants of this opportunity and the means of achievement.

    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

    Install the necessary metering and 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 energy use. Develop and implement an M&V plan that can be utilized and expanded by the tenant and that compares predicted savings to actual energy performance.

    For the corrective action process, consider installing diagnostics within the control system to alert the staff when equipment is not being optimally operated. Conditions that might warrant alarms to alert staff could include:

    • Leaking valves in the cooling and heating coils within air handling units.
    • Missed 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. opportunities (e.g., faulty economizer damper controls).
    • Software and manual overrides allowing equipment to operate 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
    • Equipment operation during unusual circumstances (e.g., boiler on when outside air temperature is above 65°F).

    Besides control diagnostics, consider employing retro-commissioning services or dedicating staff to investigate increases in energy usage (such a staff member is usually a resource conservation manager — see http://www.energy.state.or.us/rcm/rcmhm.htm for additional information).

Technical Guides

IPMVP Volume I

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. 

IPMVP Volume 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. 

Applications Team, Energy-Efficiency Design Applications: Measurement & Verification Documents

This website provides a list of resources to help teams implement an M&V program.

Software Tools

WATERGY Software

NOTE: WATERGY is not currently available, but may be again in the future.

WATERGY is a spreadsheet model that uses water and energy relationship assumptions to analyze the potential of water savings and associated energy savings. 

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. 

Publications

Energy Management Handbook, By Wayne C. Turner, Warren Heffington

Chapter 27 covers Measurement and Verification of Energy Savings and has some very useful information from the history of M&V, including various methods and equipment. 

Efficiency Valuation Organization (EVO) Blog

This blog includes regular articles from EVO insiders (and outsiders who meet our editorial guidelines) to inspire discussion on M&V topics. 

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..

Web Tools

USGBC Building Performance Partnership

USGBC’s Building Performance Partnership (BPP) engages commercial and residential LEED building owners and managers in an effort to optimize the performance of buildings through data collection, analysis and action. This partnership among USGBC and the thousands of LEED project owners will result in the population of a comprehensive green building performance database, enable standardization of reporting metrics and analytics, and establish new performance benchmarks. USGBC’s BPP participants are eligible for annual performance reports, report cards and real-time data interfaces to aid in their building performance goals. Together, USGBC and BPP participants will transform the way the world views building operations.

LEED Online Forms: CS-2009 EA

The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each CS-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.

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

The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each CS-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.

These links are posted by LEEDuser with USGBC's permission. USGBC has certain usage restrictsions 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.

33 Comments

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Thiago Bondini
Apr 30 2013
LEEDuser Member
154 Thumbs Up

Clarification

Please help with this scenario:

Core and Shell project with 8 tenants (light manufacturing).
Goal of achieving EAc5.1 and EAc5.2.

The developer will meter total energy use of the Core areas and also 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. HVAC and lighting loads AT THE PANEL using in-panel meters.
The M&V plan will give direction and forms for collecting energy use data as well as documenting changes in occupancy, schedules, and equipment.
Local weather data will be gathered and recorded manually from a local airport database. This information will be provided to the Energy Simulation Provider for input into the Baseline and Calibrated simulations, as appropriate.

Tenant spaces will be wired at the panel to facilitate 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 HVAC, process and lighting loads with IN-PANEL meters (which are accommodated but not provided). Plug loads will derived by subtracting measured energy from total energy use from the utility-provided meter.
Forms for recording energy use data will be provided as well as guidance for corrective measures if energy use exceeds targets (as established by the tenant).

In my mind these conditions satisfy the intent of the M&V credits without the added expense of a BMS. I don't understand the requirement of a "Centrally monitored electronic metering network in the base building design." Has anyone been successful in using this type of strategy?

Thank you.

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Apr 30 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

You do not need a BMS for either credit. There are other ways to get the data.

Keep in mind that the data you need for 5.1 is not the same data you need for 5.2. 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). by energy end use can be used for 5.1 while submetering by fuel type is required for 5.2. To earn both credits requires two different M&V plans.

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Thiago Bondini Apr 30 2013 LEEDuser Member 154 Thumbs Up

Thank you Marcus.

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Jean-Baptiste Noel ESD Operations Manager Green & Global Consulting Pte. Ltd.
Mar 26 2013
LEEDuser Member
23 Thumbs Up

Tenant lighting

Hi all,

In our project, there will be a tenant lease agreement so that the Lighting Power density with which they design the office spaces should be below 9 W/m2 (lower than the base requirement used for the base building). That would give an energy saving measure compared to the baseline model for the energy modeling.

In EAc5.1, we are supposed to be able to quantify the energy savings, and as such would need to monitor the lighting for tenant spaces independently in that case. But in EAc5.2, we can combine plug loads with lighting loads for tenant spaces.

In that case, should we then monitor separately the lighting from the plug loads for the tenant spaces since we are claiming savings on the tenant lighting portion?

Thanks.

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Mar 31 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

To earn EAc5.1 you would need to be able to separate the lighting and plug loads. For EAc5.2 you do not. If you want to earn both credits you need to be able to separate the two end uses.

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Jean-Baptiste Noel ESD Operations Manager, Green & Global Consulting Pte. Ltd. Apr 02 2013 LEEDuser Member 23 Thumbs Up

Hi Marcus,

Thanks a lot!
Just to make sure: if we had not claimed savings for lighting in tenant spaces by putting this requirement of 9W/m2, then we would not have needed to meter separately the end uses (lighting from plug loads) in the tenant spaces to earn EAc5.1.
Is that right?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Apr 02 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

For EAc5.1 you typically need to separate the energy end uses throughout the building in order to calibrate the model. There are many ways to do this. 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 just one way.

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Michael E. Edmonds-Bauer Edmonds International
Mar 24 2013
LEEDuser Member
96 Thumbs Up

Who provides for the submeters?

We have a project that will not provide submetters for future tenants however the BMS system will be ready for future tenants to provide their own submetter in order to measure electricity consumption.

Will this fulfill the credit requirements? Or do we need to provide some sort of "leasing agreement" that will make future tenants to provide for submeters?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Mar 24 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

Just having the building 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. ready would not be enough. If you can demonstrate that tenants would be required to install the meters then that would likely work.

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Michael E. Edmonds-Bauer Edmonds International Mar 26 2013 LEEDuser Member 96 Thumbs Up

So, in order to comply with the credit requirements, the LEED-CS building will need to require future tenants by a leasing agreement to have their provide their own sub meters.

Am I understanding this right?

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Mar 31 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

That would work or the building owner could provide them.

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Michael E. Edmonds-Bauer Edmonds International Apr 01 2013 LEEDuser Member 96 Thumbs Up

Thank you Marcus,

In our case the owner will not provide for them so we would suggest him to include this on the leasing agreement in order to achieve the credit requirements.

Thanks!!

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Ronald Dean Sumac Inc.
Mar 06 2013
LEEDuser Member
175 Thumbs Up

Credit Achievement Rate of 0%?

Hello,

At the right of the screen says that 0 of 210 certified projects in C&S earned this credit. I'd like to know why? As far as I know, this credit requires to submit a plan that anticipates that tenants can connect their energy-related equipment to the energy monitoring system of the building as well as leaving the adequate infrastracture to allow the tenants be aware of their energy consumptions, so it doesn't seem to be hard to comply with this credit. Besides, to comply with this credit, it is not necessary to comply with EAc5.1. So, according to the statistics, why does the Credit Achievement Rate is 0%?

Thanks in advance.

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Mar 06 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

I agree the number of projects earning this credit should not be zero. Looks like a mistake. Many project do this routinely. I am certain we have reviewed projects that have earned this credit.

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Mar 06 2013 LEEDuser Moderator

Thanks for pointing this out, and for your comments, Marcus. I have clarified with USGBC that 58% of certified projects have earned the credit. There is a glitch in their data reporting that will be fixed in our display as soon as possible.

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Ronald Dean Sumac Inc. Mar 08 2013 LEEDuser Member 175 Thumbs Up

Thanks for the clarification Marcus and Tristan.

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Dina Ammar
Jan 19 2013
Guest
9 Thumbs Up

Tenant submetering

The developer's CS project consists of two large leasable spaces. One wing to be used for a department store, the other one to be used as furnished apartments. There are basically only two tenants in the building: The operator running the department store and the operator running the furnished apartments. The furnished apartments are not submetered individually. Does EA 5.2 require just two submeters in this case and will still earn the 3 points? or should the developer force the apartments to be individually metered - knowing that the occupants of the apartments are not really 'tenants' vis a vis the developer...

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Marcus Sheffer LEED Fellow, 7group Mar 06 2013 LEEDuser Expert 20762 Thumbs Up

This could be grey area. Technically the operator of the apartments is not the tenant in my view. The occupants are the tenants as they occupy the spaces. So even though there is an operator in between them and the developer I think that the individual apartments would need to be sub-metered. This might be worthy of 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. however.

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Omar Katanani
Dec 30 2011
LEEDuser Member
5313 Thumbs Up

Tenant's Access to BMS Room

Dear all,

We're developing an M&V Plan for a large commercial mall. Every tenant will be equipped with an electricity 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., connected to the Mall's BMS.

The tenants will be billed according to their consumption recorded on their submeters. Tenants can access the BMS room to check their instantaneous energy consumption, but only after requesting this from the Facility Manager. In other words, tenants' access to their energy consumption is possible but not easy.

Is there a requirement for this EAc5.2 requiring the tenants to have direct & easy access to their energy consumption, at any time they desire?

Thanks,

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Tristan Roberts LEED AP BD+C, Editorial Director – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, Inc. Feb 21 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

George, not exactly but there is a requirement to "Develop a tenant measurement and verification (M&V) plan that
documents and advises future tenants of this opportunity and the means
of achievement."

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Shannon Allison Project Engineer, Integral Group Apr 30 2012 LEEDuser Member 258 Thumbs Up

Tristan,

Is there an example of a tenant M&V plan? There is not a lot of guidance on this requirement.

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Emily Catacchio Sustainability Specialist, Wight and Company May 08 2012 LEEDuser Moderator

Shannon,

If you look under the resources tab, there isn't a specific example, but plenty of guidelines to put one together!

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Markus Henning M.Eng Facility Management Alpha Energy & Environment
Oct 04 2011
Guest
77 Thumbs Up

lighting and plug loads separate?

I am working on a LEED-CS 2009 project. We will reach Credit EA 5.2 Measurement and Verification – Tenant 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).. The measurement and verification plan provide the following meters for the rental unit.

- Water meter
- Heat meter (space heating)
- Cold meter (space cooling)
- Electricity meter (lighting and plug loads) only one meter for both

All these meters will be monitored via BMS.
My Question is: must we measure the electricity use for lighting and plug loads separate? Or is it sufficient to measure these values together? And repot them to the BMS for evaluation of the tenant and fulfill the requirements of Eac5.2.

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Ante Vulin Sustainability Manager, YR&G Dec 01 2011 LEEDuser Expert 375 Thumbs Up

Markus, my understanding that you do not have to provide the meters for tenant loads such as lighting. You only need to make sure that the BMS can handle inputs from future meters, and explain how the tenants will be able to access that information. I believe the tenant will need to have lighting separately metered for CI EAc3.

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BH . Dec 15 2011 LEEDuser Member 626 Thumbs Up

Markus,

LEED USER GUIDE is defining it quite clearly on page 322. "(...) The electricity used for lighting and plug loads and to run HVAC equipment may be measured on a single meter and reported together,"

Hope it will help :O)

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Omar Katanani
Apr 27 2011
LEEDuser Member
5313 Thumbs Up

Process for corrective action

Hello,

One of the requirements of EA Credit 5.2 is to "provide a process for corrective action if the results of the M&V plan indicate that energy savings are not being achieved".

This is very confusing given that thermal modeling is not done on a tenant area per tenant area basis but on a whole building level. Therefore, how is the tenant supposed to know if he/she is meeting the anticipated savings ? Are we supposed to take the average consumption per ft.sq (given my the thermal modeling) and multiply it by the tenanted area ?

Thanks for the help,

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Nov 28 2011 LEEDuser Expert 721 Thumbs Up

The language regarding corrective action is indeed puzzling and I believe that it was included in error, although I have no direct way to verify this. I concur that in this context there is no way to monitor performance and implement corrective action. Credit 5.2 is simply about providing metering capability and advising tenants of the opportunity. At no point are "savings" or performance projected.

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Lorey Flick Director- Sustainable Services ADS Engineers
Feb 10 2011
LEEDuser Member
335 Thumbs Up

Tenant Sub-metering Question

What is a typical "centrally monitored" system? I have a core and shell space that will be providing sub-metering for it's tenant and a monthly bill indicating usage, peak, and cost. Will this bil suffice for the metering network? The base building requires sub-metering and it is already being installed prior to any tenant occupancy. How far do we need to go in order to meet the requirements of the metering network infrastructure? Does it need to be electronic, ie web-based monitoring? Please advise. Thanks!

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Feb 24 2011 LEEDuser Expert 721 Thumbs Up

As described in various responses below, the general answer is that the CS building metering network must have the capability of accomodating the implementation of ID&C EAc3. This does not mean installing the meters themselves, but rather installing a data system capable of receiving, transmitting, and collating meter data from the tenant spaces. For some tenants this could be as simple as a single electrical meter. For others it could mean multiple meters for individual end-uses. It depends on whether the tenant is Case 1 or Case 2 under EAc3. In this regard, see my response to Mike Lui below for elaboration. More to your specific question, the CS system generally must be capable of managing decent volumes of data (e.g. hourly), since this is what will be required for most tenant spaces to meet the requirements of EAc3. To be blunt, I have difficulty imagining a tenant space where a simple "accumulating" meter and monthly reporting would be sufficient to meet the intent of EAc3. The physical format of the data network is up to your discretion - it could be any number of configurations including hard-wired, web/IP-based, etc. Having said all of this, consider what is appropriate and do what is sensible for your project. Far too many metering systems that I encounter are seriously over-designed and/or over-capable.

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Lisa Håkansson
May 30 2010
Guest
81 Thumbs Up

Submetering - Core & Shell 2009

In a building with only one tenant, do all measurements as stated in CI 2009 EA3 case 2 have to be performed?
If there in the future will be additional tenants in the building, what does case 1 mean by "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.". How should this energy use between tenans be separated and monitored? Electricity is easy to measure separately, but what about for example boiler efficiencies separately for each tenant?

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Jun 16 2010 LEEDuser Expert 721 Thumbs Up

As I describe in the 2009 CI EAc3 M&V thread on this forum (see response to Julian Bott's inquiry), the CI EAc3 language has a number of problems. To reiterate:

Rather than reusing/rehashing the NC 2.0/2.1 language 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 suggest following the 2009 BD&C EAc5 language (using IPMVP Vol. III) and adapting it accordingly for CI. I can also confirm that the CI RG requirement for IPMVP compliance for Case 1 is also an error.

Regarding your second question:

Case 1 of CI EAc3 requires metering only at the tenant level, 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). of end-uses/systems as required by Case 2 (notwithstanding the flaws in the Case 2 language as described above). In most cases this will mean total electrical usage for 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. as well as total natural gas, steam, or hot water as the case may be.

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Mike Liu ATKINS Dec 21 2010 Guest 229 Thumbs Up

For LEED-CS 2009 EAc5.2, tenant 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)., should electrical usage monitor include HVAC electrical usgage? I mean most office building charge the heating & cooling electrical usage in their estate managing fees.

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Gordon Shymko Principal, G. F. Shymko & Associates Inc. Dec 29 2010 LEEDuser Expert 721 Thumbs Up

To some extent it depends on whether the future CI will fall into Case 1 or 2. If it's Case 1, then a single electrical meter for the tenant will suffice, with all electrical loads specific to the tenant being recorded by that meter. If it's Case 2, then individual electrical end-uses need to be disagreggated and metered. If the HVAC for the Case 2 tenant is provided by a central system, then it's a base building, not CI issue. However, if the CI has tenant-specific HVAC terminals that draw electricity (e.g. heat pumps), then those have to be specifically metered. Having said all of this, CS EAc5.2 only requires that the base building install the "backbone" of the metering system, not the tenant metering and/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). itself. In reality, differentiating between Case 1 and Case 2 future CIs is not going to make much difference to the design of the central metering backbone.

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