-
Beyond code compliance, but doable
This prerequisite is a big one, not only because it’s required for all projects, but also because it feeds directly into EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance, where about a fifth of the total available points in LEED are at stake. Master these minimum requirements, and you can use the same compliance path as in EAp2 to earning points.
You won’t earn the prerequisite by accident, though. Although “energy efficiency” is on everyone’s lips, the mandatory and performance-based requirements for EAp2 go beyond code compliance in most places. That said, there is nothing to stop you from meeting the requirements with a reasonable amount of effort, and the environmental benefits as well as the operational cost savings are significant.
Most projects start by...
Step-by-step credit help
Got the gist of the LEED credit but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Members get:
- Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
- Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
- Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
- Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
- All checklists organized by project phase.
- On-the-fly suggestions on useful items from the Documentation Toolkit, Resources, and Credit Language.
-
Credit language straight from USGBC
Need to check up on the exact LEED credit language from the LEED Rating System on the fly? LEEDuser includes the verbatim language. Members get:
- Easy access to the official LEED credit language with just a couple of clicks.
- On the jobsite without your bulky LEED Reference Guide? Check up on the credit language details here.
- Credit language content is used by permission of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Your credit-by-credit reference library
Why waste time chasing down referenced standards and supporting resources when LEEDuser links you directly to the ones you need? LEEDuser has gathered all the best tools out there and organized them by credit for easy reference. Members get links to:
- Organizations that can give information or help on a credit.
- Standards or studies that are key reference points for credits and prerequisites.
- Articles that help explain important topics.
- Key documents or references for credit inputs.
- Software tools you can use to run calculations or simulations.
Documentation Toolkit
In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
12 Comments
U-Values Requirements for Skylight with Curbs
Hello,
This credit requires us to comply with the U-values prescribed by ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007.
Our project has a Glass skylight covering more than 5% of the roof. The U-values prescribed by ASHRAE are only for skylights covering from 0% to 2% of the roof or 2.1% to 5% of the roof.
As such, could anybody tell me what are the U-values requirements for glass skylight with curbs covering more than 5 % of the roof ?
What about glass skylight without curb ?
Thank you for your help.
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC Apr 01 2010
George, I think this question has been answered in a comment by Roger Chang over on the NC EAp2 page. In short, demonstrate compliance either with a trade-off or a whole-building energy simulation.
Are there some list of
Are there some list of sooftware which can be used for modeling? Can we use eQuest programm for it?
Jean Marais replied b.i.g. Bechtold INGENIEURGESELLSCHAFT MBH Apr 27 2010
A good list is found on the DOE website:
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/
yes, you can use eQuest. At the moment many packages can also work seperately doing different parts of the simulation requirements. There are also more incompasing softwares. We use energyplus with Design Builder as the front end user interface. If I had to do a BIM project, I may consider the Bently-Microstation offering. Ecotec also has good interfaces, and supports gbXML and radiance output files. Transis is good for small and very special or detailed applications.
With software it's often hourses for courses. For example, I personally dislike the current Autodesk products, but that doesn't mean they are bad. I dislike their design in areas I consider important.
EAp2 LEED Online form
For a core & shell project in which the developer does not have control over interior (tenant) build-out, why does the LEED Online form require (or is automatically populated with) EPA Target Finder values (Target Finder Score, CO2Carbon dioxide emissions, CO2 emissions reductions)??
Is GBI/USGBC assuming the building will have a portion of 'base building' items/equipment that is metered separately from the tenants? Are the Target Finder numbers supposed to reflect these 'base building' items only or are the "Total Annual...Energy" numbers generated within the Target Finder program supposed to reflect the ENTIRE building (tenants included)??
Thanks.
Christopher Schaffner replied Principal, The Green Engineer, LLP May 16 2010
The target finder numbers should be based on the energy model, which would reflect the entire building, including tenant spaces.
Richard Fost replied Jun 30 2010
If following the prescriptive option allowed under EAp2, an energy model will not (most likely) be put together.
And how would an energy model deal with vacant, unleased tenant spaces, where interior design and loads are not known??
Christopher Schaffner replied Principal, The Green Engineer, LLP Jun 30 2010
Future tenant spaces get modeled as occupied spaces. You need to assume a likely use, pretty easy if it is an office building. Any systems that are not yet installed (lighting, for example) get modeled as minimally code compliant.
Dimming Lights - Internal Lighting Power Allowance
Hello,
Does anybody know how to integrate dimming lighting power in the total installed interior lighting power ? Do we assume that the light bulbs are always dimmed to the max (and therefore use maximum power) ? What if the dimming is controlled by a BMS and the default values are set at 50%?
Many thanks,
Christopher Schaffner replied Principal, The Green Engineer, LLP Jun 29 2010
Unless you have an automatic control, you need to assume maximum lighting power.
I'm confused by your statement - "Do we assume that the light bulbs are always dimmed to the max (and therefore use maximum power)?" - dimming generally results in energy savings. "Dimmed to the max" is better known as "off".
If you are following the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 prescriptive path for compliance, you cannot take any credit for dimming by the BMS.
If you are modeling with Appendix G, you can model and take credit for any daylight responsive controls, including dimming. Other automatic dimming does not fit easily into the additional controls outlined in Appendix G, which are allowed to use the Table G3.2 power adjustments. However, If the dimming is time-clock based, controlled by the BMS, I think you could submit that as an ECMEnergy conservation measures are installations or modifications of equipment or systems intended to reduce energy use and costs.. You should model the lighting under the BMS control sequence, but you should also be prepared to explain to the LEED reviewers why the modeled levels are appropriate, and account for local overrides (if possible) in the modeling.
Process and non-Process energy
For Core and shell rating system, do I consider the Process energy in the calculation.
below equation is what i have in mind after read the guidebook.
[(Process + non-Process baseline) + (Process + Non-process proposed design) ] / (Process + Non-process Basline)
Christopher Schaffner replied Principal, The Green Engineer, LLP Jul 30 2010
Process energy must be included in your energy model in order to get realistic results. (Otherwise AC and heating loads won't reflect actual conditions)
For NC projects all process energy is included in the final calculation as well.
However, for CS projects, the USGBC has confirmed a recent 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 ruling to allow tenant process (and potentially lighting) loads to be excluded from the LEED calc.
details -
https://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6926
I understand that this applies to 2009 projects as well, although I have not seen written confirmation.
Please register to use the forum.