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Prerequisite vs. credit
EAp3: Fundamental Refrigerant Management calls for elimination of CFC-based refrigerants, to prevent ozone depletion. However, that’s just one piece of the environmental puzzle when it comes to refrigerants. Many CFC substitutes act as very strong greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming—and adding that piece of the puzzle is the focus of this credit.
EAc5 encourages significant reduction or elimination of all refrigerants in base building systems, and at the very least, works to promote use of refrigerants that have the lowest global warming potential.
Do you use CFCs?
If your building is still using CFC-based refrigerants, it will be very difficult to earn this credit. Likewise, this credit will be difficult if you are using...
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30 Comments
District Energy Documentation
Could someone please confirm the guidance and documentation for projects connected to a third party district chilled water loop? Does the utility (chilled water provider) have to provide any information? These two sources seem to contradict themselves
Guidance from LEED District Energy Addendum
"Scenario 2 – Third Party DES
EAp3 and EAc5 requirements apply to the downstream equipmentDownstream equipment consists of all heating or cooling systems, equipment, and controls located within the project building and site associated with transporting thermal energy into heated or cooled spaces. This includes the thermal connection or interface with the district energy system, secondary distribution systems in the building, and terminal units. but not the upstream equipmentUpstream equipment consists of all heating or cooling systems, equipment, and controls that are associated with a district energy system but are not part of the project building's thermal connection or do not interface with the district energy system. It includes the central energy plant and all transmission and distribution equipment associated with transporting the thermal energy to the project building and site.."
Guidance from 2009 EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. Reference Guide
"For buildings connected to an existing chilled water system, the chilled water supplier must perform the required calculation and submit a letter showing compliance with the requirements."
Thank you!
Since the district energy document came out more recently than the Reference Guide, and since the Reference Guide implementation guidance is not as strictly upheld as actual credit language, I would think that that DES guidance trumps the Reference Guide.
Does that make sense? If that's not enough to go on, there is an email address in the DES document where feedback is invited—I would send a note there, and also to GBCI.
FYI for those who were confused about the two sources from USGBC related to DES. This is a response from GBCI....
The guidance on page 4 in the more recent document, Treatment of District or Thermal Energy in LEED for Existing Buildings Operations & Maintenance, should take precedence in this case, although following the original approach from page 218 of the LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Operations & Maintenance, 2009 Edition, would also be acceptable and would better respond to the intent of the credit, especially in the case where no other base building systems use refrigerants.
If you are attempting this credit prior to clarification of this matter, you should include this correspondence with your submittal.
refrigerant charge formula for r123
Our supplier who does the recharging of refrigerants has a standard formula for determining the refrigerant charge based on minutes per day of purge pump out operation. The values end up being very small fractions (0.0000n). Are these figures realistic and is this methodology acceptable to LEED?
We have other equipment though that do not use this refrigerant.
In this case do we use 0.5% as minimum default value?
Hoping for some clarification.
I think you're asking about the leakage rateThe speed at which an appliance loses refrigerant, measured between refrigerant charges or over 12 months, whichever is shorter. The leakage rate is expressed in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a 12-month period if the rate stabilized. (EPA Clean Air Act, Title VI, Rule 608). that is used in the EAc5 calculation. If that is correct then the data points that are used in the Credit Form calculator are (1) total pounds of refrigerant added and (2) days since refrigerant was last added.
If the service provider does not track those two data points and uses another methodology like you've described above, then you should submit a narrative along with the credit submission demonstrating that their methodology provides the actual leakage rate over the performance period. This is very important because the credit cannot be earned unless the building team has monitored the actual leakage rates.
If the actual leakage rate is less than 0.5%, you should still enter 0.5% in the credit form as that is the minimum that the review team will accept.
Halon fire extinguishers
For a large building, we just found out we have a few older "halon" fire extinguishers--one (Halotron) in the Electronic Media Services main equipment room, two in the Communications room, and one in attic stock. I do not think replacing those 4 extinguishers will happen soon since since the client is very concerned that non-halon FEs in those rooms will damage the equipment. Will this be a fatal problem for EAc5? Can we commit to a phase out ofver time to a green product like Inergen or another refrigerant, or does the change have to be done before LEED submittal? Thanks again.
Just based on the credit requirements, I would assume that the change would have to be complete by the LEED submittal. A phase-out plan would be more of a prerequisite-type of approach. For the credit, I think you'd hard-pressed to argue for this allowance.
Vending Machines
We have a number of refrigerated vending machines on our facility that are not owned or operated by the building owner. We could not read any nameplates due to installation and safety concerns. These are standard drink machines. Does any one know if these typically carry more than the 0.5lb requirement? And do they need to be included in all refrigerant management calcs?
Thank you.
Laura - I'm not an expert on refrigerants, but I do think its reasonable to assume that vendor-owned machines of this type are clearly not part of 'base-building systems' and can be excluded from consideration for this credit.
Mechanical Engineer Signature Required?
I (not a mechanical engineer) calculated the leakage rates for this credit, but LEED online has a 'Required Signatory' box for this credit. Is this necessary to be signed off on?
Yes, it is. Is there a mechanical engineer on the project team in any function? If not, I'm just thinking out loud, but I wonder if you could sign that given that you are acting in that role for this project. I would think so, but not sure.
Installation Dates for LEED On-line
Good day everyone. For our project site we have listed all of the units,
calculated all of the leakage rates, etc. However there are a few of our units that do not have an accurate (precise day/month/year) installation date - and no one around the place can be more specific than month/year for most. Unfortunately even many of the equipment plates lack the date info. Will this be problematic if we can't document installation dates precisely?
Doesn't seem like it should be too problematic, since it doesn't directly reflect on the credit requirements. I would be sure to explain the lack of the data in as detailed a manner as possible in the narrative.
EAc5-Default vs. Actual Leakage Rates
The EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. Reference Guide appears to talkk out of both sides of its mouth. In paratheses in the overview, it stipulates that a leakage rateThe speed at which an appliance loses refrigerant, measured between refrigerant charges or over 12 months, whichever is shorter. The leakage rate is expressed in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a 12-month period if the rate stabilized. (EPA Clean Air Act, Title VI, Rule 608). of 0.5-2.0% must be used. Later in the details section, it clearly states that "Refrigerant leakage rates Lr must be based on actual leakage rates" and it presents Eq. 9 to compute the rate. Which do they intend?? If we have a low-pressure chiller on R-11, it may not leak a drop for ten years but a 0.5% leakage rate imposed on the project will make the credit impossible to achieve. Any suggestions??
Alison, I think that this discussion on the EBOM fundamental refrigerant management forum speaks to this issue fairly well. Please post back if it doesn't.
It's also muddled and confusing because at this time 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. is not aware of an industry accepted method to determine non-default leakage rates.
Thanks to everyone who responed to this post. I just wanted to state that our Engineer, Ed, is posting on my account so any correspondence is actually coming from him. I needed to clear that up since I am not an Engineer and don't claim to be :-)
Hi Alison, now that you've volunteered that info :), I need to chime in here and suggest that you guys get separate accounts! The LEEDuser forum is free so anyone can sign up and there's no need for non-engineer to appear to be an engineer, etc.
For paying members, we ask that people don't share log-ins. The site is priced very reasonably so please get multiple memberships! If you have more than three people, it's cost-effetive to get a team membership.
Thanks, Tristan. I saw that coming and I am looking into it :-) Have a great day!
base bldg equipment vs tenant equipment
EAc5 states that it is for 'base bldg' equipment and I have read their definition of base bldg as meaning permanently attached to the bldg, etc.
I think that means that, in a multi-tenant office building , tenant-owned HVAC or refrigeration equipment is excluded
Do you agree ?
Stephen, for this credit LEED defines "base building" equipment as basically anything in the building with more than 0.5 pounds of refrigerant. This is defined and discussed in detail in the Checklists tab above and on page 209 of the EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. Reference Guide.
Under Equipment location - the drop down menu states 'The LEED Project only' or 'Central Plant', I'm assuming if the equipment is within the building to put 'The LEED Project Only'?
Yeup. :)
Dealing with CFCs
I have York Chillers which are used very rarely and only under extreme hot weather conditions, requiring additional cooling.
Unfortunately these Chillers still use R-11 CFC Refrigerant. They also fall under the criteria of Conversion would not make it Economically Feasable to convert. Including all the supporting documentation for annual controlling leak rate of 5% or less.
Does this mean we get kicked to the curb on this one and thers no way we can qualify. Or is it automatically excepted considering it meets E.A. Preq.3 requirement guidelines for CFC based refrigerants.
Please advise - Rey
I think you're kicked to the curb. I was going to suggest entering your numbers in the template and seeing if it were less than 100. However, when I tried it under an EBOMEBOM is an acronym for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, one of the LEED 2009 rating sytems. 2008 template, R-11 wasn't even a choice on the drop down menu. I suspect that you could still work the formula by hand (the template normally does it for you) but with R-11 your total will be more than 100.
Leakage Rate
90% of the AC equipment at my building has been replaced in the past 2 years. None of that equipment has had refrigerant recharges. How would I go about entering a leakage rateThe speed at which an appliance loses refrigerant, measured between refrigerant charges or over 12 months, whichever is shorter. The leakage rate is expressed in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a 12-month period if the rate stabilized. (EPA Clean Air Act, Title VI, Rule 608). if we have yet to have any refrigerant recharges?
Thanks for the help!
See page 215 of the LEED Reference Guide for the calculations definitions and minimum value for the annual leakage rateThe speed at which an appliance loses refrigerant, measured between refrigerant charges or over 12 months, whichever is shorter. The leakage rate is expressed in terms of the percentage of the appliance's full charge that would be lost over a 12-month period if the rate stabilized. (EPA Clean Air Act, Title VI, Rule 608).. My understanding was that, at a minimum, the annual leakage rate of not less than 0.5% must be used.
LEED ONLINE CALCULATIONS ISSUE?:
I am confused with the formulas given in the reference guide. The 3 examples given takes the sum of the (LCGWP + LCODP * 10^5) * N * Qunit and divides it by the Qtotal to get the value of less than 100. But in the formula listed next to Avg. Reg. Atmos. Impact in the 3 charts it ignores the N-value.
My project has multiple pieces of equipment so I have to take an average the formula on page 222 confuses me as the Qunit value differs by unit, I assumed the average of the total would have to be less than 100.
Also the LEED Online tool does not provide an average score it only sums up the totals of 3 columns. I dont see an area with a final avg. refrig. atmos. impact score.
Could someone help me out with explaining what I am missing?
Hi Paul,
The formulas in the reference guide on page 222, are a bit confusing, but they do not ignore the n-value. The n-value is synonymous with the column titled “units” in the first example on page 222. So the n-value (or number of units) is accounted for in both the last column where each type of HVAC equipment is calculated using “n” in the formula; and in the first and second columns where the Qtotal is calculated. This means that both the subtotal and the Qtotal take n-value (or number of units) into consideration. Then you divide the subtotal by the Qtotal to get the Average Refrig. Atmos. Impact Score. Thus n-value is represented as the Qtotal and it’s also included in the calculations to arrive at the numerator in the equation for the Average Refrig. Atmos. Impact Score.
Regarding LEED Online, the second to last column labeled “Refrigerant Impact per ton” shows the Average Refrig. Atmos. Impact Score, for all of the equipment listed, taking n-value into consideration. The final column labeled “Refrigerant Impact Total” is comparable to the subtotal listed in the example charts in the reference guide.
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