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Easy to research
Pick up the phone, call the local utility and a couple of green power providers—companies that sell renewable energy credits (RECs), which provide funding to renewable energy generation, supporting its development. Give them your project’s estimated energy consumption. Sit back and receive estimates.
That’s all it takes to find out what a purchase of offsite renewable energy will cost, so be sure to consider it—you might be pleasantly surprised. The credit requires you to offset only a percentage of your electricity consumption with RECs to earn points (see diagram at right). You can make a stronger environmental statement and earn an extra Exemplary PerformanceIn LEED, certain credits have established thresholds beyond basic credit achievement. Meeting these thresholds can earn additional points through Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) points. As a general rule of thumb, ID credits for exemplary performance are awarded for doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold. However, this rule varies on a case by case basis, so check the credit requirements. point through IDc1 by offsetting 70% (100% for CI projects).
Why green power?
Some building owners may hesitate to pursue this credit because they don’t believe that the extra cost brings a direct, tangible benefit to their building.
RECs must be Green-e certified or the equivalent. Center for Resource SolutionsHowever, nonrenewable electricity production is a huge contributor to pollution and global climate change1. Climate change refers to any significant change in measures of climate (such as temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer). (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008) 2.The increase in global average temperatures being caused by a buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This temperature change is leading to changes in circulation patterns in the air and in the oceans, which are affecting climates differently in different places. Among the predicted effects are a significant cooling in Western Europe due to changes in the jet stream, and rising sea levels due to the melting of polar ice and glaciers., and buying green power creates incentives for further development of renewable energy facilities. The benefits of renewable energy are well-understood by the general public, and so buying green power can help you advertise your commitment to environmental responsibility. Many projects display their renewable energy certificates prominently.
Making it cost-effective
Many projects see this credit as low-hanging fruit, and may pursue it depending on how many points they need to achieve their LEED goals. Because the credit focuses exclusively on electricity (not natural gas, propane, or fuel oil) it is usually very affordable.
Purchasing green power through your utility
Many utilities offer a green power option for their customers, typically from renewable sources within your region. Instead of buying RECs from a third party, you can quickly get set up to buy the RECs based on a premium charge per kilowatt-hour that you consume.
What are RECs?
The market for renewable energy credits (RECs) has exploded in recent years, but RECs are still an abstract entity that can be difficult to define.
For buildings that can’t generate onsite renewable power or purchase it through a regional utility, but still want to promote renewable energy, RECs (sometimes called “green tags” or “tradable renewable certificates”) allow customers to continue to buy the same grid-supplied power, while also buying the environmental attributes of electricity produced by a renewable source. (The actual renewably generated electricity is sold separately to the grid for market price as normal power, while your REC purchase helps deliver extra revenue that helps make renewable energy production financially feasible.) To ensure quality, LEED requires you to purchase RECs certified by Green-e, a third-party program, or an equivalent certification program.
You can buy RECs from specific regions of the country, and even from specific renewable energy projects, or project types (like wind or solar). Buying RECs from a specific source can increase the cost a bit, but also helps bring this intangible commodity down to earth.
The Bear Creek Wind Farm in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, with 12 Garnesa 2.0 MW turbines, was developed in 2005 by Community Energy, which sells renewable energy credits (RECs) from the project. Photo – Community Energy, Inc.Criticisms of RECs
RECs, along with carbon offsets, which are similar, have come under criticism. This is largely due to the perception that they allow a person or a business to go on with business as usual, consuming as much fossil fuel as usual, and then simply write a check to assuage their guilt, without producing tangible environmental benefit.
There is validity to these concerns, which are best countered by conserving energy through high-performance building design and location (earning other EA and SS points in LEED), generating renewable energy onsite if possible, and then buying RECs only as a last step. Focusing on energy conservation first has the side benefit of making the ultimate purchase of RECs more affordable, because you have less consumption to offset.
FAQs for LEED and green power
Can I buy RECs on the open market, or do I have to go through my power provider or utility, which also offers them?
You can buy RECs from either source.
Our project is outside the U.S. We would like to earn this credit by purchasing RECs, but there are no Green-e options available here. It looks like most Green-e certified power comes from the U.S. What should we do?
Your simplest course of action is to buy any Green-e RECs available on the open market, including those in the U.S. There is no requirement for your RECs to be from your country. If you prefer to buy RECs from a project closer to home, you can see if there are RECs available that are certified to a standard that is equivalent to Green-e. This is less common, but has been done.
We are pursuing this credit outside the U.S., and the owner wants to know if we can buy green power through a provider in our country that is not Green-e certified. We started comparing our national standard to Green-e and quickly found an area where the national standard is not as stringent as Green-e. Is this a dead end?
Correct—you can't rely on your national standard in this case. The Green-e Standard exists to make sure that there is no double counting in the market and clearly addresses the voluntary market only. These fundamental issue of accounting and additionality are at the core of LEED's adoption of such a standard to define quality green power products.
Our project will be net-zero energy, i.e. will produce as much or more power than it consumes. Can we earn this credit?
Yes, as confirmed by 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. #10219 posted on 7/1/2012, if the project produces 100% or more of its electricity as onsite renewable electricity, the project can earn the credit plus an EP point. However, you also need to take steps to ensure that if the as-built project does not turn out to be net-zero, that the appropriate quantity of RECs will be purchased to meet the credit threshold. See the LEED Interpretation for these details.
We will have cogeneration onsite. Do the credit requirements apply to all electricity used onsite, or only that which is purchased from the grid?
All electricity used by the project is the basis for the green power purchase.
The owner has purchased RECs for a percentage of energy use of its whole portfolio of buildings, or campus. Can we earn this credit for a single LEED building with this purchase?
Yes. Provide evidence of the quantity and term purchase for the campus along with an explanation of how the green power has been or will be allocated as applicable. If any of this purchase has been allocated to a previous LEED project state how much and provide a letter allocating the quantity needed to this project.
We plan on pursuing this credit only if we need to do so to meet our certification target, i.e. if another credit we are counting on gets rejected. How late can we apply for this credit?
You can document this credit as late as when you submit your clarifications for the construction review. You can even do it after that, and before you accept your final certification, but you'll have to pay an appeal fee.
The owner purchases RECs based on an earlier prediction, but our energy model is now showing that we are just a little short of the credit threshold. What should we do?
The owner will need to buy additional RECs to meet the threshold.
Legend
- Best Practices
- Gotcha
- Action Steps
- Cost Tip
Pre-Design
Expand All
Most projects find it easiest to go with the third option, and shop around for the best deal on RECs. Others, however, have found it best to purchase through their local utility when they can get a better bundle deal and feel like the purchase is more tangible, so do some research.
Schematic Design
Expand All
Calculate a rough estimate of the cost for purchasing green power based on the default numbers found in the LEED Reference Guide or through DOE’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey database (see the table at right). See the LEEDuser strategy on step-by-step green power calculations and follow the steps for default electricity consumption calculations.
USGBC
Excerpted from LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovations
EA Credit 6: Green power
2 Points
Intent
To encourage the development and use of grid-source, renewable energy technologies on a net zero pollution basis.
Requirements
Engage in at least a 2-year renewable energy contract to provide at least 35% of the building’s electricity from renewable sources, as defined by the Center for Resource Solutions’ Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. Energy product certification requirements or an equivalent.
All purchases of green power shall be based on the quantity of energy consumed, not the cost.
If the green power is not Green-e Energy certified, equivalence must exist for both major Green-e Energy program criteria: 1) current green power performance standards, and 2) independent, third-party verification that those standards are being met by the green power supplier over time.
Option 1. Determine baseline electricity use
Use the annual electricity consumption from the results of EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance.
OR
Option 2. Estimate baseline electricity use
Use the U.S. Department of Energy’s Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey database to determine the estimated electricity use.
Potential Technologies & Strategies
Determine the energy needs of the building and investigate opportunities to engage in a green power contract. Green power is derived from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass or low-impact hydro sources. Visit http://www.green-e.org/energy for details about the Green-e Energy program. The green power product purchased to comply with credit requirements need not be Green-e Energy certified. Other sources of green power are eligible if they satisfy the Green-e Energy program’s technical requirements. Renewable energy certificates (RECs), tradable renewable certificates (TRCs), green tags and other forms of green power that comply with the technical requirements of the Green-e Energy program may be used to document compliance with this credit.
Web Tools
Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey
Use this website to determine the default energy consumption rates by building type.
U.S. Department of Energy – Green Power Network
This website provides information on pricing, marketing, and purchasing green power, as well as news and information.
Organizations
EPAs Green Power Partnership
EPA’s Green Power Partnership provides assistance and recognition to organizations that demonstrate environmental leadership by choosing green power. It includes a buyer’s guide with lists of green power providers in each state.
Green-e
Search for green power or carbon offsetA fiscal unit measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) representing six main categories of greenhouse gases. Aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, one carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide (or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases). Carbon offsets are typically purchased by consumers of fossil fuels or products using fossil fuels, as a way to "offset" or negate their negative environmental impact. providers by location. Understand Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. standards to demonstrate equivalency.
Low Impact Hydropower Institute
The Low Impact Hydropower Institute is a non-profit organization and certification body that establishes criteria against which to judge the environmental impacts of hydropower projects in the United States.
Technical Guides
Treatment of District or Campus Thermal Energy in LEED V2 and LEED 2009 – Design & Construction
This document is USGBC’s second (v2.0) major release of guidance for district or campus thermal energy in LEED, and is a unified set of guidance comprising the following an update to the original Version 1.0 guidance released May 2008 for LEED v2.x and the initial release of formal guidance for LEED v2009.
Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Pricing
RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. vendors often offer different REC products and pricing based on the type of renewable energy generation (such as solar or wind) and the geographical location of the generation, as shown in this sample pricing table prepared for a LEED-NC project.
Samples
Green Power Contract
You will need to execute a contract like this sample to purchase renewable energy credits (RECs), and then upload it to LEED Online to verify credit compliance.
Samples
LEED Online Forms: NC-2009 EA
The following links take you to the public, informational versions of the dynamic LEED Online forms for each NC-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):
- EAp1: Fundamental Commissioning
- EAp2: Minimum Energy Peformance
- EAp3: Fundamental Refrigerant Management
- EAc2: On-Site Renewable Energy
- EAc4: Enhanced Refrigerant Management
- EAc5: Measurement & Verification
Version 3 forms:
- EAp1: Fundamental Commissioning
- EAp2: Minimum Energy Peformance
- EAp3: Fundamental Refrigerant Management
- EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance
- EAc2: On-Site Renewable Energy
- EAc3: Enhanced Commissioning
- EAc4: Enhanced Refrigerant Management
- EAc5: Measurement & Verification
- EAc6: Green Power
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."
Construction Submittal
Documentation for this credit is part of the Construction Phase submittal.
LEEDuser is produced by BuildingGreen, Inc., with YR&G authoring most of the original content. LEEDuser enjoys ongoing collaboration with USGBC.
78 Comments
On Site Renewable energy double dip
My client is producing enough energy on-site (solar) to get all the points in EAc1 and EAc2 with a large surplus of renewable energy. They have decied to sell the remaining on-site renewable energy (the energy not being used to satisfy the LEED credit requirements) as SRECs. Can any of the energy produced on site go towards fufilling EAc6 or is this credit only applicable to buying RECs from an outside source (not producing it on site)? Thanks.
We successfully argued a few years ago that our on-site renewables were exporting to the grid and that since we cannot buy negative RECs we should be awarded EAc6. We did not sell our SRECs however. Not sure if this would be accepted today so if you want to know for sure submit 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..
Are GoO fulfilling EAc6 credit?
GoO (Guarantees of Origin) are European equivalent to United States' RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources.. They are are traded in the framework of the European Energy Certificate System.
We have project is Europe and we'd like to buy GoO in order to fulfill the EAc6. Are they recognized by LEED if they comply with the European Energy Certificate System (but not the Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products.)?
Daniela, the way this credit is currently written, you could only comply if the credits are equivalent to Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products..
I am not aware of any system being granted a blanket equivalency to Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products.. Perhaps if you were to submit 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. a blanket equivalency could be granted. Maybe the GoO system would support you in doing so as a customer service. Otherwise you will need to demonstrate equivalency to the following section of the Green-e Energy Standard - Section II, III (excluding G), Section IV (excluding A), and Section V.
Two-year contracts
Seems like this question must have been asked before but I can't find the answer. Can Green Power credit be earned if the owner (a government entity) is restricted from contracting more than one year at a time? What documentation of commitment would be required if there can be no contract?
Hello Kath,
The credit language requiring a 2-year contract, or any term-based contract, does not mean anything. Projects have always been allowed to purchase lump sum green power. The end result is the same; the same amount of green power is purchased.
Under a lump sum purchase no contract is required.
A few of my 100 LEED projects have purchased green power through long-term contracts. Most have not.
The credit requirements and language for green power are not actually written with long-term purchase commitments in mind. Entering into a four-year contract should earn a project an innovation point for purchasing double the required amount of power. Entering into an eight-year contract provides no "LEED" benefit to the owner.
EAc6 Implementation
Does the project need to purchase Green Power from its power provider (it is provided), or is there the option of purchasing RECs on the open market from other providers (given that costs may be cheaper)?
Either option can qualify.
International project-onsite renuable energy
An industrial building client in Bangladesh wants to produce most of it's power by gas operated generator. About 10%-15% power will also be generated from solar panels and small wind turbines.
Will gas burn power generation get credit for the onsite renewable energy?
A gas powered generator will not count as an onsite renewable.
Our project will get almost 100% of the power from PVs and Fuel Cell (it gets power from Natural Gas).
So, since the purchased energy will be very low, for achieving EAC6 we would have to buy just the 35% of that purchased energy from green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. sources?
Thanks in advance for your response!
The PV contribution is subtracted off the total electric consumption. The fuel cell production I think would be included in the total electric consumption.
In that case, to achieve this credit we would have to buy a bigger quantity of green energy than the consumed quantity. So it seems to be impossible for our project.
What about buying green gas instead?
You would not need to buy more than consumed. Subtract the PV and include the fuel cell production up to the total consumption if you are going to produce excess.
I am not aware of any Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. gas since it is a fossil fuel.
Marcus I am sorry but let me see if I understood. I will make the numbers in a monthly basis.
- Let the monthly Total Energy consumption of the building be 10,000kWh/month
- The PVs will generate 20% of that consumption: 2,000 kWh
- The Gas Fuel Cell will generate 60% of that consumption: 6,000 kWh
So just a 20% of the total consumption will be bought to PG&E: 2,000 kWh
You are telling me that the PV contribution should be subtracted off the total electric consumption and the fuel cell production should be included in the total electric consumption.
Following this instructions, the total electric consumption should be taken as 8,000 kWh (10,000kWh - PVs constribution).
So, the 35% of the consumption would be 0.35 x 8,000 = 2,800 kWh
Thus, since we wont buy more than 2,000 kWh/month, I don't see how we can demonstrate that we are buying 2,800 kWh from green sources.
If we buy the whole 2,000 kWh from green sources that would be just the 25% of our "total" consumption.
The only alernatives I see are:
1) Buy this 25% (2,000 kWh/m) for 2.8 years, instead of purchasing 35% (2,800 kWh/m) for 2 years, which equals the global amount of green energy to be bought.
2) Buy RECs instead of green source energySource energy is the total amount of raw fuel required to operate a building; it incorporates all transmission, delivery, and production losses for a complete assessment of a building's energy use.
Yes I would think that you would need to either buy RECs or a combination of green power and RECs to obtain the credit. The total of the two in your example should be 2,800 kWhA kilowatt-hour is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu. per month.
I suppose you could also extend the contract and get there that way too.
Both of your alternatives could work.
Now that I think about it again I suppose another option for international projects is to buy carbon offsets. In a way that is like buying green gas I suppose.
Energy Use from EAp2 / EAc1
We have already had our EAp2/EAc1 energy model credits reviewed and approved. In an effort to achieve a higher LEED rating, the owner has opted to purchase RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources.'s. However, the EAc6 LOF is showing the required basis for green power/REC purchase to be the KWhA kilowatt-hour is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu. from EAp2 - Table 6 - without subtracting for Kwh from the exceptional calculations. Does anyone know if this is an LOF error - shouldn't the approved proposed model Kwh (including the benefit from except calc) be the basis for green power or REC purchase?
Yes the approved proposed model kWhA kilowatt-hour is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu. should be the basis for the EAc6 calculation. Not sure if there is a form error.
Calculating Green Power
I want to figure out the default number to use to calculate how much green power in RECs a building would need to purchase. The RG that I have states 11.7 kWhA kilowatt-hour is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu./SF-yr for Office. The sample form online shows 17.3 kWh/SF for Office. I’m still unclear if these are already 35% of the total or if I have to take 35% of the default number. And I assume I need to multiply by 2 (70%) because it needs to be for 2 years. I also am not sure which default number to use. I can’t find an addendum on it. Anyone have any insight?
The difference is between the 1999 CBECSThe Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. Commercial buildings include all buildings in which at least half of the floorspace is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial, or agricultural, so they include building types that might not traditionally be considered "commercial," such as schools, correctional institutions, and buildings used for religious worship. CBECS data is used in LEED energy credits. data and the 2003 CBECS data. The 11.7 is from the 1999 survey and the 17.3 is from the 2003 survey. I remember pointing out the oversight in the RG several years ago (LEED 2009 should have clearly been based on the most recent CBECS data which remains 2003) to USGBC/GBCI when I was chair of 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.. I also could not find an addendum or interpretation on the subject so I am not sure if the change was published anywhere or not (unfortunately not unusual). Apparently it made it into the credit form however.
NC v2009 EAc6 and ID credit
The owner purchase 99% green power in error (70% was to be purchased). Since project has not been submitted for design review as of yet, can the contract stand as is at 99% and be adjusted after the initial design review? A few of our projects had to purchase additional green power to cover adjustments made to EAc1 after the initial design review. We could avoid more than one internal adjustment if we wait until after the initial review but I don't know if we could make adjustments to EAc6 and the ID credit at that point. If we cannot adjust at that point then we will correct everything now and purchase additional green power if review of EAc1 requires. Your thoughts?
Yes you can adjust later.
Since RECs are so cheap you might want to consider not bothering to adjust unless you have to buy more.
EAc6 in Abu Dhabi
I am trying to calculate the RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. quantity required for a building in the UAE to get EAc6 (Green Power), but noticed that the CBECSThe Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. Commercial buildings include all buildings in which at least half of the floorspace is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial, or agricultural, so they include building types that might not traditionally be considered "commercial," such as schools, correctional institutions, and buildings used for religious worship. CBECS data is used in LEED energy credits. method does not apply to buildings outside the US. Unfortunately, the project manager does not know what the modeled consumption was or if it was even modeled. Any ideas regarding an alternate calculation method that would apply to the UAE? Any help is much appreciated.
You can wait and calculate the green power purchase based on the actual electric consumption of the building after it has been occupied for a year.
Utility Company Project
The project I am working on is for a utility company. Can we pursue this credit if purchasing the green power means the company purchases it from itself? It seems like this would still promote its use.
You should be able to, yes. Similarly, we offset our own electricity with our inventory of CRTs!
Yes as long as it is Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. or equivalent.
Clean energy bought in Mexico
I am working in a project for which my client has made a contract with the Mexican only company to receive 100% of its energy from clean energy source which means wind farms in Oaxaca, Mexico. They comply with the Green e standard but do not have the certification for green e
the wind farms are part of the Mexican National plan to reduce carbon emissions and fullfill the intent of the credit, do you have recommendations for documenting this approach, I already have the contract signed what else should i document.
You will need to demonstrate how the green power source meets all of the requirements of the Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. Standard. Download the standard and find out how what you are buying complies with each component of the Green-e Standard and write a narrative describing how it complies.
I just want to let you all know we got the credit and the exemplary performanceIn LEED, certain credits have established thresholds beyond basic credit achievement. Meeting these thresholds can earn additional points through Innovation in Design (ID) or Innovation in Operations (IO) points. As a general rule of thumb, ID credits for exemplary performance are awarded for doubling the credit requirements and/or achieving the next incremental percentage threshold. However, this rule varies on a case by case basis, so check the credit requirements. as we were getting 100% for 15 years. Not Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. but with green-e standards recognized and audited by the european union, thanks for your feed back
Hi Alicia,
I am working on a project in Spain whereI am currently looking at whether the Green energy contract of the building complies with Green E and I would very much appreciate any feedback from your experience. Is there a EU certification which complies with Green E? Any advise will be much appreicated.
Many thanks in advance for your time.
Regards
Alicia
Distribution and Vintage of REC's purchased in a Portfolio
Our client is a national banking program that has purchased RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources.'s as a corporation in 2010 and 2011 as part of a corporate portfolio program. They have provided the appropriate documentation of contracts, purchase price and power amounts. We have allocated the RECs to cover 100% of annual power usage to our separate LEED Projects (currently 5 different locations). Question #1- Can we allocate the REC’s from 2010/2011 until all of the purchased units are allocated to LEED projects, even though the buildings won’t open until 2012? Is there an expiration of how long REC’s are applicable from a given year? Question #2 – What is the best way to document that we are not “double dipping” on allocating the power to different sites? The GBCI has made comments but will not give any additional information on how they determine the documentation is appropriate. Question #3 – Does the bank need to purchase a new portfolio of REC’s for 2012 for new LEED projects starting in 2012?
Melissa,
You should not have any issues with the 2010/2011 vs. 2012 issue. LEED does not currently require that the generation of the RECs (known as Vintage) match with the occupancy of the project.
Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss further.
EAc6 form not calculating savings from renewable energy
The EAc6 form seems to be automatically pulling the total annual electricity use number from the EAp2 form without taking into account our savings from renewable energy. Instead of purchasing green power to offset 36,683 kWhA kilowatt-hour is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu., the EAc6 form is indicating that we need to offset for 63,670 kWh. I'm considering selecting the alternative compliance path and indicating that the kWh number automatically entered in the form is incorrect but first wanted to see if anyone has dealt with this previously or had any guidance.
Hi Michael,
I am not aware of this problem with the form but I can tell you that your green power purchase should be based on the total electricity usage minus the on-site renewable electricity production in most cases. This assumes that the project has not sold the RECs associated with the on-site rnewables. If they have sold the RECs then they must be replaced on a 1 for 1 basis with a green power purchase and cannot be subtracted from the EAp2 electricity usage.
So if they have not sold the RECs then your assumption is correct, if they have then it is not and the form is correct. If they have not sold the RECs and the form is not calculating correctly then check the Special Circumstances box and explain the situation.
Good luck.
3 phase project - when do I need to procure Green Power?
We've evaluated energy consumption during design phase and are working with the owner to determine who we will be purchase credits from. Question is really timing. When does contract need to be in place? Phased move-inPhase 1 of 3, or at the end of Phase 3. Trying to ensure we buy, but at the right time and get best value in procurement. Since this is a "construction" credit, I'd imagine that we need to have contract in place prior to submission of construction credits. Please confirm.
Hey Ted,
There is some flexibility reagrding the purchase date. Since the RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. purchase is not tied to the actual use, as long as the two year period covers a phase or phases of operation you should be fine. So either of your scenarios, or somewhere in between, should work.
Yes you will need to have a signed contract in place to confirm the REC purchase.
green power for residential hi-rise
How can this credit be achieved if the building is a high-rise residential building where all apartments are separately metered? This is a rental building. The owner would like to provide green power for the base building meter and recommend to tenants to purchase green power. Would he need to require that tenants get green power? If so, this would only be docuemented via a copy of the lease agreement. Any advice?
This credit can be earned based on the modeling results for EAc1. The owner could simply purchase enough RECs to cover 35% of the projected total for two years. The cost of RECs is still pretty low and this would be the most definitive way to earn the credit.
Obviously recruiting tenants presents some logisitcal problems but would certainly have some educational value.
How do those RECs get transfered to the tenant? Or is the owner just purchasing something that will ultimately not be used? Could you expand on your last response?
If the owner doesn't use the portion for his two year contract, can he sell them to another user?
Lorey, I would not say that they get "used." They get attributed to the electricity usage for the building in those first two years. If you want to earn the LEED credit you have to buy fro the projected total, and you couldn't offload any surplus.
To find out if the projection was correct, you'd have to tally up all the use from all of those apartments.... not a likely task.
I think Marcus was saying that it would be nice to get tenants involved but it's not necessarily relevant to LEED compliance.
A RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. purchase is completely independent of the electricity purchase. They are two different but related things. Buying RECs - the environmentally beneficial aspects of green power - supports renewable energy projects outside government mandates (Renewable Portoflio Standards(RPS)). You can buy as many RECs as you wish and the quantity is not tied to your electric consumption in the market for many types of REC purchases.
Check out green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products..org for more information on green power options.
Lorey,
Many RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. providers will deliver the RECs to their partners via what is called an Attestation form. This is a legal document that confirms transfer of ownership of the RECs from one party to another. Other providers may retire the RECs on their customers' behalf.
Feel free to reach out if I can answer any additional questions for you.
NC EAc6 Green Power - what is considered total building power?
To quantify the total building's energy use and determine the 35% threshold to accomodate this credit, do we also include site power such as lighting, security, etc.? We have seperate metering for the building and the site.
The description of the requirements for this credit state that the building's total energy use is required, does this also include site power?
Yes, as long as that site power is within your LEED boundary and supporting the building.
Basically, the scope is the same as for EAp2, if that helps.
Wind renewable energy- Green Powert
One of our client has already own the wind turbine for 100% of the buildings electricity. They want to show that wind turbine power to meet the LEED requirement. Could you tell me the way to achive this credit points by considering the above creteria. Thanks in advance.
Ramesh, is the wind turbine onsite, or offsite? If it is onsite, then use EAc2. If it is offsite, how far away is it?
Yes, this is in offsite. And this is within india only. The distance between the project site and wind turbine site is around 1500 km.
Ramesh, you would need to show that the turbine meets the equivalent of Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. standards, as the credit language requires.
Ramesh, you must also be sure that you are retaining the RECs. While it's more common with solar installations, many PPA providers receive the RECs as part of the agreement. In that situation, the facility will not own any claims to green power usage required for LEED points.
I would guess that the Indian market does not deal in RECs. Establishing Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. equivalency will be difficult. I would suggest you check with the India GBC to see how credit equivalency has been determined there. The India GBC LEED NC version is pretty vague about the qualities of the green power source. If it is 100% wind and it is a new renewable source (post 1997 I think) it should qualify.
Marcus, there have been some very recent developments in India that I thought I would share as there appears to be nascent REC market developing.
At the end of 2010 India’s regulator mandated a 6% renewable energy percentage (similar to a US RPS) from alternative energy, up from a current rate of 4% and rising to 15% by 2020. A REC policy was also launched to support these targets by creating a market linked mechanism allowing green energy generators to earn an additional tariff over and above wholesale the electricity price. As was the case in the early days of the US REC market, the primary use for RECs in India is to serve as a compliance tracking tool for power generators that are covered under the mandate i.e. power generators will trade the RECs with each other.
We do not see the practice of non-regulated firms purchasing Indian RECs on a voluntary basis (as many do in the US for LEED, Green Power Partnership etc.) in the near term as (1) the stretching renewable targets will make compliance RECs very expensive and (2) the practice of voluntary purchases tends to occur once REC markets are mature and the instrument widely accepted and understood.
Near term, the best approach to pursuing green power credits utilizing ‘local’ renewable energy projects in India is to use carbon offsets generated from a renewable energy projects that can demonstrate Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. equivalency. This approach has been utilized as an alternative compliance path on a growing number of LEED projects – especially international projects that desire to support renewable energy ‘closer to home’ rather than through the US based REC market. We have an extensive portfolio of renewable energy offset projects in India and around the world that can demonstrate Green-e equivalency.
Transfering RECs
If a project purchases more green power than it needed, could a separate project use the "unassigned" RECs purchased for that first project if the contract dates are before the year the second project will be occupied? For instance, if the REC dates for the first project are 2009 and 2010, and the second project won't be occupied until 2011, will those RECs count towards LEED? How does this work for universities or other large institutions that purchase enough kWhA kilowatt-hour is a unit of work or energy, measured as 1 kilowatt (1,000 watts) of power expended for 1 hour. One kWh is equivalent to 3,412 Btu. to ‘cover’ several individual buildings?
Thank you!
Hi Linda!
If the University purchased more Green Power than needed on a particular project, then the extra RECs could technically be applied towards another project, as long as the project was registered with the USGBC before the REC signed contract date. Green Power
can be purchased to achieve the LEED Green Power credits from any point from the initial registration of the project, all the way up to the final submission of the project. Many universities and larger institutions purchase RECs in bulk if they have several registered LEED projects, and they can divvy out the appropriate amount to different projects as needed. We have done this with many clients, and we generate separate LEED submittal documents as the projects request them.
Hope this helps!
Client has existing Green Power contract
Our project owner has an existing Green Power contract for other power needs on its campus. Does the owner need an entirely new GP contract, or can she simply up the existing contract for the new power demand of our building project?
Even better - if they have a current contract and have not previously allocated any of the green power purchase to previous LEED projects, they can simply write a letter allocating the necessary green power already purchased to this project. So potentially no additional purchase will be needed. This was the case in the past and I don't think anything changed in LEED 2009 so someone correct me if I am wrong.
Who Can Execute an REC Contract with Vendor
I haven't found anywhere in the LEED-NC 2009 Ref. Guide that stated which party has to execute the RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. contract with the provider. Does anyone have experience with the GBCI as to whether it is acceptable to upload the executed contract having the general contractor as the signee on behalf of the property owner as long as all the requirements to achieve this credit are met?
Hi Elliot- it is completely acceptable for the general contractor to execute a RECA Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a certificate representing proof that a given unit of electricity was generated from a renewable energy source such as solar or wind. These certificates are able to be sold, traded, or bartered as environmental commodities, where an electricity consumer can buy the renewable energy attributes of electricty to support renewable energy, even if they are consuming generic grid-supplied electricity that may be supplied by nonrenewable sources. contract for EAc6. As long as the project's registered name is documented on the contract, and all of the requirements to achieve this credit are met- it will not be an issue for your submittal! Hope this helps!
To add on to Elliot's question, if the GC is the signee on the executed contract, can the GC also be the signatory on the EAc6 template instead of the owner? Or does the owner still need to be the signatory even if they didn't purchase the green power?
Thanks in advance
The GC can sign the form.
Green Power calculations
I am working on a project that is providing a large array of solar thermal for heating and water heating. We need to achieve the Green Power credit as well. Do I get to subtract my on-site green power production from the energy use in the energy model before doing calculations for amount of Green Power the client will need to purchase?
Your solar thermal system would be included in the proposed energy model and thereby reduce the overall energy use and cost. Assuming that some of the energy being offset by your solar system is electricity then the amount of electricity usage would be lower making your EAc6 purchase smaller. If your solar thermal purchase is only off-setting natural gas (or some other fossil fuel) use however, then your electricity usage would not change. So the amount of electricity you need to purchase would be based on electricity usage from the energy model after subtracting your on-site solar thermal contribution.
Gold Standard for this credit?
Dear All,
Would a renewable energy provider that has the Gold Standard for carbon offsets be considered similar to Green-EGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. certification? We do not have any Green-E certified producers here in Turkey, but many Gold Standard certifications for wind power plants.
I believe that international projects either must purchase US-based Green-eGreen-e is a program established by the Center for Resource Solutions to both promote green electricity products and provide consumers with a rigorous and nationally recognized method to identify those products. RECs or demonstrate that the RECs they have purchased would meet the Green-e Standard in order to earn EAc6. I don't know if the offsets you refer to meet it or not but getting a copy of the Standard and having the Gold Standard supplier help you with the comparison would be the first step. Obviously the first path is the one of least resistance in the LEED certification review process.
CBECS data (in lieu of energy simulation)
Hi all!
Is anyone familiar with using option 2 for estimating baseline energy use for EAc6 Green Power?
I have the link that takes me to the website but there are so many different tables available and I cannot find one that has data for Median Electrical Intensity by Building Type as shown in the Reference Guide (table 1, page 329).
Thank you.
Hi James!
The CBECSThe Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. Commercial buildings include all buildings in which at least half of the floorspace is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial, or agricultural, so they include building types that might not traditionally be considered "commercial," such as schools, correctional institutions, and buildings used for religious worship. CBECS data is used in LEED energy credits. table can be found at this link:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/pdf/c10.pdf
It is Table C10- Electricity Consumption and Expenditure Intensities, 1999
Hope this helps!
-Lana
Wow Lana, thanks.
You saved me a lot of digging!
James
Interesting that the 1999 CBECSThe Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) is a national sample survey that collects information on the stock of U.S. commercial buildings, their energy-related building characteristics, and their energy consumption and expenditures. Commercial buildings include all buildings in which at least half of the floorspace is used for a purpose that is not residential, industrial, or agricultural, so they include building types that might not traditionally be considered "commercial," such as schools, correctional institutions, and buildings used for religious worship. CBECS data is used in LEED energy credits. data is still being used when the 2003 CBECS data was available and the 2007 CBECS data will probably be released this year based on past availability. In my opinion this is an oversight in LEED 2009 and it should have been updated with the 2003 CBECS data. The newer data can be found at - http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs/cbecs2003/detailed_tables_2003/2003set...
Looks like some of the categories increased and some decreased. One could certainly argue that using 7 year old data is better than 11 year old data but I would only try that in my LEED submission if I saved considerably by using the 2003 data.
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