Log in
LEED v4
Neighborhood Development
Green infrastructure & buildings
District heating and cooling

LEED CREDIT

ND-v4 GIBc12: District heating and cooling 2 points

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Explore this LEED credit

Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Incorporate a district heating and/or cooling system for space conditioning and/or water heating of new buildings (at least two buildings total) such that at least 80% of the project’s annual heating and/or cooling consumption is provided by the district plant. Single-family residential buildings and existing buildings of any type may be excluded from the calculation.

Each system component that is addressed by ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2010 must have an overall efficiency performance at least 10% better than that specified by the standard’s mandatory requirements. Additionally, annual district pumping energy consumption that exceeds 2.5% of the annual thermal energy output of the heating and cooling plant must be offset by increases in the component’s efficiency beyond the 10% improvement. If a combined heat and power (CHP) system is used to comply with the credit requirements, show equivalence by demonstrating that energy consumption savings from the CHP plant at least equal the energy savings that would result from using a conventional district energy system with components that are 10% better than ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2010. When determining equivalency, take into account the pumping energy as described above.

See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Addenda

10/14/2019Updated: 10/14/2019
Regional ACP
Description of change:
At the end of ND GIB prerequisite Minimum Building Energy Performance prerequisite language, add the following text:

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

Canada ACP – NECB and EnerGuide
For buildings in Group 1. Nonresidential, mixed-use, and multiunit residential buildings four stories or more, projects in Canada may instead demonstrate a percentage improvement in the proposed building performance rating compared with the baseline according to the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2011. Refer to the LEED v4 BD+C EA prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance Canada ACP for NECB 2011 for additional guidance.

For buildings in Group 2. Single-family residential and multiunit residential three stories or less, projects in Canada may instead demonstrate compliance using the EnerGuide Rating System and additional prescriptive requirements. Refer to the LEED v4 Homes Canada ACP for EA prerequisite Minimum Energy Performance for additional guidance.

To achieve points under EA credit Optimize Building Energy Performance, 90% of the Group 2 buildings must demonstrate performance equivalent to at least 15 points under the LEED v4 Homes Canada ACP for EA Credit Annual Energy Use.


At the end of ND GIB credit District Heating and Cooling credit language, add the following text:

Canadian projects can use the NECB 2011 as an alternative to by ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2010 for demonstrating the minimum efficiency requirements for equipment:

Each system component that is addressed by the NECB 2011 must have an overall efficiency performance at least 10% better than that specified by the Code’s mandatory limitations. Additionally, annual district pumping energy consumption that exceeds 2.5% of the annual thermal energy output of the heating and cooling plant must be offset by increases in the component’s efficiency beyond the 10% improvement. If a combined heat and power (CHP) system is used to comply with the credit requirements, show equivalence by demonstrating that energy consumption savings from the CHP plant at least equals the energy savings that would result from using a conventional district energy system with components that are 10% better than the NECB 2011. When determining equivalency, take into account the pumping energy as described above.


LEED v4 ND reference guide:

GIB credit District Heating and Cooling: add the following text to the Further Explanation > International Tips section:
"Canada
Canadian projects using the Canadian ACP for NECB 2011, refer to sections 5.2 and 6.2 in place of ASHRAE 90.1–2010, Sections 6.4 and 7.4, for eligible equipment overall efficiency requirements. In addition, NECB, table 5.2.12.1 must can be used in place of ASHRAE 90.1–2010, Table 6.8.1C for minimum efficiency for water chilling packages."

GIB credit Renewable Energy Production: add the following text to a new Further Explanation > International Tips section:
"Canada
"Canadian projects teams can use the following to calculate the project’s annual electrical and thermal energy cost when using the prescriptive option under GIB prerequisite Minimum Building Energy Performance:

For Non-residential buildings, use the Survey of Commercial and Institutional Energy Use (SCIEU) data contained within Portfolio Manager Technical Reference: Canadian National Energy Use Intensity By Property Type.

For Residential buildings, both multifamily and single family, use data from the Survey of Household Energy Use from Natural Resources Canada. [http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/statistics/neud/dpa/menus/sheu/2011/tab..."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Incorporate a district heating and/or cooling system for space conditioning and/or water heating of new buildings (at least two buildings total) such that at least 80% of the project’s annual heating and/or cooling consumption is provided by the district plant. Single-family residential buildings and existing buildings of any type may be excluded from the calculation.

Each system component that is addressed by ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2010 must have an overall efficiency performance at least 10% better than that specified by the standard’s mandatory requirements. Additionally, annual district pumping energy consumption that exceeds 2.5% of the annual thermal energy output of the heating and cooling plant must be offset by increases in the component’s efficiency beyond the 10% improvement. If a combined heat and power (CHP) system is used to comply with the credit requirements, show equivalence by demonstrating that energy consumption savings from the CHP plant at least equal the energy savings that would result from using a conventional district energy system with components that are 10% better than ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1–2010. When determining equivalency, take into account the pumping energy as described above.

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about ND-v4 GIBc12