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A lot is at stake here
EAc1: Optimize Energy Performance is, by far, the most important credit in LEED, based on the number of points available. Up to 19 points are at stake here based on how much you’re able to reduce the project’s predicted energy cost. That large amount of points also reflects the great importance LEED places on reducing energy use and forestalling 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...
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24 Comments
EA Cr-1 - Process Energy Cost less than 25%
Project K-12 school, The enegry calculation done for the entire building but the process enegry cost comes less than 25%.
What is the next step should I provide the supporting documents (Narrative) in the tempete is good enough?
You will need to provide a narrative and ideally supporting calculations to demonstrate the actual projected plug loads. Most often a spreadsheet is provided with a room-by-room calculation of this load.
Greenhouse
Client is adding greenhouse to the school project - sort of late in the game. Does this space get included in our energy calcs? I am assuming yes and that there is no way around it.
Your assumption is likely correct. If it is within the scope of the LEED project it will need to be modeled.
okay - my bigger issue is that this will be for "future construction/installation". We do not have the criteria for the greenhouse - in terms of use (night/day/grow lights) or mech - fan/operable windows versus full blown mech unit. Do you think that GBCI will accept an approximate scope for watts/sqft...since we have no idea? The client doesn't know what they intend to use it for either. Do we make a guess? Or exclude it entirely for these reasons? It could vary greatly from minimal impact to jeopardizing the prereq.
So is it getting built as part of the scope of the LEED project?
If not then you can ignore it.
If yes then ultimately the energy model should be based on what was built. I assume by then you will know the answer to all your questions. We typically defer the energy model submission until the construction review so that we do not have to do it twice (once based on the design documents and again following construction). If nothing changed during construction then no problem but if it does change then you are supposed to change the model even if it was previously reviewed and approved.
For the purposes of evaluation during design you may need to make assumptions until the design is complete. You do not exclude it simply because you do not currently have the answers to the questions you raise.
Heat sensors to control HVAC
On May, 26 I was listening to webinar regarding Richardsville NEZ school presented by Joanie Hendricks, Public Relations Coordinator from Warren County PS, Tim Murley Superintendent WCPS, Kenny Stanfield, AIA, Architect, Sherman Carter & Barnhart.
On page 39 of slide presentation they mentioned that "The HVAC uses heat sensors to determine how many people are in the room and can adjust the temperature for minimal usage."
Anybody knows what kind of sensor controls (manufacturer, brand) for HVAC are used in this school?
Thank you
I note that the list of presenters does not include a mechanical engineer so the quote could be a bit confused (no offense to the architects and school personnel out there :-) ).
Am not familiar with that school but the "heat" sensor is probably an infrared sensor(s) (like the ones which turn the lights off). Also likely the sensors control air flow and/or outside air if the space is unoccupied not temperature directly. To detect the number of people in the space a CO2Carbon dioxide sensor is typically used to control outside air flow (also called demand controlled ventilation).
Maybe this is a new technology I am not familiar with and if so I would also love to hear more.
Electric Rates
The electric company for our school project offers a rate structure which includes a lower rate for heat pumps. About 2/3 of the building will be served by heat pumps, so we would like to take advantage of this. The rate only applys to the heat pumps themselves, they need to be metered separately. We would like to include this in our energy model, because it provides more advantage over the baseline, which is packaged VAVVariable Air Volume (VAV) is an HVAC conservation feature that supplies varying quantities of conditioned (heated or cooled) air to different parts of a building according to the heating and cooling needs of those specific areas. with hot water reheat.
Our concern is the PRM guidelines say the same rates need to be used for the baseline and proposed buildings. Has anyone had experience with a similar rate structure?
The rate must be the same in both models but you can model the incentive rate in both models which is typically done for off-peak incentives. For the rate you describe this may not show much savings. I would attempt to submit it as an exceptional calculation. Do two proposed building runs, one with and one without the incentive rate. The difference is attributable to the rate and you could argue that the savings are legitimate. Weak link in your argument will be the longevity of the rate's availability.
LEED for Schools 2007 EAc1 and LEED Boundary
Our project contains a new LEED Building (addition) and Non-LEED Building (Existing, not in LEED Boundary). The school is looking into cross-tying the DDC controls (only) for the HVAC system for both portions in the new LEED Building. Is this accpetable per LEED as long as the 2 buildings have independendent energy use? There will be no energy impact here.
Yes, I would say so. If you already have the understanding that the addition can be certified by itself and comply with the MPRs, then I don't see how some control integration would really change the picture that much.
Feed-in-tariffs and energy modeling in EAp2 and EAc1
In LEED, energy savings are calculated in monetary amounts rather than energy units. I'm working on a project in Europe where feed-in-tariffs are the official energy rate for energy produced from solar PV panels, which is at a premium to regular electricity rates. Since PVs would contribute to savings in 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., but an even greater savings in monetary units, how should this be treated when modeling in the baseline versus the design case? For EAc2?
You have two options to calculate renewable energy cost. Use the virtual rate calculated by the energy model for EAc1 or the local utility rate structure. There is an option on the LEED Online form to select one or the other. Sounds like you are better off using the local rate structure. The same cost value should be used in both EAc1 and EAc2.
LEED for Schools 2007 - EAc1 - Optimize Energy Performance
My project received the following Technical Advice offered by GBCI, "NOTE: At this time, 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. for this credit is not available, per the LEED for Schools 2007 Reference Guide. However, the USGBC is in process with issuing an errata noting the acceptance of exemplary performance for this credit." Does anyone know if any errata has been issued? I cannot find it for LEED for Schools 2007 on USGBC's website; only for LEED for New Construction v2.2.
The current LEED for Schools errata sheet was last updated in 2008 so it does not look like it is being updated regularly. If it is allowed in NCv2.2, then the reviewer should grant it in LEED for Schools too. In your reply tell the GBCI reviewer that they are not correct. If the credit is denied in the final review follow the instructions in the email received from GBCI for challenging a final review.
LEED project boundary
Karen: This is a result of the Minimum Program Requirements (specifically, #2, Must Be a Complete, Permanent Building or Space) , which are new to LEED 2009 rating systems. You can read more about them along with the supplemental guidance, here:http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=2102.
The supplemental guidance talks about the reasons behind each MPR - this might be helpful to you.
Cara: Yes, thanks, I did know that. Our school system is required by State Law to meet LEED Silver and I don't think we can meet even some of the prerequisites if we have to include an existing part of the building. I understand the thinking behind this MPR, but it does not make sense to renovate a six year old classroom addition. Unless we find some flexibility on the part of the LEED review teams, we'll have to seek a waiver from the state.
Karen
I'm curious which prerequisites you don't think you can meet? EAp2? IEQp1?
To be clear, you're not required by LEED to renovate the addition, just to include it in the various LEED credit calculations and compliance documents. Reusing the building could help you with some MR credits.
Tristan: I'm worried about EQp3 Minimum Accoustical Performance. Our classroom additions were not built seven years ago with any thought to STCSound transmission class (STC) is a single-number rating for the acoustic attenuation of airborne sound passing through a partition or other building element, such as a wall, roof, or door, as measured in an acoustical testing laboratory according to accepted industry practice. A higher STC rating provides more sound attenuation through a partition. (ANSI S12.602002) ratings. I'm also concerned about EAp3, but I'm not a mechanical engineer so don't know how that might affect us.
EAp3 is pretty easy, and for a seven-year-old buliding I think you'd be fine.
Why don't you post about your situation over on the IEQp3 forum? It's an interesting situation.
Energy Performance and LEED Boundary in v 3
I'm told that the GBCI review teams evaluating LEED for Schools 2009 projects will no longer allow a portion of a project that is scheduled to remain untouched to be excluded from the LEED Boundary.
We have a number of schools now in feasibility stage with recent additions of gyms or classrooms that we would not plan to address in the modernization. If we can't exclude them, we may have a hard time meeting our mandated LEED Silver level certification.
Anyone else have an issue with this?
Energy Modeling and Building Shading
We are working on an elementary school project and we're trying to correctly model the sun shading. We understand we should "count" the benefits from permanent sun shading devices designed at windows (for example, projections from the building). We also understand that you cannot "count" any shading benefits from adjacent buildings on neighboring sites (because perhaps that other building will be torn down in the future).
However, we believe we should model the shading effects on our own building. In other words, one wing of the school is 2 stories and the other wing of the building is one story. The two story wing will shade the single story wing for at least part of the day. Is this considered adjacent building shading? Or, can we submit it as "self shading".
We are modeling the project using Trane Trace which calls building shading "adjacent building shading"- which is not to be counted by LEED. We've categorized it as adjacent building shading simply because Trane Trace doesn't have a "self shading" option.
Is self shading a legitimate strategy to demonstrate projected energy savings? And, if so, how can we communicate to our reviewer that we really mean "self shading" and not "adjacent building shading".
And no, there is no way the 2 story wing of the building will ever be demolished.
Any help is appreciated.
Joanna
Self shading is definitely a legitimate strategy. Some software packages can pick this up "automatically". I don't believe Trace has that capability.
I would do just what you described above, and include an explanatory narrative in your LEED submission.
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