Energy and Atmosphere Category

04

Energy and Atmosphere Category

“Approaches energy from a holistic perspective, addressing energy use reduction, energy-efficient design strategies, and renewable energy sources.”

Energy and Atmosphere Credits:

PreReq1: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification PreReq 2: Minimum Energy Performance PreReq 3: Building Level Energy Meter PreReq 4: Fundamental Refrigerant Management Credit 1: Enhanced Commissioning Credit 2: Optimize Energy Performance Credit 3: Advanced Energy Metering Credit 4: Demand Response Credit 5: Renewable Energy Production Credit 6: Fundamental Refrigerant Management Credit 7: Green Power and Carbon Offsets

Intent: To support the design, construction, and eventual operation of a •Schools

project that meets the owner’s project requirements for energy, water, indoor environmental quality, and durability

Terms to Know: •OPR •BOD •Cx •CxA

Standards to Know: •ASHRAE 0-2005 •ASHRAE Guideline 1.1-2007 Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •NIBS Guideline 3-2012

•Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Option 1: Commissioning Plan

1. Complete Cx activities for mechanical, electrical, plumbing and renewable energy systems and assemblies a. Comply with ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1-2007 b. Comply with NIBS 3-2012 for Exterior Enclosures 2. Designate a CxA a. Must have experience in 2+ similar projects b. For projects less than 20,000 ft2, CxA may be part of the design/construction team 3. CxA must do the following: a. Review OPR, BOD and project design b. Develop and implement a Cx plan c. Confirm incorporation of Cx requirements into CDs d. Develop construction checklists e. Develop a system test procedure f. Verify system test execution g. Maintain issues and benefits log h. Prepare a final Cx process report

Option 2: Ongoing Operations and Maintenance Plan

1. Prepare and maintain a current facilities requirements and operations and maintenance plan that contains information necessary to operate the building efficiently, including: a. Sequence of operations for building b. Building occupancy schedule c. Equipment run-time schedules d. Set points for all HVAC equipment e. Lighting levels throughout the building f. Minimum outside air requirements g. Any changes in schedules or set points for different reasons h. Systems narrative describing MEP equipment i. Preventative maintenance plan j. Commissioning program

Intent: To reduce environmental and economic harms of excessive energy use by achieving minimum energy efficiency

Standards to Know: •ASHRAE 90.1-2010 •EPA Energy Star Target Finder •ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide •ASHRAE Advanced Buildings Core Performance Guide Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •Schools •Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Option 1: Whole Building Energy Simulation

1. Use energy model to target project specifics 2. Achieve baseline improvements from ASHRAE 90.1 a. Calculations based on energy cost b. New buildings: 5% improvement c. Major renovations: 3% improvement d. Core and shell: 2% improvement

Option 2: Prescriptive Path- ASHRAE 50%

1. Meet ASHRAE 90.1 requirements 2. Meet ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide requirements a. Different guides based on project sector 3. Comply with criteria per climate zone 4. Considerations include: a. Building type b. Square footage c. Climate zone

Option 3: Prescriptive Path- ASHRAE Advanced Buildings Core

1. Meet ASHRAE 90.1 requirements 2. Meet ASHRAE Advanced Buildings Core Performance Guide a. For projects less than 100,000 ft2 3. Achieve Sections 1 and 2 and then 3 strategies from Section 3 from Core Performance Guide 4. Analyze 3 alternative building configurations to maximize energy performance

Intent: To support energy management and identify opportunities for energy savings by tracking usage

Standards to Know: •Energy Star Portfolio Manager Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •Schools •Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Option 1: Energy Metering

1. Install building level energy meter for total building energy consumption systems, such as: a. Electricity b. Natural gas c. Chilled water d. Propane e. Biomass f. Steam g. Fuel oil 2. Track data at monthly intervals using Energy Star Portfolio Manger 3. Share information with USGBC for 5 year period

Intent: To reduce stratosopheric ozone depletion •New Construction •Healthcare

Terms to Know: •Ozone •Montreal Protocol •ODP •GWP •CFC

Standards to Know: Rating Systems Included:

•Core and Shell •Schools •Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •EPA Clean Air Act

Option 1: Minimize Ozone Impact

1. Do not use CFC-based refrigerants in new projects 2. HVAC installed prior to 1995 must be phased out a. Exception if payback period greater than 10 years b. Reduce leakage rate to 5% 3. Non-base building systems may contain trace amounts of refrigerants a. Up to 0.5 pounds of refrigerant

Intent: To further support the design, construction and operation of projects to meet OPR for various systems

Terms to Know: •MBCx •BECx

Standards to Know: •ASHRAE 0-2005 •ASHRAE Guideline 1.1-2007 Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Schools •Retail •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality

Adaptations Include: •Core and Shell •Data Centrs •Healthcare

Option 1: Enhanced Systems Commissioning Path 1: Enhanced One-Stop Commissioning

-Builds on PreReq 1: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification

1. Perform Cx activities per ASHRAE 0-2005 and ASHRAE Guideline 1.1-2007 2. CxA perform additional steps for review a. Review of submittals b. Verify training of operations and maintenance team c. Follow up with 10 month post-occupancy visit

Path 2: Enhanced and Monitor Based Commissioning

1. Achieve Path 1 first 2. Perform MBCx 3. Update Cx plan with the following information: a. Roles/responsibilities b. Measurement requirements c. Frequency and duration of tracked points i. Limits of acceptable values d. Elements to evaluate performance e. Action plan f. Training to prevent errors g. Prevenative maintenance

Option 2: Envelope Commissioning

1. Perform BECx for the building envelope 2. May need a secondary CxA with specific building envelope certification

Intent: To achieve increasing levels of energy performance

Standards to Know: •ASHRAE 90.1-2010 •ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •Schools •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Adaptations Include: •Retail •Data Centers

Option 1: Whole Building Energy Simulation

-Builds upon PreReq 2: Minimum Energy Performance -Percentage improvements (NC= 5%; MR= 3%; CS= 2%)

1. Analyze energy efficiency using software to focus on load reduction and HVAC related strategies 2. Increase percentage improvements based on ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline 3. Strategies include: a. Reduce demand i. Orientation ii. Size of building footprint iii. Tighter envelope iv. Better insulation b. Harvest free energy i. Daylight ii. Solar power iii. Natural ventilation c. Find ways to increase energy efficiency i. HVAC ii. Lighting iii. Water Heating d. Recover waste energy

Option 2: Prescriptive Path- ASHRAE 50%

1. Meet ASHRAE 90.1 requirements 2. Meet ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Guide requirements

Exemplary Performance Opportunity

1. Option 1 percentage thresholds as follows: a. New buildings: 50% improvement b. Major renovations: 48% improvement c. Core and shell: 47% improvement

Intent: To support energy management and identify opportunities for energy savings by tracking building and system energy use Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Retail •Data Centers •Schools •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Adaptations Include: •Core and Shell

Option 1: Submeters

-Builds upon PreReq 3: Building Level Energy Metering -Install 1 building level energy meter

1. Install submeters for advanced energy metering a. For any individual energy end use that represents 10% total energy consumption i. Primary HVAC i. Secondary HVAC iii. Lighting iv. Plug loads v. Elevators 2. Meters achieve the following requirements: a. Gather data hourly b. Store information for 36 months minimum c. Be able to transmit data to a remote, accessible location d. Record both consumption and demand

Intent: To increase participation in demand response technology to •Schools

make energy generation and distribution systems more efficient, increase grid reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Terms to Know: •Demand response •Manual DR system •Semi-automated DR system •Fully automated DR system •BAS Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •Load shedding

•Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Option 1: Participation

1. Design system to fully participate in DR program based on requests from an external provider 2. Enroll in a 1 year minimum contract a. With intention of multi-year renewal b. Contract to allocate for at lest 10% estimated peak electricity demand 3. Include DR program in Cx plan a. Include 1 full DR test

Option 2: Advocacy

1. Design building to be able to participate in future DR program 2. Install recording meters 3. Develop load shedding plan 4. Include DR program in Cx plan 5. Contact utility company to discuss options about enrolling in future DR program

Intent: To reduce environmental and economic harms associated with fossil fuels by increasing self supply or renewables

Terms to Know: •Renewable energy •Net metering

Standards to Know: •CBECS Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •Schools •Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Option 1: Renewable Energy

1. Install renewable energy systems on site 2. Use energy model or CBECS to estimate renewable energy produced on-site a. Renewable energy produced expressed as a percentage of annual energy cost 3. Achieve percentage thresholds of 1%, 5% or 10% using on-site renewable energy

Exemplary Performance Opportunity

1. Option 1: Achieve 15% of renewable energy generated on site

Intent: To reduce ozone depletion and support early compliance with Montreal Protocol while minimizing contribution to climate change

Terms to Know: •Montreal Protocol •HCFCs •Natural refrigerants Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Core and Shell •Schools •Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

Option 1: Lowest Impact

Builds upon PreReq 4: Fundamental Refrigerant Management -Do not use refrigerants in new projects

1. Do not use refrigerants at all in new construction buildings 2. If project uses refrigerants, select those with low impact a. 0 ODP b. 50 GWP 3. Select fire suppression, direct energy systems, and services with a long life expectancy Option 2: Calculate Impact

1. Aim for ozone impact less than 100 a. Expected equipment life: 10 years b. End of life charge loss: 10% c. Leakage rate: 2% per year

Intent: To encourage reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through •Schools

renewable energy technologies and carbon mitigation

Terms to Know: •Green Power •RECs •Carbon Offsets •Direct Emissions, Scope 1 •Indirect Emissions, Scope 2 Adaptations Include:

Standards to Know: •Green-E •Green-E Climate Rating Systems Included:

•New Construction •Retail •Data Centers •Warehouses and Distribution Centers •Hospitality •Healthcare

•Energy Star Portfolio Manager •Core and Shell

Option 1: Green Power

1. Engage in annual contract of financial investment for green power or RECs a. Contract encompasses at least 50% of building’s electricity use b. Contract period of 5 years

Option 2: Carbon Offsets

1. Purchase a minimum of 50% of building’s greenhouse gas emissions through carbon offsets 2. Determine total metric tons of CO2 emissions equivalent building puts out using Energy Star Portfolio Manager