855773520-LEED-v5-ID-C-Reference-Guide-Launch-Edition-1 - Page 209

Extracted Content

DISTRICT ENERGY SYSTEMS (DES)

DES Fueled by Renewable Energy

For DES fueled by renewable energy, projects may either allocate this renewable energy toward credit compliance, or exclude the renewable energy proportion from the project’s annual site energy determination:

Allocation of DES Renewable Energy to the Project

For each DES directly supplied to project, assign the project the proportion of DES input energy that meet the LEED requirements for each tier of renewable energy:

• Tier 1 . On-site renewable electricity generation or solar thermal energy generation at the District Energy Plant

• Tier 2 . New off-site renewable electricity

• Tier 3 . Green-e® or equivalent off-site renewable electricity for DES electricity inputs, or Green-e® or equivalent fuel for DES fuel inputs

Example Allocate the project Tier 3 renewable fuel totaling 60% of the project’s annual district heating energy consumption for a district heating system with 60% of annual energy inputs from Green-e® or equivalent fuel. EACs must be retained by either the DES supplier or the project owner to be eligible for this approach.

In lieu of documentation showing a 10-year contract for renewable fuels, the project may submit evidence of annual DES renewable percentage achieved for the most recent three years of operation and provide narrative confirmation justifying that ongoing achievement is anticipated at or above the specified level.

OR

Exclusion of DES Renewable Energy Proportion from Annual Site Energy Determination

For each DES supplied directly to the project and fueled by renewable energy, exclude this proportion of renewable energy from the tenant annual site energy determination. To be eligible for exclusion, the renewable energy shall either be an Eligible Renewable Electricity Resource Type or an Eligible Tier 3 Renewable Fuel Resource Type per the descriptions above or shall be classified as renewable energy by national, state, or local policy governing the project location.

Example For a district heating system fueled by 70% biofuel classified as renewable in the project’s country, include only the 30% of project district heating associated with

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Interior Design and Construction, April 2025 Launch Edition 198