855773644-LEED-v5-BD-C-Reference-Guide-Launch-Edition - Page 349

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Additional considerations: non-qualifying systems Renewable fuels harvested, produced, or refined offsite and used to generate thermal energy or electricity onsite are classified as Tier 3 renewable energy and don’t count as Tier 1 renewable energy.

TIER 1 SOCIAL IMPACT PROJECT Project owners may opt to install renewable energy on the site of a social impact project with a capital investment like that incurred for installing a new renewable system on their own project site. A social impact project is defined as a building or project site providing housing and/or community services to historically marginalized communities. Examples include but are not limited to affordable housing projects, community centers, schools, or recreational facilities serving historically marginalized communities.

For social impact projects, the social impact project owner who owns, operates, and/or occupies the building will have no financial burden for the renewable equipment, the installation, or the commissioning of the renewable system. The social impact project owner must gain ownership of the system. They will have the right to power generated from the new system. This provides affordable clean power that will result in permanent cost savings to members of historically marginalized communities.

For residential social impact projects, residents responsible for paying their own electricity bills must receive proportionate cost savings for the renewable power generation. Renewable generation may be allocated first to central water heating and HVAC equipment serving the residential units before proportioning the remainder to the residents.

Additional considerations: Non-qualifying Tier 1 social impact projects Most community renewable energy installations do not comply with the social impact project requirements for location of the renewable system and permanent transfer of ownership and rights to the power to the social impact project owner.

TIER 1 COMMISSIONING Tier 1 renewable systems must be installed and commissioned per EAp3: Fundamental Commissioning. For projects pursuing EAc5: Enhanced Commissioning, Option 1, Path 1: Enhanced Commissioning for MEP Systems, Tier 1 renewable systems must also comply with the commissioning criteria for that credit. Qualifying for the credit requires completing the functional testing of renewable before the final LEED Certification application.

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, April 2025 Launch Edition 339