855773667-LEED-v5-O-M-Reference-Guide-Launch-Edition-1 - Page 154
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Tier 1 percent of annual electricity Method for demonstrating compliance This method is most appropriate for projects with three or fewer floors and relatively low process loads. Projects must use the percent of annual electricity method when documenting more than two points for Tier 1 renewable energy.
Tier 2: New Off-site Renewable Electricity
Age of the renewable generator marks the key difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3 qualified electricity generation resources. Tier 2 requires new off-site renewable power from generators with a commercial operations date (COD) no more than five years before the execution of the purchase contract.
Older contracts It is acceptable to use older long-term purchase contracts to comply with the COD requirement, provided that the contract shows the COD for the generators occurred less than five years before the contract was executed, and the allocated energy generation from the contract meets all Renewable criteria below. For example, a 20-year purchase contract for newly installed wind power executed ten years ago allocated to the project in accordance with Renewable criteria below qualifies as Tier 2 renewable energy.
Tier 3: Off-site Renewable Energy
Tier 3 encompasses renewable electricity that is Green-e® Energy certified or equivalent, and renewable fuels certified to the Green-e® Renewable Fuels standard or equivalent. The Greene® renewable fuels standard certifies biomethane (also called Renewable Natural Gas, RNG) that meets specific production facility and feedstock criteria and is purified to meet gas pipeline specifications.
For renewable electricity, the Commercial Operations Date of the renewable power generator may be up to 15 years old to meet the Green-e® Energy “Generator Age and New Date” criteria. [75]
Eligible Renewable Electricity Resource Types — Tier 2 and Tier 3 Eligible renewable power generation resources for Tier 2 and Tier 3 electricity include:
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Solar electric (photovoltaics)
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Wind
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Geothermal energy (i.e., electricity or heat generated from subterranean steam or hot water)
75 Green-e, “Green-e® Renewable Electricity Standard for International Certification,” n.d., https://www.green[e.org/docs/energy/international/Green-e%20International%20Standard%20v1.0.pdf.](https://www.green-e.org/docs/energy/international/Green-e%20International%20Standard%20v1.0.pdf)
U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Operations and Maintenance, April 2025 Launch Edition 144