855773667-LEED-v5-O-M-Reference-Guide-Launch-Edition-1 - Page 172
Extracted Content
Equation 1.
𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅𝑅 𝐿 𝐿 𝐿 𝐿𝐿 𝐸 𝐸 𝐸 𝐸 𝐸𝐸 𝑅 𝑅 𝑅𝑅=
[(2088 × 7 𝑙 ) + (1810 × 0 𝑙 )]
) + (1810 × 0 𝑙 )]
= 47.1
(150 𝑙 + 160 𝑙 )
Example 2. Low GWP refrigerants The project contains 50 VRF units. Each unit contains R-32 and has a refrigerant charge (Rc) of 3 lbs. The project also has an 80-ton chiller. The chiller uses R-1234ZE and has an initial Rc of 160 lbs. During the performance period, five of the VRFs required additional refrigerant for 10 lbs. A leak was also detected in the chiller and five lbs. of refrigerant was added to the system.
Using Equation 1, the total refrigerant emissions ratio is 21.8, which achieves two points.
| Refrigerant type | GWP | R (lbs) c | Equipment type | # Units | Total refrigerant (lbs) | Annual recharge (lbs) | Leakage rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-32 | 675 | 3 | VRF | 50 | 150 | 10 | 6.67 |
R-1234ZE(E) | 6 | 160 | Chiller | 1 | 160 | 5 | 3.13 |
(150 𝑙 + 160 𝑙 )
District Energy Systems (DES)
Teams can elect to include the refrigerant impacts from the District Energy System (DES) supplying the project when compliance cannot be demonstrated based solely on equipment within the project scope, and required information is available for the DES.
When including DES equipment in the calculations, account for all new and existing equipment containing refrigerant from all district energy sources serving the project. Coordinate with the district energy provider to determine the equipment type, refrigerant type, refrigerant charge, and annual refrigerant leakage.
For projects that also have refrigerant-containing equipment within the building, the weighted average refrigerant leakage emissions ratio must be determined based on the proportion of annual thermal energy delivered from refrigerant-using systems in the DES, and the proportion of annual energy generated from refrigerant-using systems in the building.
EXAMPLE. WEIGHTED AVERAGE REFRIGERANT LEAKAGE EMISSIONS RATIO
o A DES generates 100% of district cooling capacity from refrigerant-using equipment
supplying 40% of the project’s total annual thermal energy. Refrigerant Leakage Emissions Ratio of 15 is calculated for this equipment.
U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Operations and Maintenance, April 2025 Launch Edition 162