LEED CoreConcepts&Strategies_3rd edition - Page 075

Extracted Content

STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY:

•• ADDRESS THE ENVELOPE. Use the regionally-appropriate amount of insulation in the walls and roof and install high-performance glazing to minimize unwanted heat gain or loss. Make sure that the building is properly weatherized.

•• INSTALL HIGH-PERFORMANCE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS AND APPLIANCES. Apply life-cycle assessment to the trade-offs between capital and operating costs, and evaluate investments in energy efficiency technologies. Appliances that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements will reduce plug load demands.

•• USE HIGH-EFFICIENCY INFRASTRUCTURE. Efficient street lighting and LED traffic signals will reduce energy demands from neighborhood infrastructure.

•• CAPTURE EFFICIENCIES OF SCALE. Design district heating and cooling systems, in which multiple buildings are part of a single loop.

•• USE ENERGY SIMULATION. Computer modeling can identify and prioritize energy efficiency opportunities.

•• MONITOR AND VERIFY PERFORMANCE. Ensure that the building systems are functioning as designed and support the owner’s project requirements through control systems, a building automation system, and commissioning and retrocommissioning.

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Reduced demand and increased efficiency often make it cost-effective to meet most or all of a building’s energy needs from renewable sources. So-called green power is typically understood to include solar, wind, wave, biomass, and geothermal power, plus certain forms of hydropower. Use of these energy sources avoids the myriad of environmental impacts associated with the production and consumption of nonrenewable fuels, such as coal, nuclear power, oil, and natural gas.

LEED distinguishes between renewable energy production and the purchase of off-site green power or carbon offsets. Renewable energy production typically involves a system that generates clean electricity, such as solar photovoltaic panels that convert the sun’s energy into electricity. Off-site renewable energy is typically purchased at a premium price per kilowatt-hour from a utility or a provider of renewable energy certificates (RECs). RECs represent a tradable, nontangible commodity associated with the qualities of renewable electricity generation. RECs, and their associated attributes and benefits, can be sold separately from the underlying physical electricity associated with a renewable-based generation source. A project team that cannot purchase green power through the local utility can offset the building’s energy use by purchasing green power from renewable energy projects around the country. Sometimes project teams can enter into REC agreements that provide for specific energy sources, such as wind or biomass, from a particular generation facility. Carbon offsets represent a unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is reduced, avoided, or sequestered to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere.

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