LEED v5 BD+C Rating System_November 2025_clean - Page 120

Extracted Content

(Exceptions: projects located within 10 degrees of the earth’s equatorial plane, or any obstruction located north of all points of the solar zone in the northern hemisphere, or any obstruction located south of all points of the solar zone in the southern hemisphere.)

• All sections of the solar zone located on steep-sloped roofs shall have an azimuth range between 90 degrees and 300 degrees of true north.

• If the project is intended to include future mechanical or electrical equipment in or near the solar zone, tenant guidelines shall include a sample plan showing how the equipment can be installed to maintain the integrity of the solar zone.

Mounting considerations

• Identify the panel-mounting options most likely to be implemented in a future solar panel installation. Provide documentation confirming that the roof warranty is not affected by the future installation of solar panels. Install roof-penetrating mounts at the time of roof installation if analysis indicates roof-penetrating mounts are best-suited for the project application. Roof-penetrating mounts must be designed to limit thermal bridging and included in the envelope commissioning.

Interconnection pathways

• Construction documents shall indicate locations reserved for inverters and metering equipment, and the location of a pathway reserved for routing conduit from the solar zone to the point of interconnection with the electrical service. For projects with high SWH loads where there is the potential for the solar zone to be used for water heating, construction documents shall indicate a pathway for routing plumbing from the solar zone to the water heating system.

Electrical service

• The main electrical service panel shall have a minimum busbar rating of 200 amps.

• The main electrical service panel shall have a reserved space to allow for the installation of a double pole circuit breaker for a future solar electric installation. The reserved space shall be permanently marked as “For future solar electric.”

U.S. Green Building Council LEED v5 Reference Guide for Building Design and Construction, November 2025 Edition 113