Intent:
- Encourage development and use of grid-source renewable energy technologies for NET ZERO pollution basis.
Implementation:
- TYPES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY (as defined by the CRS – Center for Resource Solutions):
- Solar
- Photo-voltaic
- Wind
- Geothermal heating and electric
- Biomass
- Bio-gas
- Low-Impact Hydro Electric
- determine BASELINE electricity use from:
- consumption based on EA1 – Optimize Energy Performance
- use DOE (Department of Energy) CBECS (Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey)
- CASE 1: in states with an OPEN electrical market
- select 35% GREEN-E certified power provider with 2 year contract.
- CASE 2: in states with CLOSED electrical market
- enroll in Green Power Program for 35% of the electrical energy
- CASE3: where green power is NOT available
- purchase RECs (tradeable Renewable Certificates)
- purchase quantity of RECs equivalent to 35% of predicted annual electrical consumption for 2 year period (this equals 70% of projected annual electrical consumption if all RECs are purchased at one time)
- purchase RECs (tradeable Renewable Certificates)
Code:
- CRS (Center for Resource Solutions) – Green-eProduct Certification Requirements
- DOE (Department of Energy)
- CBECS (Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey)
Submittal Phase:
- construction
Extra Credit:
- purchase 70% GREEN-E certified power (instead of 35%)
More Energy & Atmosphere Credits
- EA P1 – Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy Systems (prerequisite)
- EA P2 – Minimum Energy Performance (prerequisite)
- EA P3 – Fundamental Refrigerant Management (prerequisite)
- EA 1 – Optimize Energy Performance
- EA 2 – On-Site Renewable Energy
- EA 3 – Enhanced Commissioning
- EA 4 – Enhanced Refrigerant Management
- EA 5 – Measurement & Verification
- EA 6 – Green Power
39 Comments On This Post
Also note that in the extra credit you can opt for 4 years at 35% not just upping the purchase to 70% for 2 years.
Pat–
Where does the exemplary point for this credit come from? I have NC 2.2 First Edition, but have hunted through all of the USGBC site’s posted errata sheets, and can’t find any reference to the extrea credit criteria. Any information would be great– I test this coming week.
Hi Coffee,
This is a direct quote from the second edition:
“Exemplary performance can be achieved by doubling the requirements, either by the amount of electricity or the length of contract.”
I don’t know why this wasn’t included in any of the erratas you found, but they must have implemented this between the 1st and 2nd editions.
Hope this helps!
Thanks, Pat!
Thanks in large part to your site (awesome for catching all the errata, 1st through 3rd editions, and other crucial study tips), I passed the LEED NC 2.2 this morning! I did not do any of the practice exams available; it IS possible to pass with a decent margin with just the ref guide, the USGBC site, intheleed.com, and a LOT of studying.
Thanks again!
Yah, Thanks to Pat and this GREAT WEBSITE,
as Coffee mentioned (Nov 5,2008), Lots of reference guide, the USGBC site, and “intheleed.com” and a LOTS of studying will help you, to pass the LEED AP exam, and that’s what I’m doing right now, 3 to 4 hrs a day, reading and trying to absorbed, what I’ve accomplish that day…i will take my exam a week from now, Good Luck to All!!!
Thanks:)
Pat, or anyone else,
Does anyone know which states (in the US) offer “open” electric markets for Green-e Power as specified in EAc6 Case #1?
I know this is not needed for the exam but I am interested in knowing this just as additional knowledge to becoming a LEED-AP.
Thank you for your help,
Here ya go Jim. I’m finding some locales have regulations that aren’t as simple as “whole state guidelines”, but this should give you an idea.
Rich
http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/mkt-electric/overview.asp
What exactly is a NET ZERO pollution basis as described in the Intent section?
Does it mean in the country as a whole they hope to encourage enough grid-source energy to cancel out fossil fuel energy. I’m trying to wrap my brain around how that works. Can someone describe the concept for me? Thanks!
Hey Matt,
Wellas far as I can tell, it refers to a building whose total energy consumption averages zero over the span of the year. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_energy_building
This fits in well with the concept of utilizing on-site renewable energy sources. While nearly all buildings still need to rely on the grid, the intention of this credit is to encourage the use of “Green Power” – by generating electricity on site, and returning that energy to the grid where legislation makes it possible.
Matt,
I was mistaken. The NET ZERO pollution basis involves purchasing green energy that was produced off-site (as opposed to on-site green energy, which lends to Credit EAc2)
The intent is to guide the nation away from a dependence on fossil fuels for its energy production needs. Reducing this dependence also lessens the environmental impact of fossil fuel processing, which releases noxious and toxic chemicals into the environment.
Does this answer your question?
I just don’t understand net zero pollution. I must be thinking about it wrong, because it seems to me if you have a coal power plant next to a windmill farm which produces the same amount of energy–you still have the same amount of pollution coming from the coal plant.
Are they saying they want to increase green power to the point where it produces equal amounts of energy as fossil fuel?
It’s besides the point – I took my exam yesterday and passed with 194.
Thanks Adam, Pat, and everyone involved with this great site!
My interpretation is that you need to separate the “net zero” from the “pollution” and read it as the intent to obtain a ‘global’ net zero solution for removing fossil and other non-renewable energy sources from the playing field, thereby “encouraging the use of grid source…”.
Given EAc6 deals only with the purchase of off-site renewable energy sources (unless it is a source similar to the campus example), not likely to occur for generations and generations (too much political forces inside this on both sides of the aisle, regardless of the speak you hear).
If the local utility provider offers no grid solution, it means they are still producing/obtaining from non-renewable sources. This does, and will continue to, eliminate the possibility of a total net zero pollution solution. However, the goal should still be attempted.
In case 2 with closed electrical market, what is the minimum time period for the 35% green power program. The other 2 cases demand a 2 year commitment.
Any suggestions?
can anyone tell me the basic definitions of Open & Closed Electrical Market.
thanks in advance.
the way i understand it, is as follows:
1. open market: you can enter into a separate agreement with a green power supplier, who then supplies green power directly to you
2. closed market: the local utility has agreements in place with green power suppliers who feed into the local grid – so power is supplied from a mix of sources (green and non-green) by the local utility. you then enroll in the green power program, which usually attracts a premium.
hope this helps.
thanks for the info jutta 🙂
Pat,
In your Case 3, why does RECs stand for Tradable Renewable Certificates? not Renewable Energy Certificates?
I noticed that there is a discrepancy for RECs between page 233 and page 234 in LEED-NC Reference Guide (October 2007).
I see the discrepancy as well on page 234, second column, last paragraph under item 3.
Although on page 233 under intents it lists both the REC’s and TRC’s and other forms of green power that comply with Green-e’s technical requirements lumping them all together.
I would recommend further reading elsewhere to see what the distinction and difference is between the TRC’s and the REC’s, but for the purposes of this credit it doesn’t seem that the difference really matters.
Someone else mentioned in another section, she had a question on her exam regarding calculations for this topic. Here is the formula you should use to calculate Required Green Power (GreenP)from a Green-e certified provider:
GreenP (kWh)= 0.35(no units) x 2(yr) x AEC(Kwh/yr)
a- 0.35 means 35%
b- 2yr 2 years contract
c- AEC Annual Electrical Consumption as calculated already on EAc1 or use the default method:
AEC (kWh/yr)= MEI(KWh/sf-yr) x Project Square Footage (sf)
d-MEI Median Electrical Intensity from CBES data (a chart that provides this info by building type)
NOTICE THAT EAc6-GREEN POWER NEEDS THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE PROJECT FOR CALCULATIONS!
Remember this question:
Total site (project) area must be used consistently for calculations that demonstrate compliance with the requirements for which credits?
The correct answer: EAc6-GREEN POWER is not that obvious! (other correct answers are SSc2, SSc5.2, etc)
I am taking the test next week. Scary!
ooops it should be CBECS data: Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey! Sorry about the missing “C”
The USGBC sample exam question in Section 2 (Coordinate Project and Team) asks which credits would be affected by a decision to delete exterior louvres from above the south-facing windows. The correct answers from the answer key include EAc6, EAc1 and EQc8.1. How is EAc6 Green Power relevant for that decision?
Pat,
That’s probably the type of question where you are “forced” to pick “3” answers out of 5 and there are 2 answers that do not make any sense at all. You kindda pick out the 2 that do not make any sense and leave the remaining 3 answers. This link shows how louvres and green power could be connected. They are not ALWAYS connected but they could be. Is this making any sense?
http://www.arch.hku.hk/~kpcheung/daylight/day-3.htm
Kind of, the other 2 correct answers seem clear. I am thinking that in EAc6 you have to determine the baseline energy consumption based on EAc1, which includes factors such as Building Orientation, Window Location, lighting, and building envelope. Perhaps that’s why EAc6 is correct (there’s no explanation).
A new office building with a retail component on the first floor totals 1,000,000 sq. ft. The building requires a median electrical intensity of 1kWh/sf-year. What amount of green power purchased by the operating company will qualify the project for exemplary performance for EA Credit 6 Green
A 175,000 kWh per year for two years
B 175,000 kWh per year for one year
C 350,000 kWh per year for two years
D 350,000 kWh per year for four years
E 700,000 kWh averaged over four years
Can you please tell me why the answer is D?? For exemplary performance, it should be 70% and a 4 yrs contract??
A new office building with a retail component on the first floor totals 1,000,000 sq. ft. The building requires a median electrical intensity of 1kWh/sf-year. What amount of green power purchased by the operating company will qualify the project for exemplary performance for EA Credit 6 Green
A 175,000 kWh per year for two years
B 175,000 kWh per year for one year
C 350,000 kWh per year for two years
D 350,000 kWh per year for four years
E 700,000 kWh averaged over four years
Can you please tell me why the answer is D?? For exemplary performance, it should be 70% and a 4 yrs contract??
You can achieve exemplary performance by doubling the length of the contract also. The 4 year contract results in the exemplary performance. See page 236 of the Ref Guide.
prd: Thanks!! Now it makes sense.
Exemplary performance can be obtained by purchasing 70% green e-certified power or a 4 yr contract. Which means “70% per year for 2 years” OR “35% per year for 4 years”?
That makes sense Reenu. Thanks for clarifying
Just to clarify, I am little confused here:
EAc1 (optimize energy performance) and EAc2(on-site renewable energy)are based on energy cost and EAc6(Green Power) is based on energy use.
Yes, but remember for EAC1 only option 1 deals with cost. The others are prescriptive measures based on climate zone.
ohh yeah, thnx parker
Pat:
EA6 is correct because by removing the louvers from the south facade of the building you achieve EA1(optimize Energy performance) which goes to say that you have optimized the energy requirement. => EA6 is based on how much energy the building would consume –> if you affect the energy consumtion by removing the louvers- you are indirectly effecting the Green Power quantity.
I personally hadnt picked EA6 while answering thw qs but figured later why it should be EA6
hope that helps.
Cheers
Hi All, I have a same quetion regarding Option 2 – Green Power EA C6 – Closed Electric Market – We are enrolling in a program with the local Electric Povider why is the ref. Guide asking to be in contract for only 35% of annual electric power, why is not mentioning the length of time, it is obivious to understand enroll in 2 years or just for 1 year /35 %.
Please answer this geeks…..
Hello – This website has some helpful information to explain how Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) work: http://www.3degreesinc.com/knowledge/faq/#FAQ2. Per Pat’s question, RECs and TRCs are two names for the same thing.
Could someone help me with this question:
A new office building with a retail component on the first floor totals 1,000,000 sq. ft. The building requires a median electrical intensity of 1kWh/sf-year. What amount of green power purchased by the operating company will qualify the project for exemplary performance for EA Credit 6 Green Power?
A
350,000 kWh per year for two years
B
350,000 kWh per year for four years
C
175,000 kWh per year for one year
D
175,000 kWh per year for two years
E
700,000 kWh averaged over four years
The answer is B 350,000 kWh per year for four years
and the explanation is:
The question asks for exemplary performance, which is achieved by ‘doubling the requirements, either by the amount of electricity or the length of the contract’. In the example, the building requires 1kWh / sf-year * 1,000,000 sq. ft. = 1 million kWh per year.
At 35% green power this value would be 350,000 kWh per year.
To get exemplary performance you can either double the amount of power (700,000 kWh for 2 years, which is not an answer choice) or double the contract which would be 350,000 kWh for four years, which is the correct answer.
Wouldn’t the answer be 700,000kwh for one year or 350,000 for two years? Or am I just missing the point all together here?
~Amy
Quick question:
Is it necessary to know the specific requirements under the submittal documentation sections? Or are we only expected to know design or contstruction? Please help!
amyjolindgren,
You must have have 350,000 kWh per year for two, not just one, years to achieve EAc6. Therefore, it is achieved by doubling that to 350,000kWh for 4 yrs, answer B.
My question has to do with an issue with EAc6 vs EAc2. In EAc2, on-site renewable energy, option 2, you are required to use a baseline of electricity and gas used per year. Then, calculate the percentage of renewable energy. Then, in EAc6, it only requires the electricity component, and not the gas component. Is this a misprint? or can we ignore the total energy consumption and just use the electricity component?
If you provide most of your own power through solar/photo, does that count toward the total or does it have ot be purchased power?
You you should change the post subject title Energy and Atmosphere 6 – Green Power | Green Exam Academy – Tips and Tricks to Pass the LEED AP Exam to more generic for your webpage you write. I enjoyed the blog post nevertheless.