LEED v5
Commercial Interiors
Energy and Atmosphere
Enhanced Commissioning

CI-v5 EAc4: Enhanced Commissioning 1-4 points

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To further ensure that the building systems function as designed, and that they continue to maintain energy performance over time. 

Requirements

Option 1. Enhanced Commissioning (2 points)
Owner must designate an independent commissioning provider (CxP) during pre-design or very early in the design phase.

Comply with ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 202-2024, “Commissioning Process” for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, data center, process, building monitoring, building enclosure, and renewable energy systems within the project scope of work (including any interconnection with base building systems).

The CxP must comply with the following additional requirements:

  • Attend at least one coordination meeting during the design phase and at least two milestone meetings during the construction phase to discuss review comments and commissioning.
  • Provide an ongoing commissioning plan.
  • During occupancy, review the training materials to confirm that they meet the training plan, and confirm that the training occurred.

If the project scope includes alterations to 25% or more of the building envelope area or 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) of the building enclosure, then field testing for the building enclosure shall include the following if applicable:

  • Water penetration testing per ASTM E1105 or AAMA 501.2, as appropriate. 
  • Infrared imaging per ASTM C1153 or ASTM C1060, as appropriate.

AND/OR

Option 2. Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) (1–2 points) 
PATH 1. BASIC MBCX (1 POINT)
Process and communications
Commit to implementing MBCx for a minimum of three years. Include all the following:

  • MBCx plan: Develop an MBCx plan and include it in the current facilities requirements and operations and maintenance plan. The MBCx plan must describe:
    • Roles and responsibilities
    • Training of operations staff
    • A software technology description, including frequency and duration of trend monitoring.
    • An action plan for identifying, prioritizing, correcting, and verifying correction of operational errors.
    • Review and reporting criteria. At least annually, provide a summary report of trends, benchmarks, faults, energy savings opportunities, corrective actions taken, and planned actions.
  • Energy information system: Have in place a remotely accessible platform with software functionality to perform smart analytics and visually present project electricity consumption and fuel consumption, excluding shared systems serving the project space. Tenant access to the building EIS is acceptable.

Include the following functionality:

  • Annual energy benchmarking of energy use intensities.
  • Comparison of total project energy consumption and energy consumption of fuel and electricity to the prior interval annually and monthly.
  • If electricity interval metering is required in EAp4: Energy Metering and Reporting, provide visualization and reporting of hourly total electricity and submetered data. For total tenant electricity, include an hourly loadshape and comparison of hourly electricity to the prior interval, and to the same interval of the prior year annually, monthly, weekly, and daily.
  • Provide hourly monitoring and visualization of electric energy use for:
    • Commercial kitchen equipment in project spaces with more than 20 kW of rated capacity.
    • Process equipment in project spaces with more than 20 kW of rated capacity.
  • Training: Train operations staff to use the EIS to proactively inform energy-efficient operations or confirm training occurred within the past six years.

OR

PATH 2. ENHANCED MBCX (2 POINTS)
Comply with Path 1 and implement the following enhanced MBCx practices and software capabilities:

  • Provide MBCx through a corporate MBCx program or contracted service. Fully coordinate the MBCx process between the space operations staff and the monitoring-based commissioning provider (MBCxP).
  • Process and communications: The MBCxP process must include:
    • Expeditious communication of major anomalies or faults identified by MBCxP to facilities staff.
    • At least quarterly, an MBCxP summary of anomalies and faults detected and communication with facilities staff to discuss and prioritize issues.
    • For projects with fault detection and diagnostics (FDD), training of operations staff in the use of FDD to proactively identify and correct building system issues for optimized system operation or a confirmation that training occurred within the past six years.

Enhanced EIS. 

Include the following additional functionality:

  • Normalization of energy consumption
  • Automated reporting of energy use anomalies
  • GHG reporting
  • Hourly metering and visualization of electricity for the following, if applicable:
    • On-site electricity generation
    • At least 90% of lighting power altered or installed in the project scope of work.
    • HVAC or refrigeration equipment with thermal energy capacity exceeding 900,000 Btu/hr (264 kW, 75 tons), or with rated fan power exceeding 75 hp (56 kW).
    • Electricity use for process equipment with thermal energy capacity exceeding 900,000 Btu/hr (264 kW, 75 tons)

FDD for projects with large HVAC and refrigeration capacity. For total project installed capacity of either cooling systems, heating systems, or refrigeration systems exceeding 7,200 kBtu/hr (600 tons, or 2,110 kW), provide a remotely accessible FDD system that addresses at least 60% weighted by capacity of:

  • Air-handling equipment, AND
  • Large hydronic or commercial refrigeration equipment (chillers, boilers, etc.).

The FDD system must be able to:

  • Perform smart analytics and visually present FDD data. 
  • Direct link from reported fault to view relevant trend data.
  • Sort and filter faults.
  • Export fault reports (summary reports and detailed individual faults).
  • Act as a data historian capable of storing critical trend data for at least three years.
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Addenda

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Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intent

To further ensure that the building systems function as designed, and that they continue to maintain energy performance over time. 

Requirements

Option 1. Enhanced Commissioning (2 points)
Owner must designate an independent commissioning provider (CxP) during pre-design or very early in the design phase.

Comply with ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 202-2024, “Commissioning Process” for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, data center, process, building monitoring, building enclosure, and renewable energy systems within the project scope of work (including any interconnection with base building systems).

The CxP must comply with the following additional requirements:

  • Attend at least one coordination meeting during the design phase and at least two milestone meetings during the construction phase to discuss review comments and commissioning.
  • Provide an ongoing commissioning plan.
  • During occupancy, review the training materials to confirm that they meet the training plan, and confirm that the training occurred.

If the project scope includes alterations to 25% or more of the building envelope area or 5,000 square feet (465 square meters) of the building enclosure, then field testing for the building enclosure shall include the following if applicable:

  • Water penetration testing per ASTM E1105 or AAMA 501.2, as appropriate. 
  • Infrared imaging per ASTM C1153 or ASTM C1060, as appropriate.

AND/OR

Option 2. Monitoring-Based Commissioning (MBCx) (1–2 points) 
PATH 1. BASIC MBCX (1 POINT)
Process and communications
Commit to implementing MBCx for a minimum of three years. Include all the following:

  • MBCx plan: Develop an MBCx plan and include it in the current facilities requirements and operations and maintenance plan. The MBCx plan must describe:
    • Roles and responsibilities
    • Training of operations staff
    • A software technology description, including frequency and duration of trend monitoring.
    • An action plan for identifying, prioritizing, correcting, and verifying correction of operational errors.
    • Review and reporting criteria. At least annually, provide a summary report of trends, benchmarks, faults, energy savings opportunities, corrective actions taken, and planned actions.
  • Energy information system: Have in place a remotely accessible platform with software functionality to perform smart analytics and visually present project electricity consumption and fuel consumption, excluding shared systems serving the project space. Tenant access to the building EIS is acceptable.

Include the following functionality:

  • Annual energy benchmarking of energy use intensities.
  • Comparison of total project energy consumption and energy consumption of fuel and electricity to the prior interval annually and monthly.
  • If electricity interval metering is required in EAp4: Energy Metering and Reporting, provide visualization and reporting of hourly total electricity and submetered data. For total tenant electricity, include an hourly loadshape and comparison of hourly electricity to the prior interval, and to the same interval of the prior year annually, monthly, weekly, and daily.
  • Provide hourly monitoring and visualization of electric energy use for:
    • Commercial kitchen equipment in project spaces with more than 20 kW of rated capacity.
    • Process equipment in project spaces with more than 20 kW of rated capacity.
  • Training: Train operations staff to use the EIS to proactively inform energy-efficient operations or confirm training occurred within the past six years.

OR

PATH 2. ENHANCED MBCX (2 POINTS)
Comply with Path 1 and implement the following enhanced MBCx practices and software capabilities:

  • Provide MBCx through a corporate MBCx program or contracted service. Fully coordinate the MBCx process between the space operations staff and the monitoring-based commissioning provider (MBCxP).
  • Process and communications: The MBCxP process must include:
    • Expeditious communication of major anomalies or faults identified by MBCxP to facilities staff.
    • At least quarterly, an MBCxP summary of anomalies and faults detected and communication with facilities staff to discuss and prioritize issues.
    • For projects with fault detection and diagnostics (FDD), training of operations staff in the use of FDD to proactively identify and correct building system issues for optimized system operation or a confirmation that training occurred within the past six years.

Enhanced EIS. 

Include the following additional functionality:

  • Normalization of energy consumption
  • Automated reporting of energy use anomalies
  • GHG reporting
  • Hourly metering and visualization of electricity for the following, if applicable:
    • On-site electricity generation
    • At least 90% of lighting power altered or installed in the project scope of work.
    • HVAC or refrigeration equipment with thermal energy capacity exceeding 900,000 Btu/hr (264 kW, 75 tons), or with rated fan power exceeding 75 hp (56 kW).
    • Electricity use for process equipment with thermal energy capacity exceeding 900,000 Btu/hr (264 kW, 75 tons)

FDD for projects with large HVAC and refrigeration capacity. For total project installed capacity of either cooling systems, heating systems, or refrigeration systems exceeding 7,200 kBtu/hr (600 tons, or 2,110 kW), provide a remotely accessible FDD system that addresses at least 60% weighted by capacity of:

  • Air-handling equipment, AND
  • Large hydronic or commercial refrigeration equipment (chillers, boilers, etc.).

The FDD system must be able to:

  • Perform smart analytics and visually present FDD data. 
  • Direct link from reported fault to view relevant trend data.
  • Sort and filter faults.
  • Export fault reports (summary reports and detailed individual faults).
  • Act as a data historian capable of storing critical trend data for at least three years.
See all forum discussions about this credit »