CI-v5 EAc6: Enhanced Refrigerant Management 1-2 points
LEEDuser overview
Explore this LEED credit
Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by accelerating the use of refrigerants with low global warming potential and promoting better refrigerant management practices.
Requirements
Commercial Interiors
Option 1. No Refrigerants or Low GWP (1–2 points)
PATH 1. NO REFRIGERANTS (2 POINTS)
Do not use refrigerant-containing equipment in the project.
OR
PATH 2. LOW GWP REFRIGERANTS (1–2 POINTS)
The maximum total weighted average refrigerant GWP in all new refrigerant-containing equipment is less than or equal to 80% (1 point) or 50% (2 points) of the total weighted average GWP of refrigerants meeting the benchmarks in Table 1.
Projects that limit effective refrigerant GWP by reducing refrigerant charge per unit of capacity relative to comparable equipment may use adjusted benchmarks per additional guidance.
Table 1. Refrigerant GWP benchmarks
GWP Benchmark* | Equipment and Systems |
1,400 | Heat pump service hot water heaters |
700 | HVAC |
Data centers, computer room air-conditioning, and information technology equipment cooling | |
Process chiller equipment or ice rink refrigeration equipment | |
300 | All other process refrigeration for retail, industrial, or cold storage |
*GWP benchmarks are based on a 100-year time horizon GWP relative to CO2.
AND/OR
Option 2. Limit Refrigerant Leakage (1 point)
Design, construct, and operate the project’s refrigerant-using equipment to minimize refrigerant leakage. For initial build-out of projects with less than 50% of the capacity of refrigerant-using equipment installed in the project scope of work, compliance must be documented for base building systems as well as any systems installed in the project scope of work.
Design
Refrigerant-using equipment shall be self-contained, with no field-installed piping:
- For equipment with refrigerants > 700 GWP, AND
- For at least 80% of the total GWP of refrigerants used in the project
Specify an “automatic leak detection” system in fully enclosed spaces with equipment that has an overall refrigerant charge exceeding 100 tons of equivalent CO2 emissions (tCO2e).
Installation
Field-installed refrigerant piping shall use brazed or press-type fittings.
Operation
Have in place a refrigerant maintenance plan and designate a responsible oversight party. The plan shall include standards for recordkeeping and protocols for:
- Updating the refrigerant inventory.
- Tracking and recording refrigerant charge and leakage rates for all refrigerant-using equipment.
- Ensuring that installation, maintenance, and removal of refrigeration-containing equipment is performed by appropriately certified refrigeration personnel, including in tenant spaces.
- Auditing annually and calibrating automatic leak detection systems.
- For equipment without automatic leak detection systems, this means checking pressure loss and leaks at least as frequently and with the minimum intervals for equipment containing refrigerants as follows, with a total GWP as follows:
- Every 24 months for 50 tCO2e or less
- Every 12 months for 50 to 500 tCO2e
- Every 3 months for more than 500 tCO2e
- Identifying the maximum time frame for repairing leaks.
- More frequent leakage testing and repairing must be twice as frequent if the total annual refrigerant recharge/leakage exceeds 1%.
Retail (1–2 points)
- Meet Option 1 and/or Option 2 above, or Option 3 below, for a maximum of 2 points.
AND/OR
Option 3. GreenChill Certification for Food Retailers (1–2 points)
Available to projects where food retailing constitutes more than 20% of the project’s gross area.
Demonstrate achievement of the U.S. EPA's GreenChill certification for projects in the U.S. For international projects, comply with the relevant GreenChill requirements for the certification level.
- GreenChill Silver certification (1 point)
- GreenChill Gold or Platinum certification (2 points)
For all options
DISTRICT ENERGY
Projects with district energy must comply with the requirements of this credit at the district facility or see additional guidance for interpretation of credit requirements.
What does it cost?
Cost estimates for this credit
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium
Already a premium member? Log in now
Checklists
Step by step to LEED certification
LEEDuser’s checklists walk you through the key action steps you need to earn a credit, including how to avoid common pitfalls and save money.
For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium
Already a premium member? Log in now
Documentation toolkit
The motherlode of cheat sheets
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium
Already a premium member? Log in now
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by accelerating the use of refrigerants with low global warming potential and promoting better refrigerant management practices.
Requirements
Commercial Interiors
Option 1. No Refrigerants or Low GWP (1–2 points)
PATH 1. NO REFRIGERANTS (2 POINTS)
Do not use refrigerant-containing equipment in the project.
OR
PATH 2. LOW GWP REFRIGERANTS (1–2 POINTS)
The maximum total weighted average refrigerant GWP in all new refrigerant-containing equipment is less than or equal to 80% (1 point) or 50% (2 points) of the total weighted average GWP of refrigerants meeting the benchmarks in Table 1.
Projects that limit effective refrigerant GWP by reducing refrigerant charge per unit of capacity relative to comparable equipment may use adjusted benchmarks per additional guidance.
Table 1. Refrigerant GWP benchmarks
GWP Benchmark* | Equipment and Systems |
1,400 | Heat pump service hot water heaters |
700 | HVAC |
Data centers, computer room air-conditioning, and information technology equipment cooling | |
Process chiller equipment or ice rink refrigeration equipment | |
300 | All other process refrigeration for retail, industrial, or cold storage |
*GWP benchmarks are based on a 100-year time horizon GWP relative to CO2.
AND/OR
Option 2. Limit Refrigerant Leakage (1 point)
Design, construct, and operate the project’s refrigerant-using equipment to minimize refrigerant leakage. For initial build-out of projects with less than 50% of the capacity of refrigerant-using equipment installed in the project scope of work, compliance must be documented for base building systems as well as any systems installed in the project scope of work.
Design
Refrigerant-using equipment shall be self-contained, with no field-installed piping:
- For equipment with refrigerants > 700 GWP, AND
- For at least 80% of the total GWP of refrigerants used in the project
Specify an “automatic leak detection” system in fully enclosed spaces with equipment that has an overall refrigerant charge exceeding 100 tons of equivalent CO2 emissions (tCO2e).
Installation
Field-installed refrigerant piping shall use brazed or press-type fittings.
Operation
Have in place a refrigerant maintenance plan and designate a responsible oversight party. The plan shall include standards for recordkeeping and protocols for:
- Updating the refrigerant inventory.
- Tracking and recording refrigerant charge and leakage rates for all refrigerant-using equipment.
- Ensuring that installation, maintenance, and removal of refrigeration-containing equipment is performed by appropriately certified refrigeration personnel, including in tenant spaces.
- Auditing annually and calibrating automatic leak detection systems.
- For equipment without automatic leak detection systems, this means checking pressure loss and leaks at least as frequently and with the minimum intervals for equipment containing refrigerants as follows, with a total GWP as follows:
- Every 24 months for 50 tCO2e or less
- Every 12 months for 50 to 500 tCO2e
- Every 3 months for more than 500 tCO2e
- Identifying the maximum time frame for repairing leaks.
- More frequent leakage testing and repairing must be twice as frequent if the total annual refrigerant recharge/leakage exceeds 1%.
Retail (1–2 points)
- Meet Option 1 and/or Option 2 above, or Option 3 below, for a maximum of 2 points.
AND/OR
Option 3. GreenChill Certification for Food Retailers (1–2 points)
Available to projects where food retailing constitutes more than 20% of the project’s gross area.
Demonstrate achievement of the U.S. EPA's GreenChill certification for projects in the U.S. For international projects, comply with the relevant GreenChill requirements for the certification level.
- GreenChill Silver certification (1 point)
- GreenChill Gold or Platinum certification (2 points)
For all options
DISTRICT ENERGY
Projects with district energy must comply with the requirements of this credit at the district facility or see additional guidance for interpretation of credit requirements.