EBOM-v5 EAc5: Decarbonization and Efficiency Plans 1-4 points
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To support long-term planning for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from building energy and refrigerants through 2050.
Requirements
Platinum Requirements:
Two points are required.
Option 1. Strategic Decarbonization Plan (2–4 points)
Create a strategic decarbonization plan (SDP) and commit to a five-year capital plan.
Create an SDP that will deliver deep reductions in carbon emissions from on-site combustion and site energy use within 20 years. Create a five-year capital plan that includes the measures in the SDP to be pursued within the next five years and commit to implementing the capital plan. The following conditions apply:
- All project energy use is included, including tenant energy use.
- On-site combustion emissions include emissions from fuel burned on-site and from nonrenewable fuels burned by district heating systems.
- Carbon emissions from emergency power systems are excluded.
- Energy provided by on-site renewables is not included in site energy.
- Energy used to charge electric vehicles is not included in site energy.
- In developing the SDP and five-year capital plan, projects must complete all process steps listed in Table 3.
Points are awarded according to Table 1 and Table 2.
Table 1. Required Reductions for SDPs and Five-Year Plans
Points | SDP On-Site Combustion Emissions Reduction | SDP Site Energy Use Reduction | Sum of Five-Year Reductions of On-Site Combustion Emissions and Site Energy Use |
2 | ≥ 50% | ≥ 20% | ≥ 10% |
3 | ≥ 75% | ≥ 25% | ≥ 10% |
4 | 100% | ≥ 30% | ≥ 10% |
Optional for high performing projects and high process load projects
Projects that earn a minimum of seven points in EAc2: Optimized Energy Performance or that have process loads that equal 30% or more of their site energy may meet the requirements in Table 2. For projects applying Table 2, only two points are available if on-site combustion is less than 25% of annual site energy.
Table 2. Required Reductions for SDPs and Five-Year Plans for High-Performing Projects
Points | SDP On-Site Combustion Emissions Reduction | SDP Site Energy Use Reduction | Sum of Five-year Reduction of On-Site Combustion Emissions and Site Energy Use |
2 | ≥ 50% | ≥ 10% | ≥ 5% |
3 | ≥ 75% | ≥ 12% | ≥ 5% |
4 | 100% | ≥ 15% | ≥ 5% |
Table 3. Required Process for Strategic Decarbonization Plan and Five-Year Capital Plan
Phase | Action |
Pre-planning | Create project team: Include, at minimum, team leader; owner or owner’s representative; energy expert or mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer; expert on the building’s operations; financial expert and/or asset manager; architect; someone with construction experience; and cost estimator. The team list must include name, company, and expertise. |
Create carbon business as usual (BAU): Basic BAU will be provided by USGBC. Projects subject to building performance standards (BPSs) must create energy and/or carbon BAUs as per EAp1: Carbon Projection from Energy Use. | |
Create financial BAU: Use estimated costs of energy, cost to replace major equipment in kind, and carbon or energy fees. | |
Develop inventories: Develop these for equipment and system information, including end of useful life for major equipment. | |
Create end-use analysis: Create breakdown of energy use by type and system. Determine the percentage of each type of energy used for heating, servicing hot water, cooking, and other process loads. | |
Collect energy-related analyses: Include any audits, retro-commissioning reports, and other energy-related analyses that have been performed. | |
Create a list of trigger events and a timeline: Include replacement of major equipment or façade elements, refinancing, sunsetting of incentives, asset repositioning, etc. | |
Develop conceptual plans: Develop at least two with a rough estimate carbon impact analysis, including at least one that achieves an estimated reduction of on-site combustion emissions > 90%. | |
Planning | Conduct a design charette: This may be in-person, virtual, or hybrid, and should include as many team members as possible. Present materials developed in the pre-planning stage. Discuss conceptual plans, issues that make them unfeasible, how to overcome the obstacles, possible changes to the plans, and other ideas to consider. |
Develop multiple decarbonization options: Building on the charette discussion, develop at least two decarbonization options, one of which must reduce on-site combustion emissions by >90%. Each option must include a narrative and a list of measures, with the timeline and projected impact of each measure on energy and carbon emissions and realistic costs of the decarbonization measures, including architectural, structural, and code costs incurred. | |
Create the SDP: Develop the SDP the project intends to pursue, which may be a decarbonization option from above, an amendment of either, or a new plan. The plan must include a narrative and a list of measures, with the timeline and projected impact of each measure on energy and carbon emissions, and realistic costs of the decarbonization measures, including architectural, structural, and code costs incurred. | |
Create a five-year capital plan: Include SDP measures to be pursued in the next five years. Develop the five-year plan sufficiently for accurate carbon assessments and budgeting. The five-year plan must include a list of measures, with the timeline, cost, and projected impact of each measure on energy and carbon emissions. | |
Attestation and commitment | Attestation: The owner or owner’s representative must attest that they have reviewed the SDP and the five-year capital plan. |
Commitment: Provide documentation of the owner’s commitment to implement the measures in the five-year plan, with changes limited to minor modifications, more ambitious implementation, or delays outside of the owner’s control. |
Visualization of plans
From the information provided, USGBC will generate graphs of the carbon and energy trajectories of the SDPs.
OR
Option 2. Carbon-Neutral and Energy-Efficient (4 points)
Demonstrate carbon neutrality and high performance by achieving 12 points in EAc1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Performance and 12 points in EAc2: Optimize Energy Performance.
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Cost estimates for this credit
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intent
To support long-term planning for deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from building energy and refrigerants through 2050.
Requirements
Platinum Requirements:
Two points are required.
Option 1. Strategic Decarbonization Plan (2–4 points)
Create a strategic decarbonization plan (SDP) and commit to a five-year capital plan.
Create an SDP that will deliver deep reductions in carbon emissions from on-site combustion and site energy use within 20 years. Create a five-year capital plan that includes the measures in the SDP to be pursued within the next five years and commit to implementing the capital plan. The following conditions apply:
- All project energy use is included, including tenant energy use.
- On-site combustion emissions include emissions from fuel burned on-site and from nonrenewable fuels burned by district heating systems.
- Carbon emissions from emergency power systems are excluded.
- Energy provided by on-site renewables is not included in site energy.
- Energy used to charge electric vehicles is not included in site energy.
- In developing the SDP and five-year capital plan, projects must complete all process steps listed in Table 3.
Points are awarded according to Table 1 and Table 2.
Table 1. Required Reductions for SDPs and Five-Year Plans
Points | SDP On-Site Combustion Emissions Reduction | SDP Site Energy Use Reduction | Sum of Five-Year Reductions of On-Site Combustion Emissions and Site Energy Use |
2 | ≥ 50% | ≥ 20% | ≥ 10% |
3 | ≥ 75% | ≥ 25% | ≥ 10% |
4 | 100% | ≥ 30% | ≥ 10% |
Optional for high performing projects and high process load projects
Projects that earn a minimum of seven points in EAc2: Optimized Energy Performance or that have process loads that equal 30% or more of their site energy may meet the requirements in Table 2. For projects applying Table 2, only two points are available if on-site combustion is less than 25% of annual site energy.
Table 2. Required Reductions for SDPs and Five-Year Plans for High-Performing Projects
Points | SDP On-Site Combustion Emissions Reduction | SDP Site Energy Use Reduction | Sum of Five-year Reduction of On-Site Combustion Emissions and Site Energy Use |
2 | ≥ 50% | ≥ 10% | ≥ 5% |
3 | ≥ 75% | ≥ 12% | ≥ 5% |
4 | 100% | ≥ 15% | ≥ 5% |
Table 3. Required Process for Strategic Decarbonization Plan and Five-Year Capital Plan
Phase | Action |
Pre-planning | Create project team: Include, at minimum, team leader; owner or owner’s representative; energy expert or mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer; expert on the building’s operations; financial expert and/or asset manager; architect; someone with construction experience; and cost estimator. The team list must include name, company, and expertise. |
Create carbon business as usual (BAU): Basic BAU will be provided by USGBC. Projects subject to building performance standards (BPSs) must create energy and/or carbon BAUs as per EAp1: Carbon Projection from Energy Use. | |
Create financial BAU: Use estimated costs of energy, cost to replace major equipment in kind, and carbon or energy fees. | |
Develop inventories: Develop these for equipment and system information, including end of useful life for major equipment. | |
Create end-use analysis: Create breakdown of energy use by type and system. Determine the percentage of each type of energy used for heating, servicing hot water, cooking, and other process loads. | |
Collect energy-related analyses: Include any audits, retro-commissioning reports, and other energy-related analyses that have been performed. | |
Create a list of trigger events and a timeline: Include replacement of major equipment or façade elements, refinancing, sunsetting of incentives, asset repositioning, etc. | |
Develop conceptual plans: Develop at least two with a rough estimate carbon impact analysis, including at least one that achieves an estimated reduction of on-site combustion emissions > 90%. | |
Planning | Conduct a design charette: This may be in-person, virtual, or hybrid, and should include as many team members as possible. Present materials developed in the pre-planning stage. Discuss conceptual plans, issues that make them unfeasible, how to overcome the obstacles, possible changes to the plans, and other ideas to consider. |
Develop multiple decarbonization options: Building on the charette discussion, develop at least two decarbonization options, one of which must reduce on-site combustion emissions by >90%. Each option must include a narrative and a list of measures, with the timeline and projected impact of each measure on energy and carbon emissions and realistic costs of the decarbonization measures, including architectural, structural, and code costs incurred. | |
Create the SDP: Develop the SDP the project intends to pursue, which may be a decarbonization option from above, an amendment of either, or a new plan. The plan must include a narrative and a list of measures, with the timeline and projected impact of each measure on energy and carbon emissions, and realistic costs of the decarbonization measures, including architectural, structural, and code costs incurred. | |
Create a five-year capital plan: Include SDP measures to be pursued in the next five years. Develop the five-year plan sufficiently for accurate carbon assessments and budgeting. The five-year plan must include a list of measures, with the timeline, cost, and projected impact of each measure on energy and carbon emissions. | |
Attestation and commitment | Attestation: The owner or owner’s representative must attest that they have reviewed the SDP and the five-year capital plan. |
Commitment: Provide documentation of the owner’s commitment to implement the measures in the five-year plan, with changes limited to minor modifications, more ambitious implementation, or delays outside of the owner’s control. |
Visualization of plans
From the information provided, USGBC will generate graphs of the carbon and energy trajectories of the SDPs.
OR
Option 2. Carbon-Neutral and Energy-Efficient (4 points)
Demonstrate carbon neutrality and high performance by achieving 12 points in EAc1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Performance and 12 points in EAc2: Optimize Energy Performance.