LEED v5
Existing Buildings
Energy and Atmosphere
Commissioning

EBOM-v5 EAc7: Commissioning 1-2 points

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Credit language

USGBC logo

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

Intent

To use the existing building commissioning process to improve building operations and energy and resource efficiency.

Requirements

Option 1. Retro-Commissioning (2 points)
Complete a retro-commissioning (RCx) process no more than three years before the end of the 12-month reporting period.

Engagement phase

  • Engage a third-party retro-commissioning provider (RCxP) with experience on at least two projects of similar type and scale.

Planning phase

  • Assemble a project team to include, at a minimum, the RCxP, an owner’s representative, and the building operator.
  • Develop the owner’s objectives for the RCx process.

Assessment phase

  • Develop the RCx plan to include owner and tenant requirements, documentation requirements, regulatory requirements, etc.
  • Perform a site visit and site assessment, including functional tests.
  • Develop a list of retro-commissioning measures (RCMs), identifying all problems to be remedied and the responsible party who will address each measure, timeline and estimated cost, if applicable.
  • Develop a rough estimate of predicted energy savings due to RCx.

Implementation phase 

  • Complete all RCMs except for RCMs that entail significant capital expense, as determined by the owner.

Verification phase

  • Verify that RCMs are performing as intended.

Handoff phase

  • Finalize the RCx report. Update the current facilities requirements (CFRs) and operations and maintenance (O+M) plan and train the building operator.

OR

Option 2. Monitoring-Based Commissioning (1–2 points)
PATH 1. BASIC MBCX (1 POINT)
Implement a monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) process during the 12-month reporting period with a plan for continuing MBCx for a minimum of three years. Include all of the following:

MBCx plan
Develop an MBCx plan and include it in the CFR and O+M plan. The MBCx plan must describe:

  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Training of facilities staff
  • Software technology description, including frequency and duration of trend monitoring
  • Action plan for identifying, prioritizing, and correcting operational errors, and for verifying the correction of operational errors
  • Review and report criteria. At least annually, provide a summary report of trends, benchmarks, faults, energy savings opportunities, corrective actions taken, and planned actions to facilities management and/or building ownership 

Energy information systems
Have in place a remotely accessible platform with software functionality to perform smart analytics and visually present energy consumption and electricity demand data. Tenant energy use and electricity demand may be excluded. Include the following functionality:

  • Annual energy benchmarking of energy use intensities
  • Comparison of total energy consumption and energy consumption by energy source to the prior interval annually and monthly
  • Metering and visualization of electricity, at least hourly, including 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

Training
Train building facilities staff to use the EIS to proactively inform energy-efficient operations or confirm that staff training occurred within the past six years.

LEED reporting period
During the 12-month reporting period, initiate corrective action addressing anomalies or identified faults, and provide at least one annual MBCx summary report.

OR

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

MBCx provider
Contract MBCx services or assign MBCx responsibilities to a qualified staff person with tasks included in their job description. Fully coordinate the MBCx process between the facilities management staff and the MBCxP

Process and communications
The MBCx process must include:

  • Expeditious communication of major anomalies or faults identified by the MBCxP to facilities staff.
  • At least quarterly, an MBCxP summary of anomalies and detected faults and communication with facilities staff to discuss and prioritize issues.
  • For projects with fault detection and diagnostics (FDD), train building facilities staff in the use of FDD to proactively identify and correct building system issues for optimized system operation, or confirm that staff training occurred within the past six years.

Enhanced EIS
Include the following additional functionality:

  • Normalization of energy consumption
  • Automated reporting of energy use anomalies
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reporting
  • Hourly metering and visualization of electricity for the following, if applicable:
    • On-site electricity generation
    • 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)
    • Commercial kitchen equipment in spaces with more than 25 kW of rated capacity
    • Process equipment in spaces with more than 25 kW of rated capacity

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 include the following functionality:

  • Perform smart analytics and visually present FDD data 
  • Direct link from reported fault to view relevant trend data
  • Fault sorting and filtering
  • Exporting of fault reports (summary reports and detailed individual faults)
  • 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 use the existing building commissioning process to improve building operations and energy and resource efficiency.

Requirements

Option 1. Retro-Commissioning (2 points)
Complete a retro-commissioning (RCx) process no more than three years before the end of the 12-month reporting period.

Engagement phase

  • Engage a third-party retro-commissioning provider (RCxP) with experience on at least two projects of similar type and scale.

Planning phase

  • Assemble a project team to include, at a minimum, the RCxP, an owner’s representative, and the building operator.
  • Develop the owner’s objectives for the RCx process.

Assessment phase

  • Develop the RCx plan to include owner and tenant requirements, documentation requirements, regulatory requirements, etc.
  • Perform a site visit and site assessment, including functional tests.
  • Develop a list of retro-commissioning measures (RCMs), identifying all problems to be remedied and the responsible party who will address each measure, timeline and estimated cost, if applicable.
  • Develop a rough estimate of predicted energy savings due to RCx.

Implementation phase 

  • Complete all RCMs except for RCMs that entail significant capital expense, as determined by the owner.

Verification phase

  • Verify that RCMs are performing as intended.

Handoff phase

  • Finalize the RCx report. Update the current facilities requirements (CFRs) and operations and maintenance (O+M) plan and train the building operator.

OR

Option 2. Monitoring-Based Commissioning (1–2 points)
PATH 1. BASIC MBCX (1 POINT)
Implement a monitoring-based commissioning (MBCx) process during the 12-month reporting period with a plan for continuing MBCx for a minimum of three years. Include all of the following:

MBCx plan
Develop an MBCx plan and include it in the CFR and O+M plan. The MBCx plan must describe:

  • Roles and responsibilities
  • Training of facilities staff
  • Software technology description, including frequency and duration of trend monitoring
  • Action plan for identifying, prioritizing, and correcting operational errors, and for verifying the correction of operational errors
  • Review and report criteria. At least annually, provide a summary report of trends, benchmarks, faults, energy savings opportunities, corrective actions taken, and planned actions to facilities management and/or building ownership 

Energy information systems
Have in place a remotely accessible platform with software functionality to perform smart analytics and visually present energy consumption and electricity demand data. Tenant energy use and electricity demand may be excluded. Include the following functionality:

  • Annual energy benchmarking of energy use intensities
  • Comparison of total energy consumption and energy consumption by energy source to the prior interval annually and monthly
  • Metering and visualization of electricity, at least hourly, including 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

Training
Train building facilities staff to use the EIS to proactively inform energy-efficient operations or confirm that staff training occurred within the past six years.

LEED reporting period
During the 12-month reporting period, initiate corrective action addressing anomalies or identified faults, and provide at least one annual MBCx summary report.

OR

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

MBCx provider
Contract MBCx services or assign MBCx responsibilities to a qualified staff person with tasks included in their job description. Fully coordinate the MBCx process between the facilities management staff and the MBCxP

Process and communications
The MBCx process must include:

  • Expeditious communication of major anomalies or faults identified by the MBCxP to facilities staff.
  • At least quarterly, an MBCxP summary of anomalies and detected faults and communication with facilities staff to discuss and prioritize issues.
  • For projects with fault detection and diagnostics (FDD), train building facilities staff in the use of FDD to proactively identify and correct building system issues for optimized system operation, or confirm that staff training occurred within the past six years.

Enhanced EIS
Include the following additional functionality:

  • Normalization of energy consumption
  • Automated reporting of energy use anomalies
  • Greenhouse gas emissions reporting
  • Hourly metering and visualization of electricity for the following, if applicable:
    • On-site electricity generation
    • 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)
    • Commercial kitchen equipment in spaces with more than 25 kW of rated capacity
    • Process equipment in spaces with more than 25 kW of rated capacity

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 include the following functionality:

  • Perform smart analytics and visually present FDD data 
  • Direct link from reported fault to view relevant trend data
  • Fault sorting and filtering
  • Exporting of fault reports (summary reports and detailed individual faults)
  • Data historian capable of storing critical trend data for at least three years
     
See all forum discussions about this credit »