Hello all,
I am working as the LEED AP BD+C for the “Hotel” project, which will pursue LEED v4 BD+C: Hospitality and we plan to comply with the Optimize Energy Performance (OEP) – 2024 Energy Update requirements. We would like to confirm whether our proposed renewable electricity procurement structure can be counted toward Table 2 (GHG emissions) – GHG reduction points under the 2024 Update.
Project / procurement scenario (off-site solar)
- The hotel will procure renewable electricity from a solar power plant located in Türkiye.
- The solar plant holds a local generation license issued by the Turkish energy regulator (EPDK).
- The hotel will sign a direct renewable electricity purchase agreement (PPA) with the solar plant (the plant is affiliated/under the same parent group as the hotel, so the owner is the same person).
- Physical delivery: The solar plant will export electricity to the national grid, and the hotel will consume electricity from the grid at the project site (i.e., no private wire).
- Payment: The hotel will pay the solar plant under the PPA. The grid supply remains through the utility.
- Important limitation: The solar plant currently has no Green-e certification or equivalent third-party green power certification, and no Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) are being issued/retired under the proposed structure (e.g., no I-REC / GO / YEK-G / REC mechanism in place at this time).
Our questions for LEED v4 NC OEP (2024 Update) – Table 2 (GHG)
- Without EACs (no REC/GO/I-REC/YEK-G, etc.), can the above off-site solar PPA be counted as “renewable electricity” for the purpose of Table 2 (GHG emissions) GHG reduction points in the 2024 OEP update?
- If the answer is “no,” would it become eligible if:
- the PPA contract explicitly assigns all environmental attributes to the hotel and prohibits double counting, but still no formal EAC system (no certificate issuance/retirement) is used?
- If the solar plant’s entire generation output is contractually dedicated to the hotel (100% of generation sold to the hotel under the PPA), does that change the requirement for EAC issuance/retirement for LEED compliance, given that the hotel will still consume from the grid?
Thank you in advance for your support.
• The project owns the system or has signed a lease agreement for a period of at least 10 years.
• The system is located with the same utility service area as the facility claiming the use.Further guidance:Off-site renewable energy: Greenhouse gas emissions offset by community renewable systems documented under LEED v4 EAc Renewable Energy Production, or for Tier 2 New off-site renewable electricity systems documented under LEED v4.1 EAc Renewable Energy may be included in the model for achievement of points using the greenhouse gas emissions calculation under EA credit Optimize Energy Performance, but may not be included in the model for prerequisite compliance, or for the cost or source energy metrics.Regarding the environmental attributes, the PPA should indicate that the owner of the project will retain, retire, and not sell the environmental attributes. So the answer to 1. is yes, and the answer to 2. is also yes (the contract should include a clause about the environmental attributes even though there is currently no mechanism in your location for accounting for them).