LEED v4 Energy Credits: 18-Point EA Optimize Explained (v4, 2019 addenda)

EA Optimize Energy Performance earns up to 18 points for New Construction, the highest single credit in LEED v4 BD+C. A new building must improve the proposed building performance rating by 6% over the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline to earn the first point, and by 50% to earn all 18. Four mandatory prerequisites must be satisfied before any credit points count toward certification. This article covers LEED v4 BD+C (July 2019 addenda); LEED v4.1 is a separate version and is not covered. LEED v5 has also been released (USGBC) and is not covered.

What is the EA category in LEED v4?

The Energy & Atmosphere (EA) category is the highest-weighted category in LEED v4 BD+C. It contains 4 prerequisites and 7 credits, totaling a maximum of 33 points for New Construction. The 4 prerequisites are non-negotiable: Fundamental Commissioning and Verification, Minimum Energy Performance, Building-Level Energy Metering and Fundamental Refrigerant Management. Failing any one of them disqualifies the project from certification regardless of total points. EA Minimum Energy Performance uses ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2010, Appendix G, with errata, as its energy baseline (or a USGBC-approved equivalent standard for projects outside the U.S.) and requires a 5% improvement for new construction, 3% for major renovation and 2% for core and shell. Source: LEED v4 BD+C rating system, July 2019 addenda, pp. 63-69.

How many LEED points does EA Optimize offer?

EA Optimize Energy Performance offers 18 points for New Construction (16 for Schools, 20 for Healthcare), per the LEED v4 BD+C rating system, p. 73. The point scale for New Construction runs from 1 point at a 6% improvement to 18 points at a 50% improvement over the baseline; 10 points need 24%, and 12 points need 29%. Two compliance paths exist. Option 1, whole-building energy simulation, is the performance path (1-18 points). Option 2, prescriptive compliance with the ASHRAE 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide, earns 1-6 points; a project can use it only if it also used Option 2 in the Minimum Energy Performance prerequisite. The savings percentage compares the proposed and baseline building performance ratings calculated under Appendix G of ASHRAE 90.1-2010, which are expressed as annual energy cost, not energy use intensity (EUI). Fuel switching between electricity and natural gas can therefore change the result independently of actual energy consumption.

Why does LEED v4 use ASHRAE 90.1-2010 as the energy baseline?

In LEED v4 BD+C the Minimum Energy Performance prerequisite names ANSI/ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1-2010 (with errata) as the reference standard for both the mandatory provisions and the Appendix G baseline model (p. 65). Projects outside the U.S. may use a USGBC-approved equivalent standard. LEED uses a single reference standard rather than local codes so that performance is compared on the same baseline across jurisdictions, which is also why a code-compliant building can still miss the prerequisite. LEED v4.1 moved to a newer ASHRAE 90.1 edition; check which version the project is registered under before modeling. For thermal comfort, the EQ credit references ASHRAE 55-2010 in v4, which links EA and EQ design decisions.

What does fundamental commissioning require?

EA Fundamental Commissioning and Verification is a prerequisite. The project team must develop the owner’s project requirements (OPR) and basis of design (BOD), and the commissioning authority (CxA) must be engaged by the end of the design development phase. The CxA must have documented commissioning experience on at least two building projects of similar scope, extending from early design through at least 10 months of occupancy, and may be a qualified employee of the owner, an independent consultant, or an employee of the design or construction firm who is not part of the project team (p. 63-64). Enhanced Commissioning earns 2-6 points: Option 1 Path 1 (enhanced commissioning) 3 points, Path 2 (enhanced and monitoring-based commissioning) 4 points, and Option 2 (envelope commissioning) 2 points, which may be added to Option 1 (p. 70-71). Teams that engage the CxA after construction documents lose the review of the OPR, BOD and design that the prerequisite requires.

Where do energy baselines differ between regions?

LEED v4 names ASHRAE 90.1-2010 or a USGBC-approved equivalent for projects outside the U.S. Other regions set their own baselines under their own rules, such as the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Germany’s GEG and the UK’s Building Regulations Part L. Those requirements are outside the LEED rating system and are not tabulated here; confirm the applicable code and the USGBC-approved equivalent with USGBC before modeling.

LEED EA key numbers at a glance

Common mistakes in LEED EA credit documentation

Do not treat the large point blocks as a stretch goal. For New Construction the first 10 EA Optimize points need only a 6% to 24% improvement over the ASHRAE 90.1-2010 baseline (Table 1, pp. 73-74).

Engaging the CxA too late. The prerequisite requires the CxA to be engaged by the end of the design development phase, and the CxA reviews the OPR, BOD and project design.

Ignoring unregulated loads. The prerequisite requires the energy modeling input assumptions for unregulated loads to be documented and modeled to reflect the actual expected energy consumption; where the simulation cannot model the savings, the exceptional calculation method (ASHRAE 90.1-2010, G2.5) applies.

Using the wrong green power product. Green power and RECs must be Green-e Energy certified or the equivalent, and carbon offsets must be Green-e Climate certified or the equivalent. The contract must run at least five years, for resources that came online since January 1, 2005, and must cover at least 50% or 100% of the project’s energy (p. 84).

Conflating energy cost savings with EUI reduction. EA Optimize measures percentage improvement in the building performance rating, which is based on energy cost; a fuel switch can move a project across a point threshold without changing energy consumption.