LEED Energy and Atmosphere

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is…

an interactive, online management tool that supports tracking and assessment of energy and water consumption.

Following and integrative process helps identify synergistic strategies for the following areas:

energy demand, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and ongoing performance

Green building and neighborhoods can reduce demand for energy by:

capturing natural, incident energy, such as sunlight, wind, and geothermal potential to reduce loads.

True or false: To achieve LEED certification, new building may not use CFC-based refrigerants, and existing buildings must complete a total CFC phase-out prior to project completion.

True

Establish Design and Energy Goals (Strategies for Reducing Energy Demand in Design and Planning)

Set targets and establish performance indicators at the outset of a project and periodically verify their achievement.

Size the Building Appropriately (Strategies for Reducing Energy Demand in Design and Planning)

A facility that is larger than necessary to serve its function creates costly and wasteful energy demand,

Use Free Energy (Strategies for Reducing Energy Demand in Design and Planning)

Orient the facility to benefit from natural ventilation, solar energy, and daylight.

Insulate (Strategies for Reducing Energy Demand in Design and Planning)

Design the building envelope to insulate efficiently against heating and cooling losses.

Use Free Energy (Strategies for Reducing Energy Demand in Operations and Maintenance)

Use the facility’s orientation and appropriate shades, windows, and vents to take advantage of natural ventilation, solar energy, and daylight.

Monitor Consumption (Strategies for Reducing Energy Demand in Operations and Maintenance)

Use energy monitoring and feedback systems to encourage occupants to reduce energy demand.

DR

demand response

By reducing overall demand for electricity, DR helps…

utilities avoid building additional power generation facilities, transmission lines, and distribution stations, thereby avoiding some of the environmental effects of energy infrastructure and consumption.

The more square feet in a building…

the more energy it consumes.

The LEED for Homes rating system includes…

a point adjustment to compensate for the effect of square footage on resource consumption.

By improving the building envelope…

the space between exterior and interior environments of a building which typically includes windows, walls, and roof, teams may be able to reduce the size of HVAC systems or even eliminate them altogether.

Space heating takes up x% of total energy consumption in commercial buildings

36%

Address the Envelope (Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficiency)

Use the regionally-appropriate amount of insulation in the walls and roof and install high-performance glazing to minimize unwanted heat gain or loss. Make sur that the building is properly weatherized.

Install High-Performance Mechanical Systems and Appliances (Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficiency)

Apply life-cycle assessment to the trade-offs between capital and operating costs, and evaluate investments in energy efficiency technologies. Appliances that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements will reduce plug load demands.

Use High-Efficiency Infrastructure (Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficiency)

Efficient street lighting and LED traffic signals will reduce energy demands from neighborhood infrastructure.

Capture Efficiencies of Scale (Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficiency)

Design district heating and cooling systems, in which multiple buildings are part of a single loop.

Use Energy Simulation (Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficiency)

Computer modeling can identify and prioritize energy efficiency opportunities.

Monitor and Verify Performance (Strategies for Achieving Energy Efficiency)

Ensure that the building systems are functioning as designed and support the owner’s project requirements through control systems, a building automation system, and commissioning and retro commissioning.

So-called green power is typically understood to include:

solar, wind, wave, biomass, and geothermal power, plus certain forms of hydropower.

RECs

renewable energy certificates

Carbon offsets…

represent a unit of carbon dioxide equivalent that is reduced, avoiding, or sequestered to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere.

Generate Renewable Energy (Strategies for Meeting Energy Demand With Renewable Energy)

Install photovoltaic cells, solar hot water heaters, or building-mounted win turbines.

Purchase Off-Site Renewable Energy or Carbon Offsets (Strategies for Meeting Energy Demand With Renewable Energy)

Buy green power, renewable energy certificates, or carbon offsets to reduce the environmental impact of energy consumed on-site and promote renewable energy generation and the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager…

is one of the most widely used benchmarking systems.

Commissioning is a systematic investigation by skilled professionals who…

compare building performance with performance goals, design specification, and most importantly, the owner’s requirements.

Retrocommissioning is the same process applied to existing building…

it is intended to keep a building on track for meeting or exceeding the original operational goals.

True of false: Commissioning is one of the most cost-effective means or improving energy efficiency in commercial buildings.

True

Adhere to the Owner’s Project Requirements (Strategies for Incorporating Ongoing Performance Measurement into a Project)

Prepare detailed owner’s project requirements at the beginning of the design process and conduct commissioning throughout the life-cycle of the project to ensure that the building functions as designed.

Provide Staff Training (Strategies for Incorporating Ongoing Performance Measurement into a Project)

Knowledge and training empower facilities managers to maintain and improve the performance of buildings.

Conduct Preventative Maintenance (Strategies for Incorporating Ongoing Performance Measurement into a Project)

Development a robust preventative maintenance program to keep the building in optimal condition.

Create Incentives for Occupants and Tenants (Strategies for Incorporating Ongoing Performance Measurement into a Project)

Involve building occupants in energy efficiency strategies. Promote the use of energy-efficient computers and equipment, bill tenants from submeter readings to encourage energy conservation, educate occupants about shutting down computers and turning out lights before they leave, and given them regular feedback on energy performance.