Green Building and LEED Core Concepts Guide First Edition

To achieve LEED certification, new buildings mlY not use CFC-based refrigerants,
and existing buildings must complete a total CFC phase-out prior to project completion.
LEED awards points for projects that entirely avoid the use of refrigerants or
select refrigerants that balance concerns about ozone depletion and global warming.
LEED recognizes that there are no perfect refrigerants but it is possible to carefully
consider performance characteristics and overall environmental impacts and select a
refrigerant with an acceptable trade-off .
• "The Treatment by LEED of the Env!ronmental Impact of HVAC Refrigerants" (USGBC
Techntcal and Scientific Advisory Committee, 2004), httDjllwww·usgbc.orgiDocs,l
LEW tsacfISAC Refrig Report final-Approyed,pdf.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Reduced demand and increased efficiency often make it cost-effective to
meet most or all of a bu ild ing's energy needs from renewable sources. Renewable
energy is typically understood to include solar, wind, wave, biomass, and geothermal power,
plus certain forms of hydropower. Use of these energy sources avoids the myriad environmental
impacts associated with the production and consumption of traditional fuels. such as coal, nuclear
power, oil. and natural gas.
tEED distinguishes between ensite renewable energy production and the purchase of offsite green
power. Onsite energy production typically involves a systcm that generatcs clean electricity, such
as solar phorovoltaic panels that convert light energy into electricity. Offsite renewable energy is
purchased from a utility or a provider of renewable energy certificates (REes). Sometimes projects
can enter into agreements that provide for specific energy sources, such as wind or biomass, from a
particular generation facility. A project usually pays a premium for grcen power.
Strategies fo r meeting energy demand with renewable energy include the
following,
• Generate onsile renewable energy. Install photovoltaic cells, solar hot-water heaters, or
build!ng-mounted wind turbines .
• Purchase oHsite renewable energy. Buy green power or renewable energy certificates to
reduce the impact of purchased electricity and promote renewable energy generation.
ONGOING ENERGY PERFORMANCE
Attention to energy use doesn't end with the design and construction of an
energy-efficient bui ldi ng or neighborhood. Tt is critical tocnsurcthataprojectfunctions
as designed and dlat it sustains and improves this performance over time. tEED recognizes and encourages
operational energy perrormance through its requirements for building commissioning
and credits for monitoring and verification.
Energy and Atmosphere 49