LEED certification is an increasingly popular standard for both commercial and residential buildings. With a notable focus on efficiency and environmental impact, LEED certification can be a major selling point for a building. Given the energy consumption typically associated with heating and air conditioning, HVAC plays a major role in a building’s LEED certification and what the rating will be.
Whether you’re more focused on the LEED or HVAC side of the equation, you should understand the relationship between the two. Here is what property owners ought to know.
What Is a LEED Certification?
The acronym LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED certification covers best practices for minimizing energy inefficiency, maximizing sustainability, interior livability and limiting environmental disruptions. The governing body for the LEED standard is the U.S. Green Building Council.
The USGBC emerged in 1993, and version 1.0 of the LEED standard appeared in 1998. LEED certification is now accepted throughout most of the world. Version 4.1 is the current standard.
Multiple Points of Emphasis
One of the most appealing aspects of LEED is that it emphasizes multiple areas of concern. LEED is not just an energy efficiency standard. In addition to efficiency, LEED also emphasizes the user experience of a building. Likewise, LEED accounts for sustainability both at the local and global levels. Regional priorities also factor into LEED certification, emphasizing the appropriateness of certain solutions in specific regions of the world. Indoor air quality is also a notable focus.
LEED Scoring
LEED scoring provides an overall view of how well a structure and its systems meet modern green building standards. Using a 100-point scale, the score tells how well a building meets the qualifications. Anything below 40 points is not certified. Scores of 40 to 49 points are deemed certified. Silver certification covers a range of 50 to 59 points. Gold certification covers 60 to 79 points. Platinum certification covers any building with a score of 80 points or higher. Be aware that we do not perform LEED certifications.
Overlap With HVAC
Based simply on the emphasis on energy efficiency, HVAC already overlaps a lot with LEED certification. With a further focus on air quality and user experience, LEED further overlaps with HVAC. Additionally, sustainability goals affect HVAC choices in terms of materials and refrigerants.
Note that LEED is far from an HVAC-only standard. A building’s LEED score covers significantly more than HVAC. From construction materials to water usage, there are numerous non-HVAC factors. HVAC is only one component of a LEED certification score.
Efficiency
For many customers, the efficiency factor is why they focus on LEED as a proxy for HVAC quality. In addition to measured insulation value, LEED also considers reductions in overall consumption compared to a baseline for a similar building. Likewise, LEED accounts for how comfortable occupants will be in a building. Rather than just awarding points for saving money through reduced energy consumption, LEED awards points for maintaining enjoyable conditions within an efficient building.
Ideally, a LEED-certified building shouldn’t be noticeably efficient. In other words, your building shouldn’t feel like someone turned down the thermostat in the winter.
Indoor Air Quality
A LEED-certified building also should have excellent indoor air quality. The air shouldn’t be noticeably humid or dry. Proper ventilation should discourage airborne contagions. Likewise, the HVAC system in a LEED-certified building should filter pollen, pollution and other irritants. High-efficiency filters are always winning in LEED certification. The goal is to maximize the comfort and enjoyment of every breath that every person in the building takes.
Venting for the system should be tight, too. Optimally, the system should be as close as possible to zero carbon emissions. Also, the ventilation system should minimize energy loss. Internal leakage should be minimized, too. This includes things like vents that leak heated or cooled air along their paths to specific rooms.
Renewable Energy
In addition to being efficient, a LEED-certified building should integrate renewable energy sources whenever possible. A system like a geothermal heat pump, for example, typically counts toward a building’s LEED score. The same goes for using smart technologies and any systems that directly employ renewables as energy sources. Points will be lost for using oil as a fuel source.
Refrigerants
A major aspect of LEED certification as it applies to a building’s HVAC is the use of refrigerants. Optimally, a building should use refrigerants that aren’t likely to contribute to global climate change. The sustainability of the refrigerant source also matters. You want to have an HVAC that uses refrigerants that are likely to be cost-effective and widely available decades from now. The HVAC system also shouldn’t be dependent on a single refrigerant source. Flexibility matters, and LEED awards more points for systems that make refrigerant management easy for future generations.
Banned refrigerants are always a no for LEED certification. Also, the used refrigerants should contain ethylene glycol, a common product for cooling.
Materials
The choice of materials for an HVAC will significantly affect a building’s LEED rating. Insulation materials shouldn’t contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde or benzene. Fiberglass usage should be minimized, if at all possible. Whenever possible, the HVAC system should use little or no plastics. The same goes for the presence of styrene. All insulating materials should have a high R-value, too. An HVAC unit shouldn’t contain paints or sealants that might emit VOCs, either.
For LEED certification, the choice of materials also has to strongly discourage the growth of mold in a building. If a material absorbs and holds a lot of water, for example, then it isn’t good for LEED certification.
Automation
Eliminating the human element is also a big part of HVAC for LEED certification. Automation can ensure that a building regularly cycles into a low-consumption mode when occupancy is low. Occupancy detection systems will further improve LEED scores by minimizing HVAC usage when no one is utilizing a particular space. Many automated systems also integrate weather forecasts and even utility company data to minimize usage at high-demand times.
Integrated fault detection is also helpful. Systems that can tell that an HVAC is declining or outright failing will allow you to request maintenance and repairs sooner. In turn, staying ahead of problems is likely to keep your HVAC running more efficiently and for a longer time.
Contact Us Today
Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. is a business that serves customers from Nashua and Canterbury, NH and the surrounding areas. We are a fully licensed operation, too. Our HVAC technicians stand ready to address a host of HVAC installation, repair and maintenance needs. We work on boilers, heat pumps, ductless HVAC and many other types of systems.
Customers looking to save money should check our specials pages. We have financing available to qualified customers. You may also be able to take advantage of manufacturer rebates. If you have questions about the HVAC component of LEED certification, we would be glad to answer them. Contact Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. today to get the ball rolling.
