LEED Energy Performance Study
NBI has completed the
broadest study to-date of measured energy performance of LEED
buildings called “Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction
Buildings.” Aimed at better quantifying the actual energy
performance levels of green building, the study gathered whole building
energy data from 121 LEED-NC buildings across the country that had
been occupied for at least one year. The results look at the relationships
of actual performance levels to other benchmarks, including initial
modeling and ENERGY STAR ratings.
On average, LEED buildings are delivering the anticipated savings,
performing 25-30% better than national average or modeled baselines.
Individual building results, however, display a high degree of scatter,
with some performing much better than average and some much worse.
These and other results from this exploratory study suggest several
opportunities for improved feedback tools, follow-up research on
actual performance factors, improved modeling guidelines, and LEED
program refinements.
| OF SPECIAL NOTE: The year-long
study, "Energy Performance of LEED for New Construction
Buildings," is the first formal look at the measured post-occupancy
performance of LEED buildings. It suggests significant opportunities
for program improvement, even while it is clear that LEED is
having a positive impact on building energy performance. As
this information has been made publicly available, several common
questions have been asked about how LEED data was summarized
in the report. While many of the answers to these questions
are addressed in the report itself, we have developed a factsheet
of Frequently
Asked Questions to facilitate access to the answers.
The study conclusions point to several areas where better
tools are needed for reporting measured performance and benchmarking
results. More information on NBI efforts in this area including
a sortable list of resources on measured performance can be
found below.
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For more information, contact
.
Current Resources
NBI has developed a sortable
list of current resources on Measured Performance. This list
provides brief descriptions and links the key documents and tools
currently available for measured performance analyses and case studies.
Building Performance Review
Access to meaningful feedback on performance can lead to improvements
in just about any field, and we believe commercial buildings are
no exception to that rule. That led us to develop a market-friendly
Building Performance Review protocol. These reviews will answer
the following questions, providing actionable feedback to owners
and designers.
- Is the facility meeting the comfort needs of its occupants?
- Is it using energy efficiently?
- Are there areas that warrant further investigation or action?
 The
protocol starts with a Level 1 overview based on readily available
information: a simple survey of occupants, analysis of energy bills,
and an interview with the facility manager. The resulting
report gives a snapshot answer to the basic questions above.
While this initial stage does not gather enough detail to diagnose
specific problems, it can identify whether there are areas that
justify additional analysis and recommend possible next steps.
The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance funded our initial feasibility
investigation for this protocol. Read our report,
A Market-Friendly Post-Occupancy Evaluation: Building Performance
Report, which contains a basic outline for a self-reported
review. Since that time we have tested a pilot version in a large
Seattle-area school district, and we are currently seeking additional
partners to extend the development effort. Owners interested in
feedback on their buildings, should contact
at NBI.
National Workshop Spurs Steering Committee
   To
support ongoing improvements in new building design and existing
building operation, NBI brought a variety of building design, development,
operation, and design experts together at a Measured
Performance Workshop in December, 2007. The daylong discussion
of real life needs for measured performance feedback resulted in
a list of high priority activity areas and the establishment of
a national steering committee to further articulate the agenda and
guide progress. The meeting had its origins in the Getting to 50
Summit held in early 2007, at which all from researchers through
developers expressed the need for more actual performance case studies,
performance reports, and benchmark comparisons. The Measured Performance
meetings were co-hosted by USGBC
and ASHRAE
and sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY
STAR program.
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Work in Progress
These papers and studies are in progress and available for your
review and, in some cases, comment. See the information provided
on each entry for details.
Measured
Performance Case Study Template Development
NBI and California Institute for Energy and the Environment
A draft for comment of guidelines and content for an effective template
for reporting measured performance results at the individual building
level. The work draws heavily on current good examples and addresses
information needs from each stage of the building design through
operation process.
Building
Performance Visualization Tool
Center for neighborhood Technology
An online tool that tracks and displays building performance (energy,
water, emissions, and transportation) with overviews and detail
by fuel and end use.
Building
Smart
International Alliance for Interoperability
Standards development project with objectives of making building
performance measurement seamless, effortless, and standardized for
communication. (Referenced by Steve Selkowitz at the 12/5 Workshop)
"A
Vision for Energy Performance in Building Design and Operations"
Tom Hartman Updated version April 2008
The attached position paper by Tom Hartman presents one original
proposal for utilizing measured building performance to dramatically
reduce energy use as part of a city/regional greenhouse gas reduction
program. It is being presented here to solicit comments and stimulate
discussion in order to encourage additional creative thinking about
the best uses and metrics for building performance feedback. Contact
Tom Hartman at
.
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