Thermal energy storage and LEED Certification
Thermal storage can help green building professionals and building owners achieve LEED® points in Energy & Atmosphere (EA), the largest credit area for both new and existing buildings.
Thermal storage helps with optimizing a building's energy performance and helps with demand response in existing or new construction. See what energy storage did for LEED CERTIFIED and ASHRAE Award winning Fossil Ridge High School.
Minimum energy performance Point EAp2
This option is required, so no points are available. For new construction only, thermal storage can help achieve this requirement, by helping buildings surpass ASHRAE
Standard 90.1-2010 by 5%. Because the ASHRAE Standard is based on cost of energy savings, thermal storage is an ideal choice.
Optimize energy performance Point EAc2
With this credit, earn up to 18 points by surpassing ASHRAE standards by up
to 50%. For new construction only, thermal storage, can help reduce energy costs 10-20% and gain up to 10 points. The ASHRAE Standard is based on energy cost savings, not energy savings. So cost is the metric to drive technology choices such as thermal energy storage in new construction.
Demand Response Point EA4
This new credit allows up to 3 points.New construction (2 points) and existing buildings (up to 3 points).
Obtain points by participating in a demand response program. If the local utility does not provide a demand response program then the infrastructure, such as thermal energy storage, would need to be in place to be prepared for future demand response programs.
Thermal storage can also help earn demand response credit for permanent load shifting (existing buildings only).
- Have in place during the performance period a system, which permanently transfers electricity demand from peak hours to off-peak hours as defined by the local utility provider.
- Demonstrate that the facility is successfully reducing peak demand by 10% during the performance period as compared to peak electrical demand.
LEED® CERTIFICATION is a program by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). This page provides a brief summary of credits. Please contact a CALMAC representative or USGBC for full details.
