[Bldg-sim] Which LEED with which ASHRAE ?

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Hi Colleagues,

I have here a group of 7 buildings in the same project. They are all
identical, except for orientation.

The buildings are multifamily residential units, with 3 floors and a
basement each. They are existing buildings being renovated, and I am
wondering which version of LEED should apply (LEED for New Construction
and
Major Renovations, LEED for Homes, ...)?

Also, should I use ASHRAE 90.1 or ASHRAE 90.2 for the Baseline?

Thanks.
______________
Demba Ndiaye

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I think that LEED-NC v2.2 (with ASHRAE 90.1-2004) would be the best
option, though obviously you are right on that border line between where
90.1 is appropriate. This is mostly based on my brief run through of the
LEED for Homes criteria, which I feel is better suited for single family
and town-home type settings (others may disagree with me on this).

The other advantage of using this compliance path is that you can take
advantage of the "LEED-NC Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and
On-Campus Building Projects" which can save you A LOT of duplicate
effort in documenting a project with multiple, similar buildings (for
almost all credits, not just EAc1). Check out the application guide
using the search function on the USGBC website if the following link
does not work:

http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=1097

Sincerely,

Nathan Miller

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Standard 90.1 defines "low-rise residential" as " .... multi-family
structures of three stories or fewer above grade...", so 90.1 will not
apply. Standard 90.2 will be your choice.

Regards,

Larry O. Degelman, P.E. 

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Hello Demba,

Since this building is three stories or less, then it falls under the ASHRAE 90.2 guidelines as residential multifamily building.
This building would fall under the LEED for Homes guidelines. Having said that, then this building would fall under the auspices of the Home Energy Rating System which uses the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as a baseline.

I hope this helps,

V. Robert Salcido, P.E., LEED AP

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The Baseline defined in LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations
is from 90.1. If I can't use 90.1, does that mean I am obliged to go
with LEED for Home (which does not use 90.2 at all, I think)? Any
thoughts?

I am lost (Friday afternoons don't help).

______________
Demba Ndiaye

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We are currently working on two dorm projects that fall into this gray
area of LEED.

ASHRAE 90.2 is the appropriate standard for these types of buildings.
However, no reference to 90.2 is made in the LEED NC v2.2 manual. We
were told by a LEED NC course instructor that the buildings cannot be
certified under LEED NC v2.2. His reasoning is that since ASHRAE 90.1 is
not applicable, the buildings cannot meet EA prerequisite 2.

Also, the LEED NC v2.2 manual states:

"All commercial buildings, as defined by standard building codes, are
eligible for certification as a LEED for New Construction building.
Commercial occupancies include (but are not limited to) offices, retail
and service establishments, institutional buildings (libraries, schools,
museums, churches, etc.), hotels and residential buildings of four or
more habitable stories."

Most standard building codes define 3 story dorms as residential
buildings.

The owners of our buildings have decided to register the projects in
order to get an official credit interpretation ruling from the USGBC. We
hope to have an official answer within the next few weeks.

Regards,

Keith Leadbetter, PE, LEED(r) AP

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Here is our perspective on the subject.

Before there was LEED for Homes, you could use LEED NC for multi-unit residential projects - and according to the LEED Guidelines for Lodging one should use 90.2 for residential buildings that were 3 stories or less. But that was then and this is now. So we agree if it is only residential with 3 stories or less than one must use LEED for Homes.

We still use LEED NC for mixed-use buildings of 4 stories or more that include some floors of residential. In this case, we follow 90.1 but follow the 90.1 "residential" aspects of the standard to characterize those floors of the building.

The gray area for us these days is if it is mixed use of 3 stories or less.

Ellen Franconi, Ph.D., LEED AP

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