Per 90.1, G3.1.1 the baseline system shall be based on... number of floors, conditioned floor area... etc.

I have a 5 story building with a total gross square footage of ~153,172 square feet. I received a LEED review comment (LEED 2009) that states the baseline system should be system 8 rather than system 6 (as I have modeled). The SVA report indicates the floor area as 153172 square feet, but the LSC report indicates the conditioned area as 144775 square feet for calculations. Supply/return shafts, elevator shafts, etc are excluded from conditioned floor area as well as wall thicknesses. Is the use of system type 6 appropriate since the conditioned floor area is less than 150,000 square feet or, as the comment suggests, should the baseline system be changed to system 8 since the gross area exceeds 150,000 square feet? Changing the system type will substantially impact the savings as the proposed system is a packaged rooftop unit rather than a chilled water plant.

Thanks

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Bernie Hont, PE, LEED AP
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