How Berner’s Energy Recovery Systems fit with LEED
The USGBC’s LEED rating systems for buildings have Prerequisites and Credits that our fresh air ventilation with energy recovery systems may assist in achieving. Both the Energy & Atmosphere (EA) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) sections have Prerequisites that our systems can help a building to meet in order to achieve certification. Not only that, but our systems have the potential to assist a project in earning up to 23+* points.
Our HVAC systems may assist in achieving the following LEED criteria:
LEED 2009 for Schools New Construction & Major Renovations (4 Prerequisites & up to 24 points*)
LEED 2009 for New Construction and Major Renovation
(3 Prerequisites and up to 23* points):
- Energy & Atmosphere (EA) Prerequisites 2 & 3 and Credit 1 & Credit 4, up to 21 points
- Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) Prerequisite 1 and Credits 2 & 7.1, up to 2 points
LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings
(3 Prerequisites and up to 23* points):
- Energy & Atmosphere (EA) Prerequisites 2 & 3 and Credit 1, up to 18 points
- Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) Prerequisite 1 and Credits 1.3 & 1.4, up to 2 points
* Does not include Regional Priority Credits.
What is LEED?
The USGBC has created a rating system for green buildings called, “LEED.” LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The intent of LEED is to promote high performance, healthful, durable, affordable, and environmentally sound practices in building design, construction & operation.
How the LEED rating system works: the system is broken into 7 areas: Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy & Atmosphere (EA), Materials & Resources (MR), Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), Innovation & Design Process (ID), and Regional Priority Credits (RP).
Each category is assigned a certain number of prerequisites and points. In order to achieve LEED certification, a project must satisfy ALL of the prerequisites and achieve a minimum of 40 points.
Here is the Rating scale for LEED certification levels:
| Certified | All Prerequisites & 40 – 49 points |
| Bronze | All Prerequisites & 50 – 59 points |
| Silver | All Prerequisites & 60 – 69 points |
| Gold | All Prerequisites & 70 – 79 points |
| Platinum | All Prerequisites & 80 – 110 points |
Currently, there are 9 LEED Ratings Systems. They are LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations, LEED for Existing Buildings, LEED for Schools, LEED for Retail, LEED for Healthcare, LEED for Commercial Interiors, LEED for Core & Shell, LEED for Homes, and LEED for Neighborhood Development.
They all follow the same format with adjustments made in recognition of the use, stage and any special needs of the building.
Some of the ASHRAE Standards that apply to fresh air ventilation and energy recovery that are referenced by the LEED rating system are:
- ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential
- ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality
- ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, including continuous humidity control within established ranges per climate zone
While not referenced by LEED at this time, another relevant standard for energy recovery technologies is Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which has been developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in conjunction with the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This is the first such green building standard in the United States.