Rating System

LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED BD+C: Schools

Rating System Version

v2 - LEED 2.2, v2 - Schools 2007

Inquiry

Description Our project is a newly constructed building on a college campus. Adjacent to the proposed building is an existing athletic complex with a 40,000 sq ft flat rooftop. The client wishes to install solar arrays on the roof of the athletic complex which would tie into the electrical grid on campus. The grid is monitored by a single meter. The solar panels will be installed concurrently with the new building and will be intended to offset a significant portion of the load that the new building would add to the total campus energy consumption. The campus has no other new construction projects in the foreseeable future. Proposal Since the solar array and new building will be installed concurrently, the new energy consumption of the campus will be the addition of the new building energy consumption minus the generated solar power. It seems that all of the generated power could be applied to the new building, especially since no other buildings are going for LEED accreditation. We propose that the entire load generated by the solar array be applied to the new building. Please rule on the acceptability of this approach.