New NECB calculator for LEED v4 energy update
- Rating System/Standard
- LEED v4
- Theme
- Certification updates
- Credit Category
- Energy & Atmosphere
A new calculator is now available for projects using the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2011, and subject to the LEED v4 energy update.
As noted earlier in 2024, all LEED v4 registrations for BD+C, ID+C, Multifamily-Midrise, and Homes, on or after March 1, 2024, are subject to updated requirements for energy performance. This update is intended to bring these projects more in line with LEED v4.1 energy requirements, as well as address operational carbon through the assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Canadians are still welcome to utilize the NECB 2011 Alternative Compliance Path (ACP), but will be subject to the updated point assignment weighting provided for ASHRAE 90.1:2010 users after the energy update, as noted in the LEED v4 Credit Library. To utilize NECB 2011, an updated NECB 2011 Energy Performance Calculator is now available, similar to the ASHRAE 90.1:2010 Energy Performance Calculator updated in the summer of 2024 to align with the energy update. As with the previous version, and all USGBC calculators, the calculator is available in English only.
With the energy update, project teams have multiple pathways available to them which are detailed in the table of options resource. The USGBC also offers two FAQs that provide more detailed explanation:
For example, a LEED v4 project registered after the LEED v4 energy update can continue with ASHRAE 90.1:2010 or NECB 2011 and utilize the new point weighting assignments with the new calculators, or adopt LEED v4.1 through credit substitution, or use currently open ACPs, such as the updated zero Energy Performance Index (zEPI) ACP, which provides options to use your local code, that is, NECB 2015, 2017, or 2020.