ROCKVILLE, Md. - The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will work cooperatively on a study, “Identifying Key Design, Construction and Operation Variables Affecting Energy Performance in LEED Certified Buildings.” MCERF will provide up to $75,000 in funding for this project.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings have demonstrated significantly lower energy use than their counterparts, but a statistically high variance in energy use exists in a sample group, even within similar building types, say the organizations. The MCERF/USGBC study will review the design, construction, operations practices, and strategies of the best and worst energy performers in this sample (~18). MCERF and the USGBC will develop detailed case studies on at least six of the buildings to provide specific examples of why energy performance differs so broadly.

A protocol for screening buildings will be developed and implemented during the study to identify underlying variables influencing performance. A report and educational presentation highlighting the findings of the project analysis and illustrative case studies will result. For more information on this joint study, contact Dennis Langley at dlangley@mcaa.org.

Publication date: 01/07/2008