Credit 2- On-Site Renewable Energy
The intent of EA2 is to “encourage and recognize increasing levels of on-site renewable energy self-supply in order to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use.” EA3 can fulfill 1-3 credits, depending on the renewable energy percentage. The mechanical engineer calculates the renewable energy percentage in comparison to the building’s annual energy cost.
Eligible types of renewable energy include solar, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas and low-impact hydroelectric. Non-eligible types of renewable energy include architectural features, geo-exchange systems, and green-power from off-site. These types of energy combine well with net metering. Net metering saves the property money by allowing on-site generators to send excess electricity to local power grids.
(Source: -NC 2. 2 Reference Guide)