On-Site Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is a type of energy generated from natural resources such as solar, wind, hydro, wave, tidal or biomass. Projects that utilize natural resources for clean and efficient energy can help earn multiple credits. credit 2, On-site Renewable Energy, encourages utilizing these resources to reduce “environmental and economic impacts associated with fossil fuel use.” Using these types of energy helps offset building energy costs. The requires you to use the DOE, Department of Energy database to determine your building's electricity use. You then calculate the energy made by the renewable energy systems as a percentage of your building’s computed DOE electricity use. awards buildings with 2.5% renewable energy one point, 7.5% two points, and 12.5% three points. On-site renewable energy of 17.5% can also earn an exemplary performance point.
When a project is located near a body of water, it is most efficient to use a hydro, wave or a tidal energy generation system. Rural project sites with satisfactory wind resources should look into using wind turbine energy generation systems. Biomass systems should be used if the appropriate resources are available. Materials that would otherwise be thought as waste products such as bark, saw dust, animal residuals, can all be converted to be used as clean products for biomass systems. The most common on-site renewable energy system for urban settings is solar electric panels, also known as photovoltaic systems. These solar panels have many advantages when they are used in projects.