The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the release of the comprehensively updated LEED Demand Response Pilot Credit. Originally launched in 2010, the revised and enhanced Demand Response Pilot Credit establishes guidelines that are anticipated to increase participation in automated demand response programs. Leading industry experts from the Demand Response Research Center at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), Schneider Electric and Skipping Stone contributed to the development of the credit.

LEED projects that satisfy the credit by demonstrating their ability to shift energy consumption during peak events by 10 percent of peak load demand will earn a point towards LEED certification when they participate in existing utility-sponsored demand response programs that meet guidelines established in the pilot credit. Additional points are available for projects that implement semi or fully automated demand response programs in their buildings.

“By forming a team leveraging the demand response research from LBNL, energy market expertise from Skipping Stone and our own diverse and deep experience with buildings, we believe this credit will really make a difference in the overall smart grid adoption by the commercial sector,” said Jim Anderson, vice president USA Utility and Smart Grid Business for Schneider Electric.

USGBC is currently finalizing plans for the implementation of a concentrated market test of the Demand Response Pilot Credit. The market pilot test will be launched in select utility territories to promote the new the credit and spark widespread adoption of demand response within the building community. The program will also include an education and market feedback mechanism to foster knowledge-sharing and measure the impact the building community can have on the grid and the environment. The pilot test is currently being developed as a partnership leveraging stakeholder support through utilities and demand response program providers, enabling technology companies and companies that service the building and energy communities.

“Demand response is unique,” said Mark MacCracken, Chairman of Board of USGBC. “To achieve success, this LEED credit requires coordination between the building community, utilities and wholesale power market operators with qualified programs. We believe that the new requirements create a straightforward framework for LEED teams to implement demand response, while delivering benefits to both the power grid and to the environment.”

Documentation of the Demand Response Pilot Credit requirements and related information is now available here.