Using the Labs21 Benchmarking Tool for LEED®-EB

Paul Mathew, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
Diana Glawe, US Environmental Protection Agency

Laboratory owners and operators can benefit from energy benchmarking during design, commissioning, and operation. The Labs21 Benchmarking Tool allows owners to benchmark their facilities against their peers using an array of metrics, including whole-building metrics such as site energy use intensity, as well as system metrics such as ventilation system efficiency. The database currently has over 100 laboratory facilities and is the most comprehensive publicly available database of laboratory energy use.

The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system for Existing Buildings (LEED®-EB) requires the use of ENERGYSTAR or an equivalent rating system for credits related to energy efficiency. Since ENERGYSTAR does not have a rating system for laboratories, the USGBC has issued a ruling indicating that the Labs21 tool can be used for meeting the requirements of LEED-EB. This presentation will begin with an overview of benchmarking. I will then demonstrate the use the of the Labs21 tool and provide guidance on how to properly use the benchmarking data for LEED-EB. I will conclude with a discussion of the current limitations of the tool and future developments, including collaboration with EnergyStar to develop a rating system for laboratories.

The inherent complexity and variety of laboratories makes comparative assessments and benchmarking of their energy performance a unique and challenging task when compared to most other building types. Labs21 has the most comprehensive publicly available database to benchmark laboratory energy use. Given the enormous interest in LEED and the fact that USGBC has issued a ruling on the use of Labs21 tool for LEED-EB, this presentation is especially relevant for this audience.

Biography:

Paul Mathew is a staff scientist at LBNL, where he conducts applied research and market transformation activities on energy use in buildings. His current work is focused on energy efficiency and green design for laboratories and other high-technology buildings, as well as energy benchmarking tools and techniques. In addition to his technical research and consulting, he also teaches courses on energy-efficient design, including as a Labs21 registered instructor. Prior to joining LBNL, he worked at Enron Energy Services and the Center for Building Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. He has a Bachelor's degree in architecture, and a Ph.D. in building performance and diagnostics.

Diana Glawe, PhD. Diana is an Associate Professor in the engineering science department at Trinity University. She is currently an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellow at EPA working in the Sustainability Facilities Practices Branch (SFPB) during academic leave. Before entering academia, she worked for the Air Force Research Laboratory in the area of laser-based flow diagnostics and supersonic flow. More recently, she spent several years performing research on biomimetic nanostructures before turning her focus to sustainability.

Back to Agenda