Green Buildings
Fulton participates in the US Green Building Council's LEED points system for New Construction projects with our condensing boiler products, and more effectively with Pulse products because of their low electrical consumption.
No LEED points are ever guaranteed. They must be applied for in each individual project. Points awarded to one building do not guarantee the same points for another application. Scoring is based on energy usage for each specific project (the cost of energy, not the amount of fuel/electricity used).
The 4 major areas of the LEED-NC points that Fulton commercial heating products contribute to are explained below. Keep in mind that with the variety of LEED-NC designs being completed, there may be other areas where points can be obtained with the use of condensing boilers.
Optimizing Energy Performance
The Optimizing Energy Performance has 1-10 points available based on a whole building energy simulation. The intent is to achieve increasing levels of performance above the baseline (meaning minimum standards outlined per the ASHRAE standard 90.1-2004) to reduce environmental economic impacts associated with excessive energy use. For example, an engineering firm designs a building based on the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 standard, and the engineer makes improvements. The amount of money they are able to save in the cost of energy for that building determines how many points they are entitled to.
A typical building in the midwest might allocate cost of energy in the following way:
- 1/3 = plug load
- 1/3 = lighting
- 1/3 = HVAC equipment
Of the third allocated for HVAC, a third of that is for the boilers themselves. So in this situation, receiving a point for the boilers is very good. This calculation must always be completed and submitted, with costs averaging $15,000 to have an engineer perform the calculation.
Green Power
If at least 35% of a building's electricity is from renewable sources and engage in at least a 2 year energy contract, one point is earned. Because of the low electrical consumption of the Pulse boiler, it is ideal for green power applications.
Innovation in Design
Pulse Boilers have been utilized to obtain innovation in design points in LEED buildings. This section of points gives projects a place to apply for points in the areas of the project that contribute to significant energy savings, but are not addressed in any other are of the LEED point qualification criteria. 1-4 Points may be awarded depending on the level of impact on the project.
Because of the unique nature of Pulse combustion, Fulton Pulse boilers have drastically low electrical consumption as compared to other power burner style boilers, and have contributed toward Innovation In Design points in past projects.
On Site Renewable Energy
The "On-Site Renewable Energy" is a category of points available under LEED for New Construction or Major Renovation. For the total building, the points available depend on the percentage of renewable energy on-site.
| % Renewable Energy | Points |
| 2.5% 7.5% 12.5% |
1 2 3 |
Non-polluting and renewable energy potential including solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact hydro, biomass and bio-gas strategies should all be assessed as a part of the building design. Using solar panels as part or all of the power supply for a building can contribute toward these points. A LEED-AP engineer would incorporate all of this into his calculations.
The cost of the solar equipment varies greatly depending on the scope of the project. It's very difficult to assign a dollar value to because there is a huge range of options. Things such as inverter style, tying to the grid or battery backup, estimated run hours, etc. all play into this.
Please visit www.usgbc.org for additional information on the US Green Building Council and LEED points
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