Another look at “2019 energy benchmarking data for LEED-certified buildings in Washington”

Abstract

An article entitled “2019 energy benchmarking data for LEED-certified buildings in Washington, D.C.: Simulation and reality” recently appeared in this journal. The central conclusion of that article was that LEED-certified offices in Washington DC used more site and source energy in 2019 than did similar offices that were not LEED-certified. Here I show that this conclusion is backwards, that the DC municipal benchmarking data show that in 2019 LEED offices used 14% less site energy and 12% less source energy than did other DC offices. My conclusion is supported by 1) a previously-published 2016 study of LEED offices in DC, 2) the identification of significant errors and inconsistencies in the “2019 energy benchmarking …. ” article and 3) my own analysis of the 2019 DC building benchmarking data.