Earning LEED Points for EV Charging Stations

When you’re building a facility for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, every point matters.

The LEED program is the globally recognized standard for high-performance green buildings. Earning LEED points may open up opportunities for sustainable building tax credits, and a LEED certification is a powerful tool for branding. The higher your certification level, the better the benefits — and if you have an easy opportunity to earn a point, it’s in your interest to take it.

The program outlines four levels of certification:

• Certified (40-49 points)
• Silver (50-59 points)
• Gold (60-79 points)
• Platinum (80+ points).

By installing electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, you can improve employee experiences, attract customers, and show your commitment to a sustainable future. With the right approach, you can also earn a LEED point. Here’s what you need to know when planning your project.

How to Earn LEED Points for EV Charging Stations

In this article, we’re focusing on LEED points — but it’s also worth noting that the Inflation Reduction Act reinstated a tax break for electric vehicle chargers, an incentive of up to 30% of the total cost of equipment and installation.

That tax break makes EV stations one of the most obvious green improvements for businesses, particularly when a commercial operation could provide a real benefit to employees and customers by participating.

In other words, green vehicle charging stations make sense, even if you don’t qualify for LEED points. However, the United States Green Building Council (USBC) has fairly straightforward requirements for charging stations, and most operations should be able to qualify easily.

To earn one LEED point, you’ll need to meet one of two basic requirements under LEED v4.1 Beta (these requirements are roughly the same as earlier versions of LEED):

1. Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment - Offer preferred parking for green vehicles with supply equipment for 5% of all parking spaces or at least 2 spaces, whichever is greater.
2. Electric Vehicle Ready Infrastructure - Offer electric vehicle ready infrastructure for 10% of all parking spaces, or at least 6 spaces, whichever is greater.

As with all LEED requirements, there’s a bit of bureaucratic red tape, which you’ll need to consider when planning your improvement. Below, we’ll discuss each of these requirements in detail.

Option 1: Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment

The Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (or Option 1 under the LEED entry for electric vehicles) requires fewer parking spaces to be dedicated for EV use.

1. Install enough equipment to meet the LEED thresholds.

Per the USBC, your project must designate 5% of all parking spaces as preferred parking for green vehicles, or at least two spaces, whichever is greater. Distribute preferred parking spaces proportionally among various parking sections (e.g. between short-term and long-term spaces).

That means that if your project has 40 or fewer parking spaces, 2 of those spaces must have EV charging equipment (or other gas alternative fueling facilities, which we’ll address in a moment). Larger parking areas should use the 5% number, rounding up.

2. Clearly identify and enforce spaces for sole use by green vehicles.

LEED v4.1 requires “clear" identification, but doesn’t include much additional guidance — however, if you’re going through the effort of installing EV supply equipment, you’re probably taking the right steps to identify those spaces.

Some quick tips to keep in mind:

• Provide signage indicating the preferred parking spaces for EVs.
• Provide signage at the entrance of the parking area, if possible.
• Have a documented plan to enforce the preferred EV parking spaces.

LEED 4.1 doesn’t specifically mention enforcement, but documenting your enforcement strategy may help you clear the last hurdles to earning a LEED point. This is also a fairly obvious practical consideration: If you’re not reserving spaces with EVSE for EV drivers, you’re not making the most of your investment.

3. Provide charging equipment at each EV parking space.

Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) must meet several requirements:

• The EVSE must provide a Level 2 charging capacity (208-240 volts) or greater for each required space. Level 1 charging is a standard 120 volt AC outlet, which can only supply about 3-5 miles of EV range per hour — the vast majority of commercial EV chargers meet the Level 2 standard.
• The equipment must comply with the relevant regional or local standard for electrical connectors, such as SAE Surface Vehicle Recommended Practice J1772, SAE Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler or IEC 62196 of the International Electrotechnical Commission for projects outside the U.S.
• Meet the connected functionality criteria for ENERGY STAR certified EVSE and be capable of responding to time-of-use market signals (e.g. price). This connectivity will allow your EVSE to participate in demand-response programs or encourage off-peak charging.

Again, most commercial EV charging stations will qualify by default. For more information regarding ENERGY STAR requirements, see the Department of Energy’s EVSE key product criteria.

Option 2: Electric Vehicle Ready Infrastructure

To qualify for a point under “Electric Vehicle Ready Infrastructure,” you must make 10% of parking spaces — or at least 6 spaces, whichever is greater — EV ready. Once again, the 10% figure should be rounded up (LEED doesn’t make this clear in their guidelines, but the purpose of the program is to encourage builders to go above and beyond).

Here’s what LEED 4.1 requires:

To be EV Ready, include a dedicated electrical circuit with sufficient capacity for each required space. Each circuit shall have conduit and wire sufficient to provide Level 2 charging or greater, and shall end at an electrical box or enclosure located near each required space.

On its surface, this seems easier to meet than Option 1 — but it’s far less beneficial for customers, staff, and visitors, since Option 2 doesn’t actually require projects to offer EV charging. It also requires a greater investment in infrastructure.

With that said, if you’re planning a large project, you may decide to meet the basic LEED requirements of Option 2 while also offering EV charging at each preferred parking space. This is a future-proof strategy: Option 2 has simpler requirements, and as electric vehicles become more common, EV-ready facilities will be prepared to take advantage of the change.

Contact BHS to Discuss Your EV Infrastructure Project

Robust, ergonomic EV charging equipment will help you prepare for LEED certification — and provide drivers with a better experience.

BHS provides solutions for EV charging stations, including the EV Charging Pedestal and Cable Management Kits. Both products can be customized to meet the needs of your operation.

Contact a BHS at 1.800.BHS.9500 for more information or to start planning your LEED-ready parking project.