Project and Performance Documentation: Arc, Performance Periods, Prerequisites, and Recertification
What the domain tests
This domain tests how O+M projects document performance in Arc and how certification and recertification cycles work. Expect items on performance-period length, data completeness, prerequisite evidence, and the recertification clock.
Core rules
- Most O+M performance credits use a 12-month performance period; the period must be consecutive and representative of normal operations.
- Arc is the GBCI platform for entering meter data, waste and purchasing data, transportation survey results, and occupant comfort survey results. It calculates performance scores and generates credit documentation.
- Utility data should come from actual bills or meters, not estimates. Gaps must be resolved with real data or a documented acceptable approach; do not silently extrapolate.
- All prerequisites must be met at the time of certification, even if the project is strong on credits.
- O+M certification is time-limited. Recertification is required every three years to maintain the credential; Arc data and a new performance period support the recertification submittal.
- Documentation should be internally consistent: meter boundaries, floor area, occupancy, and reporting periods must match across credits.
Worked example
An office has 12 months of electricity bills but is missing two months for a separately metered tenant. The team cannot simply average the remaining ten months and call it complete. It obtains the missing tenant bills or a verified landlord statement, then enters the full 12-month series. Because the building area used in Arc also feeds ENERGY STAR benchmarking, the team reconciles gross floor area before submitting.
Traps
Using a short, seasonal period; mixing calendar years without explanation; treating Arc as a design tool; forgetting that recertification is a recurring obligation; and submitting a prerequisite narrative that does not match the meter data.