What credit can positively impact a LEED project that earns an ENERGY STAR rating of 80?

Earning an ENERGY STAR rating of 80 indicates a high level of energy efficiency in a building, which is directly relevant to the Optimize Energy Performance credit under the Energy and Atmosphere category. This credit is designed to encourage strategies that enhance a building's energy performance beyond baseline levels.

The reason this credit positively impacts a LEED project is that achieving an ENERGY STAR rating demonstrates that a building is performing well in terms of energy use, which aligns perfectly with the goals of the Optimize Energy Performance credit. This credit rewards projects that achieve energy savings, whether through improvements to operational practices, energy-efficient designs, or the use of renewable energy sources. Thus, obtaining an ENERGY STAR rating is not just a mark of success but also serves as tangible evidence to fulfill the requirements of this particular credit.

Other choices, while beneficial in their respective arenas, do not directly correlate to an ENERGY STAR rating. Indoor water use reduction, site development, and building reuse credits focus on entirely different aspects of sustainability and do not leverage the energy efficiency metrics that the ENERGY STAR score provides.