Indoor Environmental Quality Flashcards
Indoor Environmental Quality Intent
Americans spend nearly 90% of their lives indoors. The quality of the indoor environment directly impacts the health of the building’s occupants, and is a critical component of a sustainable built environment. In work environments, green buildings can enhance human productivity, decrease absenteeism, increase building value and reduce owner liability.
Indoor Environmental Quality Credits
Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance Prerequisite
Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control Prerequisite
Minimum Acoustic Performance Prerequisite
Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies - 2 points max
Low Emitting Materials - 3 points max
Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan - 1 point
Indoor Air Quality Assessment - 2 points max
Thermal Comfort - 1 point - Core and Shell
Interior Lighting - 2 points max - Schools
Daylight - 3 points max - Schools
Quality Views - 1 point - Healthcare
Acoustic Performance - 1 point - Healthcare
Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance Prerequisite
Purpose: Establish minimum standards for indoor air quality.
Requirements: 2 tasks. 1) Increasing necessary ventilation and monitoring of the ventilated spaces. Increase ventilation naturally, with operable windows, or mechanically with variable air volume (VAV) systems. Monitoring includes installing CO2 sensors within the “Breathing Zone” which is between 3-6 feet above the floor. ASHRAE 62.1.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke Control Prerequisite
Purpose: To prevent or minimize exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in buildings.
Requirements: Prohibit smoking inside the building, prohibit smoking outside of the building except in designated smoking areas that are at least 25 feet from entries, air intakes and operable windows and incorporate signage within 10 feet of all building entrances indicating a no smoking policy.
Acoustic Note for Schools
Note: LEED for schools, acoustics are an element of “indoor air quality”. Provide classrooms that are quite, to minimize background noise, echo and reverberation, to allow teachers and students to communicate effectively without raising their voices.
Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies Credit
Purpose: to promote building occupant comfort, well-being, and productivity.
Requirements: 1) “Enhanced IAQ Strategies” Install entryway systems (such as floor mats) to absorb dirt; interior cross-contamination prevention (such as exhaust systems for removing odors or fumes from an area to avoid spreading); filtration media (use MERV 13 or higher filters) to filter air throughout the building; natural ventilation design ( following the guidelines int he CIBSE manual); and mixed mode design calculations; according to guidelines in CIBSE.
2) “Additional Enhanced IAQ strategies” - Exterior contamination prevention; Increased ventilation; CO2 monitoring; Additional source control and monitoring; Natural ventilation (room by room calculations).
Note: ASHRAE 52.2 is reference standard to remember here.
EP: Project earns that achieve both option 1 and option 2, while incorporating an additional option 2 strategy are eligible for an additional point.
Low Emitting Materials Credit
Purpose: Reduce exposure of building occupants to concentrations of contaminants that can damage air quality, human health and productivity.
Requirements: Reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) using product category rules (PCRs) or VOC budgets.
1) Achieve the given thresholds of compliance for interior paints and coatings, interior adhesives and sealants, flooring, composite wood, ceilings, walls, thermal & acoustic insulation, and furniture.
2) Use the Budget Calculation Method, which is weighted average calculation that includes the VOC information for each product (as described in Option 1) . 1 point is awarded for over 50% compliance, 2 points for over 70% and 3 points over 90%.
Notes: Products must also either be inherently non-eliminating or tested and determined compliant by the California Department of Health Standard Method V1.1-2010.
Low VOC paint contributes to Low Emitting Materials.
EP: Option 1: earn all points and reach 100% of products. Option 2: Reach 100% of products.
Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan Credit
Purpose: Provide consideration for workers during construction by minimizing indoor air quality problems associated with construction and renovation.
Requirements: Design and implement an IAQ management plan that meets or exceeds the SMACNA IAQ guidelines for Occupied Building Under Construction. Teams must also protect any absorptive materials from moisture exposure (such as keeping them outside) to prevent mold and use minimum MERV 8 filters per ASHRAE Standard 52.2.
Smoking must be prohibited from inside the building and within 25 feet of the building during construction.
SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association) and ASHRAE 52.2 for MERV filtration.
Indoor Air Quality Assessment Credit
Purpose: Establish better quality indoor air in the building once construction is complete, and during occupancy.
Requirements: Project teams have two options for compliance with this credit:
1) Building Flush Out: Once construction is complete, flush the building with at least 14000 cubic ft of air per square foot at a constant rate of humidity and temperature, or during occupancy flush the building 3500 cubic square feet of air per square foot (before occupancy) and 14000 cubic feet of air per square foot after occupancy, while maintaining a constant temperature and humidity.
2) “Air Testing” - Conduct an IAQ test for each contaminant to make sure that it is below the maximum concentration level for that contaminant.
Under option 2, testing is per the EPA compendium Methods, ASTM standard method or ISO method.
Thermal Comfort Credit
Purpose: Promote occupant comfort, well-being and employee productivity through optimal thermal comfort and individual control.
Requirements: Provide thermal comfort controls for at least 50% of individual occupant spaces and provide group thermal comfort controls for all shared multi-occupant spaces. The controls should adjust at least one of: air temperature, radiant temperature, air speed and humidity.
1) ASHRAE Standard 55-2010: following the standard, design the HVAC system according to the guidelines in the Thermal Conditions for Human Occupancy, or a local equivalent,
2) Design the HVAC system according to the ISO and CEN standards for Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment.
Interior Lighting Credit
Purpose: Provide high quality natural and artificial lightning to promote occupant productivity and comfort.
Requirements:
1) Lighting Controls offer individual controls for at least 90% of building occupants, with at least three levels of control: on, off and midlevel. Include lighting control in all shared multi-occupant building spaces.
2) Lighting Controls use light sources with A CRI of at least 80 and minimize direct only overhead lighting to 25% or less of total connected lighting for all regularly occupied spaces. Use light sources that have a rated life of at least 24,000 hours for 75% of total connected lighting load.
Daylight Credit
Purpose: Connect building occupants with the outdoor environment by providing quality views.
Requirements: Achieve a direct line of sight to the outdoors via vision glazing for 75% of all regularly occupied floor area.
75% of all regularly occupied floor area must have at least two of the four following kinds of views.
a) Multiple lines of sight to vision glazing in different directions at least 90 degrees apart.
b) Views that include at least two of the following: (1) Flora, fauna, or sky; (2) movement; and (3) objects at least 25 feet from the exterior of the glazing.
c) Unobstructed views located within the distance of three times the head height of the vision glazing.
d) Views into interior atria may be used to meet up to 30% of the required area.
EP: Project teams that meet the requirements for 90% of all regularly occupied areas are eligible for an EP point.
Daylighting and views contribute to Indoor Environmental Quality because they help connect occupants to the outdoors and create a healthier happier space.
Acoustic Performance Credit
Purpose: Provide workspaces and classrooms that promote occupants well-being, productivity, and communications through effective acoustic design.
Requirements: Schools should eliminate background noise, reduce sound transmission and/or reverberation and echo, and improving indoor sound characteristics through a variety of strategies.
a) HVAC background noise - Achieve maximum background noise levels from heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems per 2011 ASHRAE Handbook, HVAC Applications, Chapter 48, Table 1, AHRI Standard 855-2008, Table 15; or local equivalent. Calculate or measure sound levels.
b) Sound Transition: Meet the composite sound transmission class (STCC) ratings listed in Table , or local building code, whichever is more stringent.
c) Sound Reverberation Time: Meet the reverberation time requirements int he ASHRAE “ Performance Measurement Protocols for Commercial Buildings” Chapter 9.
d) Sound Reinforcement: For all large conference rooms and auditoriums seating more than 50 persons, evaluate whether sound reinforcement and AV playback capabilities are needed.
e) Masking Systems: For projects that use masking systems, the design levels must not exceed 48dBA. Ensure that loudspeaker coverage provides uniformity of +/- 2 dBA and that speech spectra are effectively masked.
