Best Practices

Accountability is another key element to mold prevention and ongoing IAQ maintenance.

For a more comprehensive IAQ plan, you may want to include design recommendations for the architect and mechanical engineer, steps for preventing moisture buildup during construction, and for remediation if building materials become wet or moldy during construction.

Implementing the IAQ plan is easy for most projects, especially if the operations staff is included in the process of writing the plan.

The IAQ plan is the portion of the credit that focuses on building operation and maintenance. It should include:

It helps to hire and work with design, construction, and operation teams with knowledge of and experience with IAQ issues and mold prevention.

Keep good records of your data, and analyze them. The required monthly and annual consumption summaries are intended to facilitate trend analyses that account for seasonal variations by identifying and analyzing unexpected levels of use based on comparisons to the same time period in prior years. 

Consider using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager to record total monthly water utility data. Using Energy Star is an easy way to compile monthly data for credit documentation. 

Project buildings usually meet the Option 1 requirement by adding the required weekly meter readings to the operations personnel’s standard maintenance rounds.

Metering of reclaimed water or graywater is encouraged and helpful for monitoring water

These programs measure the amount of alternative transportation used in your project building, but also analyze the amount and quality of commuting incentives offered by employers or building managers.