Best Practices

Meeting the prescriptive requirements of Options 2 and 3 is not common practice and requires a high degree of attention to detail by your project team. (See the Documentation Toolkit for the Core Performance Guide Checklist.) These paths are more straightforward than Option 1, but don’t think of them as easy.

Develop the thermal comfort survey after determining space programming, designing the mechanical system, and confirming compliance with EQc7.1. It is best to customize the occupant survey for the building’s planned HVAC systems. Questions may be structured differently depending on whether you are assessing the performance of an evaporative cooling system, an in-floor radiant heating system, or a natural ventilation system.

It is also helpful for projects attempting this credit to pursue EQc6.2: Controllability of Systems—Thermal Comfort. When occupants have control of their thermal comfort they tend to be more satisfied. 

It is usually a good idea to do a “mini air flush” (if your project is not attempting EQc3.2) before occupancy to help remove any lingering VOCs from the construction process. This can be as simple as putting industrial sized fans in the window and pumping in fresh air overnight or running the HVAC exhaust on high for a few days. (See EQc3.2: Construction Indoor Air Quality Plan—Before Occupancy if the team wants to do a full flush-out for an additional LEED point.)

Streamline documentation and research by keeping a master spreadsheet of all the items being tracked for each material across MR and EQ credits.

Post signs at the construction site that reminds subcontractors to follow LEED requirements for using urea-formaldehyde-free composite materials and laminating adhesives. (Link to Signage UF)

It is usually a good idea to do a “mini air flush” (if your project is not attempting EQc3.2) before occupancy to help remove any lingering VOCs from the construction process. This can be as simple as putting industrial sized fans in the window and pumping in fresh air overnight or running the HVAC exhaust on high for a few days. (See EQc3.2: Construction Indoor Air Quality Plan—Before Occupancy if the team wants to do a full flush-out for an additional LEED point.)

Streamline documentation and research by keeping a master spreadsheet of all the items being tracked for each material across MR and IEQ credits. For example, you may need to ask the millworker for regional information for MRc5, certified

Make sure that compliance and coordination with this credit is called out in the IAQ management plan if your project is pursuing EQc3.1: Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan—During Construction. 

Strategies for space planning may include: