In the fourth paragraph, add in after "...the greatest presumed contaminant source strength", "Determine the number of ventilation systems serving the building. Then, determine if the individual floor plates served by each single ventilation system are larger or smaller than 25,000 square feet. If they are smaller, take at least one sample for every 25,000 square feet, or fraction thereof, served by a single ventilation system. If they are larger, take one sample per floor plate. For example, a 110,000 square foot building with ten 11,000 square foot floors, served by a single ventilation system, needs only five samples - one per 25,000 square feet (or fraction thereof) because each 11,000 foot floor plate is smaller than 25,000 square feet. However, a building with ten 30,000 square foot floors, also served by a single ventilation system, needs ten samples for the building because each 30,000 floor plate is larger than the 25,000 sq ft criterion." Delete, "For example" in the following sentence.
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Develop and implement an IAQ management plan for the construction and preoccupancy phases of the building as follows:
- During construction, meet or exceed the recommended control measures of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines For Occupied Buildings Under Construction, 2nd Edition 2007, ANSI/ SMACNA 008-2008 (Chapter 3).
- Protect stored on-site and installed absorptive materials from moisture damage.
- If permanently installed air handlers are used during construction, filtration media must be used at each return air grille that meets one of the following criteria below. Replace all filtration media immediately prior to occupancy.
- Filtration media with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 8 as determined by ASHRAE Standard 52.2-1999 (with errata but without addenda1)
- Filtration media is Class F5 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779-2002, Particulate air filters for general ventilation, Determination of the filtration performance
- [East Asia ACP: Construction IAQ Equivalent]
- Filtration media with a minimum dust spot efficiency of 30% or higher and greater than 90% arrestance on a particle size of 3–10 µg
Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)
IAQ-MED">East Asia ACP: Construction IAQ Equivalent
Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as medium efficiency (中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008（空气过滤器）. [view:embed_resource=page_1=4787157] See all forum discussions about this credit »What does it cost?
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See all forum discussions about this credit »Addenda
5/9/2011 – Updated: 8/14/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
5/9/2011 – Updated: 8/14/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the fourth paragraph, add in after "...at normal daily start times and at the minimum outside airflow rate.", "For projects with standardized identical construction, such as classrooms in a school or multifamily residential units, identify which rooms are identical in construction, finishes, configuration, square footage, and HVAC systems. For these scenarios, project teams can sample the identical spaces by testing one in seven."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
5/9/2011 – Updated: 8/14/2020
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In the fourth paragraph, add "and the ISO methods" after "The protocols described in the referenced publication, EPA\'s Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Air Pollutants in Indoor Air,"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/1/2014 – Updated: 3/29/2018
Regional ACP
Description of change:
The third new bullet should read: “Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as medium efficiency (中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008 (空气过滤器).”
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/6/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
The first new bullet should read: "Filtration media has with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 8, as determined by ASHRAE Standard 52.2-1999 (with errata but without addenda)."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
2/1/2010 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Starting in the fifth line of the paragraph, remove the text "Finally, exhaust fumes from idling vehicles and gasoline-fueled tools."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
11/1/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In alphabetical order, add the following definition for occupied spaces, "Occupied Spaces are defined as enclosed spaces that can accommodate human activities. Occupied spaces are further classified as regularly occupied or non-regularly occupied spaces based on the duration of the occupancy, individual or multi-occupant based on the quantity of occupants, and densely or non-densely occupied spaces based upon the concentration of occupants in the space."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/6/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Delete the Alternative Compliance Path for Projects Outside the U.S.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/6/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
The second new bullet should read: "Filtration media is Class F5 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779-2002, Particulate air filters for general ventilation, Determination of the filtration performance"
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/6/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Under the third bullet, add three bullets, indented:
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
11/1/2011 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
In alphabetical order, add the following definition for nonoccupied spaces, "Nonoccupied spaces are defined as spaces designed for equipment and machinery or storage with no human occupancy except for maintenance, repairs, and equipment retrieval."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/6/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
The third bullet should read: "If permanently installed air handlers are used during construction, filtration media must be used at each return air grille that meets one of the following criteria below. Replace all filtration media immediately prior to occupancy."
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
7/6/2012 – Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
The third new bullet should read: "Filtration media with a minimum dust spot efficiency of 30% or higher and greater than 90% arrestance on a particle size of 3-10
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
3/8/2004
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:
This question concerns allowable contactor activities before, during, and after the required two week flushout period. Your response of 10/17/2001 on this credit seems to imply the following sequence of events: 1. Complete punch list 2. Perform flushout 3. Install furniture The implied reason for this is that the furniture will become a "sink" for indoor pollutants, if installed before the flushout. In our project, the contractor\'s work includes furniture installation. Furthermore, they expect to do touch up painting after move-in, since the movers are likely to cause some damage to building finishes. Following the logic of the 10/17/01 decision, this would be prohibited, as the touch up painting would have to be performed before the flushout, but the furniture move-in, which created the need for touch up, could not be allowed until after flushout. On the other hand, it could be argued that the furniture should be moved in before flushout, to give the furniture an opportunity to "off gas". Is the time of furniture move-in critical, relative to the flushout period? If so, when should it occur? Can any activities, such as touch up painting, be performed after the flushout?
Ruling:
The sequence of final construction activities will naturally vary between contractors and depend on the contractor\'s scope of work. It is most critical that the flush-out be conducted AFTER substantial completion of construction (including major IEQ-relevant punch list items) and prior to occupancy. As stated in the EQc3.2 ruling dated 10/17/2001, it is recommended that the flush-out occur prior to furniture installation (with the exception of non-porous items). Touch-up painting resulting from furniture move-in should not be a significant source of indoor air contamination in comparison to the VOC and particulate emissions from the building materials and construction process and need not be completed prior to flush-out. Applicable internationally.UPDATE 10/1/12: Now applicable to 2009 versions of the rating system and not applicable to older versions.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
8/1/2011
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:
Overview: This CIR applies to Option 2- Air Quality Testing. With regards to the process to demonstrate that the maximum TVOC concentrations are below 500 micrograms/cubic meter, this CIR is requesting the acceptance of an alternate unit of measure based on a volumetric reading from an instantaneous, direct reading photoionization detector instrument (PID) using a 10.6 eVolt lamp. This reading would be recorded in a ppb (parts per billion) measurement and then converted to the designated unit of measure called out in the requirements (micrograms/cubic meter) using a conversion factor. This direct reading approach for TVOC will offer a more economical solution for IAQ testing by a factor of approximately two for our ~480,000 SF project. Methodology A conversion factor has been developed (by EH&E in Newton, MA) and is based on a TVOC "fingerprint" of 33 individual volatile organic compounds grouped by chemical category, resulting from a technical evaluation of the Building Assessment Survey Evaluation (BASE) data, the EPA TO-15 list of VOC\'s, and other relevant technical data. The EH&E team examined three lists of indoor VOC\'s to develop the TVOC "fingerprint." These lists originated the following sources: BASE dataset for commercial buildings, PID-readable chemical compounds, and an EPA approved list of indoor VOC\'s. Seven individual VOC\'s from the BASE data the had the highest reported concentrations and could be measured by a PID formed an initial, preliminary fingerprint. These individual VOC\'s were chemically regrouped (i.e. alcohols, halogenated hydrocarbon, aliphatics, etc.) and the relative group proportions in the fingerprint were compared with the BASE dataset. Based on the EPA guidance and a review of indoor VOC literature, additional VOC\'s not measured in the BASE dataset were considered for inclusion. By mapping additional pollutants from the EPA TO-15 list of VOC\'s, EH&E modified the fingerprint to represent new or existing buildings. The expanded list of compounds included all BASE compounds that were both on the EPA TO-15 list and measurable by the PID. This "fingerprint" is based on the following list of chemicals, sorted by their group, their average group molecular weight (AGMV), the % in BASE data, and specific compounds in fingerprint: Format given in following order: Group/AGMW/% in BASE/Compounds in Fingerprint Aldehydes/44.06/12%/Acetaldehyde Alkanes & alkenes/113.6/8%/n-undecane; n-decane; Nonane; Octane; n-hexane; 1,3 butadiene Aromatics/110.5/14%/d-limonene; a-pinene; Naphthalene; o-xylene; m- & p-xylenes; Ethylbenzene; Styrene; Toluene; Benzene Halogenated Hydrocarbons/130/15%/1,2 -dbromoethane; 1,2, 4-trichlorobenzene; 1, 2, -dichlorobenzene; Trichlorobenzene; 1,3,5 -trimethylbenzene; Chlorobenzene; 1,1 -dichloroethene; Vinyl chloride Alcohols/78.5/31%/2 -butoxyethanol; Phenol; 1 -butanol Ketones/58.1/15%/Acetone Other(e.g. acetates,sulfides, ethers, etc.)/92.55/5%/Butyl acetate; Dimethyl disulfide; Ethyl acetate; Carbon disulfide; t-butyl methyl ether Conversion Factor In order to convert a PID reading from part per billion (ppb) to a mass-based equivalent in micrograms/cubic meter, the PID value is multiplied by a derived conversion factor, MCF, defined below as the product of two correction factors, CF-1 and CF-2. For the TVOC fingerprint listed above, the formula is MCF = CF1 * CF2, where MCF = 2.70 Mass Conversion Factor CF1 = 0.88 Correction for predicted ppb PID reading to "actual" ppb reading, based on isobutylene equivalents, and CF2 = 3.07 Correction for "actual" ppb to micrograms/cubic meter equivalent, based on the chemical distribution of the mixture and the average molecular weight. Summary The acceptance of this CIR would provide a lower cost test for TVOCs, including the use of both hand held PID-TVOC direct read instruments and permanently installed PID-TVOC direct read instruments.
Ruling:
**Update January 1, 2014: This Interpretation is no longer valid. See LI 2467.
**Update October 1, 2013
The applicant is requesting approval for use of a photoionization detector instrument (PID) to measure TVOC concentrations during air quality testing. The proposed alternative for testing of TVOC using a PID is not an approved method in the United States Environmental Protection Agency Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Air Pollutants in Indoor Air which are the methods required for this credit. The IAQ testing must be conducted according to the test procedure outlined in the referenced standard using an approved indoor TVOC measurement device, which is either Method IP-1A, Stainless Steel Canister, or IP-1B, Solid Adsorbent Tubes. Both of these methods utilize GC/MS analyses to determine the concentrations of the collected VOC\'s. Most laboratories will calculate the total concentration of VOC\'s (TVOC) according to a toluene equivalent mass from the Total Ion Chromatogram (not just the peaks of EPA TO-15 compounds, but the integrated area of the peaks from all compounds). This method is discussed in the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) Standard Practice. http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/greenbuilding/Specs/Section01350 First of all PID analyses miss many of the common indoor VOC\'s such as aldehydes and aliphatics and has a poor response factor (i.e. and thus large uncertainty) for common indoor VOC\'s such as alcohols. The "fingerprint" method proposed for calibration of the PID is fundamentally flawed in that it uses a calibration based upon an assumed fixed percentage of mass of VOC\'s from seven different groups of VOC\'s while the actual mass percentage of VOC\'s can vary widely from building to building. The errors associated with the "fingerprint" method could be easily demonstrated by simultaneously measuring the TVOC concentration with a PID and either method IP-1A or IP-1B in a number of buildings. Such a comparison was conspicuously missing from the EH&E report "Development of a Method to Convert Total Volatile Organic Compound Measurements in Buildings to Equivalent Mass Based Units", although the report did contain numerous caveats regarding the accuracy of the "fingerprint method" including limitations related to the "Representativeness of TVOC List" and the "Variability by Building Type". Additionally, the LEED-NC v2.2 Reference Guide states that samples must be collected over a minimum 4-hour period; instantaneous TVOC measurements do not satisfy this requirement.Applicable internationally.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
12/1/2007
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:
The project contains both systems furniture (42" application) for open areas, and modular wall systems (full height application that is demountable and reusable such as the DIRTT system). We are trying to schedule flush-out activities and understand from other CIRs that furniture installation may occur during or after flushout. Are modular walls as described here considered furniture?
Ruling:
Full height, demountable modular walls are essentially the same in form and function as permanent walls and as such are not considered furniture. They must be installed in the building prior to flush-out for the purposes of EQc3.2. Please note that such modular walls potentially affect other LEED credits (such as daylighting and views) and should therefore be included in any calculations and submissions required for those credits as well. Applicable Internationally.UPDATE October 1, 2012: This LEED Interpretation is not applicable to LEED-CI. Furniture must be installed before the flush-out for LEED-CI projects.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
3/7/2005
LEED Interpretation
Inquiry:
We are planning on performing a 2 week building flush out as required by EQ cr3.2. Due to schedule constraints, it would be helpful if the Owner were allowed to set up used, moveable office partitions, and install new auditorium seating during the flush out period. The used, moveable office partitions are from another building, and have, theoretically, already off-gassed. Would it be acceptable to perform one or both of these operations during flush out?
Ruling:
Several CIRs have addressed this issue, including CIR ruling 12/21/2004, "Note that LEED-NC prefers, but does not require, the flush to occur before furniture installation." The proposed furniture installation schedule, though not recommended, would still be acceptable under this credit. Applicable internationally.UPDATE 10/1/12: this LEED Interpretation is not applicable to LEED-CI. Furniture must be installed before the flush-out for LEED-CI projects.
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
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© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Requirements
Develop and implement an IAQ management plan for the construction and preoccupancy phases of the building as follows:
- During construction, meet or exceed the recommended control measures of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines For Occupied Buildings Under Construction, 2nd Edition 2007, ANSI/ SMACNA 008-2008 (Chapter 3).
- Protect stored on-site and installed absorptive materials from moisture damage.
- If permanently installed air handlers are used during construction, filtration media must be used at each return air grille that meets one of the following criteria below. Replace all filtration media immediately prior to occupancy.
- Filtration media with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 8 as determined by ASHRAE Standard 52.2-1999 (with errata but without addenda1)
- Filtration media is Class F5 or higher, as defined by CEN Standard EN 779-2002, Particulate air filters for general ventilation, Determination of the filtration performance
- [East Asia ACP: Construction IAQ Equivalent]
- Filtration media with a minimum dust spot efficiency of 30% or higher and greater than 90% arrestance on a particle size of 3–10 µg
Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)
IAQ-MED">East Asia ACP: Construction IAQ Equivalent
Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as medium efficiency (中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008（空气过滤器）. [view:embed_resource=page_1=4787157]XX%
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SHP Leading Design
Architect, Director of Sustainability
