I have received review comments from a LEED Review Team questioning the results of the 62MZ spreadsheet which identified a Storage Room as the "Critical Zone". The reviewer requests that I revise 62MZ spreadsheet indicating the "correct" critical zone. I have reviewed the imput cells in the spreadsheet and find no mistakes in the input values. The Storage Room which turned out to be the "critical zone" is a large storage room within a relatively small air handling system with a light occupant load. The outdoor air for Storage Rooms from Table 6-1 requires OA ONLY based on Area Outdoor Air Rate(0.12cfm/sq.ft.). No OA is required for occupants since space is normally unoccupied. Anyone else run across this or similar circumstance?? How do I effectively respond to reviewer given these circumstances?? I think providing a response that essentially tells the reviewer to read and understand ASHRAE 62.1-2007 and how results are determined when using 62MZcalc spreadsheet may not be well received.
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Barbara McCrary
Mechanical Engineer, PE, LEED AP BD&CHHB Engineers, P.C., Prattville, AL
119 thumbs up
May 17, 2011 - 3:10 pm
We run across this circumstance frequently when using ASHRAE 62 Ventilation Rate Procedure. Storage rooms often are internal to the building, so no envelope loads, lights are off, so no internal loads, however the outside air is required to be twice that per SF than most other spaces. Have not encoutered this with a LEED reviewer though, but will soon as I have a project now with the storage rooms as critical zones. Sorry i couldn't be of more help, but no you are not alone in your problem!
Roger Chang
Principal, Energy and Engineering LeaderDLR Group | Westlake Reed Leskosky
LEEDuser Expert
398 thumbs up
May 26, 2011 - 9:30 am
James, the safest thing to do would be to include all zones in the ASHRAE 62 spreadsheet, assumming there aren't too many zones. On large projects, I've created a custom spreadsheet for ASHRAE 62 calculations that can handle systems with lots of zones.