For the residential building context, temperature control is attained through thermostats located in each apartment. (In this project, all apartments with more than one bedroom have at least 2 thermostats.) Humidity control is provided automatically through a humidification system during the heating season (which maintains 30% RH) and through fan coil units used during the cooling season (sized to ensure that 50% RH is not exceeded). Humidity sensors will be placed in select apartments to measure the RH during the heating season. These sensors will be linked to the supply air HVAC units to provide automatic humidification control. RTA proposes that this level of control, in a multifamily residential setting, meets the intent of this credit.
The LEED Steering Committee provided an interpretation of this Inquiry. The Committee determined that the strategy described meets the intent of EQ credit 7.1, but NOT the intent of EQ credit 7.2 as proposed. The Committee decided that EQ credit 7.2 was probably NOT ADDRESSIBLE in residential occupancies, unless each residential unit can fully monitor and control individual humidity. The Committee perceives potential problems associated with controlling building-wide humidity based on conditions in a subset of residential units. The strategy proposed does NOT address the intent of this credit.