EQ 5.1 requires kitchen exhaust that "meets the requirements of Section 5 of ASHRAE Std. 62.2-2007." It also requires that "exhaust air to the outdoors..." ASHRAE Std. 62.2, Section 5.1 includes an exception for alternative ventilation design methods if approved by a licensed design professional, and several projects have pushed back that this grants them the discretion to install recirculating kitchen exhaust fans. Please clarify: is a recirculating kitchen exhaust fan ever an acceptable strategy for satisfying EQ 5.1, if signed-off by an engineer?
EQ 5.1 cannot be satisfied with a recirculating fan. The exception in ASHRAE Std. 62.2, Section 5 allows alternative methods for achieving the required exhaust rates; a recirculating fan provides no exhaust and cannot achieve the flow rates in EQ 5.
Updated 10/1/13 for rating system applicability.