EQc7.1 requires that HVAC designs meet the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 55-2004, which deals with thermal comfort of building occupants. Specifically, ASHRAE 55 requires project teams to address air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity, and air speed. Earning this credit also sets the stage for you to earn EQc7.2: Thermal Comfort—Verification. 
In most cases, designing a system that complies with ASHRAE-55 is standard practice and documentation is the only LEED-specific requirement for achieving the credit, so it should cost very little to earn.

This credit is your project’s opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the green building industry and to let your team contribute creative approaches to the field of sustainable design. It’s also a great way for your project to achieve up to four additional points. 

Two options 


There are two different ways to achieve points under this credit:

This prerequisite establishes a baseline for providing a minimum amount of outdoor air to buildings in order to maintain good indoor air quality and keep occupants comfortable and healthy. This prerequisite references ASHRAE 62.1-2004 (with errata but without addenda) and is often more stringent than local building codes, although it is not likely to entail any added costs.

You may find on a renovation of an existing building that some interior elements, such as walls, ceilings and doors, are in perfectly good condition and do not need to be replaced. This credit awards you one point for refinishing and reusing 50% of these elements. Projects are only eligible for this credit if the gross built area of the final building is less than two times the existing built area.

If an existing building plays a starring role in your project, it’s a good candidate for this credit, which rewards the reuse of buildings and their structural components. In this way you can reduce the energy- and resource-intensive manufacturing of new materials, while prolonging the enjoyment of a building’s character and history. If the existing building plays only a small role, on the other hand, it is less likely to qualify for this credit, although it may contribute to materials reuse credits.

The idea behind this credit is to ensure good indoor air quality (IAQ) for a project for occupancy. EQc3.2 can be seen as a belt-and-suspenders credit: even if the EQc4: Low-Emitting Materials credits are pursued, along with EQc3.1: Construction IAQ Management—During Construction, EQc3.2 ensures that the building ends up with the intended result. (Although it’s typical to do so, you don’t have to pursue any of those credits to go after this credit.)

This credit focuses on diverting waste from landfills by finding multiple alternatives for end uses of the waste, namely recycling, reuse on site, donation for reuse on another site, or resale. All of these diversion methods count towards credit compliance—MRc2.1 with a 50% construction waste diverted for one point and MRc2.2 with a 75% diversion rate for two points.

Look for opportunities to prevent the generation of waste on construction sites because the less waste you generate, the less you have to recycle or reuse to earn the credit.