Projects without ducted make-up air must follow Option 2 for natural ventilation, and should weigh the costs and benefits of installing monitoring devices. For example, in multifamily projects and hotels where outside air is only supplied through pressurized hallways and operable windows. Every apartment or unit will need one CO2 sensor per unit, and many projects find this to be too costly. Mechanically ventilated common areas such as hallways and lobbies will require outdoor airflow monitors instead of CO2 sensors.
Continuous airflow and CO2 monitoring is required. Air balancing measures such as total airflow measurement and static pressurization measurements do not comply with the credit requirements.
For Commercial Interiors projects, verify that any outdoor air monitoring devices or CO2 sensors are compatible with the existing mechanical equipment and will be able to provide the feedback and corrective action for credit requirements. Providing the appropriate feedback is typically more difficult for CI projects.
CO2 sensors are not required in tenant spaces that are not included in the scope of work for the LEED project. However, in order to achieve credit compliance, the base building’s mechanical system and BMS must be capable of incorporating CO2 sensors into future tenant fit-outs. Including requirements for monitoring systems in tenant lease or sales agreements is recommended to help tenants earn a LEED for Commercial Interiors credit for CO2 monitors.
Outdoor air can contain contaminants that lead to unhealthy working or living conditions. You may need to assess the quality of the local outdoor air before bringing it indoors. HHigh efficiency MERV filters (13 or higher) are one solution to treating poor-quality outdoor air before supplying it to the indoors.
Demand Control Ventilation (DCV) in conjunction with CO2 sensors can serve the dual purpose of energy conservation and improved indoor air quality. They provide the option of additional ventilation only when CO2 sensors indicate that it is necessary.
Consider the impact of monitoring devices on space and design requirements. Issues to consider include the location of CO2 sensors, the inclusion of outdoor air monitors when designing the mechanical system, and whether to use a building management system (BMS), which allows your ventilation system to automatically respond to changing indoor situations.
CO2 sensors are not the same as CO sensors. CO (carbon monoxide) sensors are much more common, inexpensive, and do not need to be hard wired. Make sure this distinction is clear when talking with the owner, mechanical engineer, and building operator.
CO2 sensors are not standard practice and typically cost $500–$1000 per sensor including installation. Installing CO2 sensors is becoming more common and this price may come down, however. Costs can add up quickly if several sensors are required. In applications with many densely occupied spaces and isolated mechanical systems, like hotels and multifamily, providing CO2 sensors and the associated controls for each unit could become costly, without much added benefit.
Outdoor airflow monitoring devices are the single most costly component of this credit, ranging from $1,000–$5,000 per monitor, depending on size of the ducts and product type. You can reduce this cost by minimizing the number of supply ducts coming into the building. Centralized systems minimize these ducts, thereby minimizing cost.
