Relevant Mandates and Rating Systems
| Mandates / Standards | Rating Systems |
|---|
Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings
- Provide occupants with safe and healthy ventilation and thermal comfort, in alignment with applicable ASHRAE standards and statutory requirements.
- Control moisture to minimize mold contamination, building damage, and health risks.
- Maximize daylighting, install lighting controls, task lighting, and glare control.
- Specify low-emitting materials, use integrated pest management techniques, and protect indoor air quality during construction and operation.
- Prohibit, through policy and signage, the ability to smoke within 25 feet of building entrances, operable windows, and ventilation intakes.
- Implement an integrated pest management approach to minimize pesticide use and favor the least-toxic options.
- Require building design to promote voluntary physical health and wellness, such as increased physical movement and support convenient access to healthy dining options, potable water, daylight, plants, and exterior views.
Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings
LEED O+M: Existing Buildings (v4)
Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) for Building Operations and Maintenance (O+M) dedicates an entire credit section to enhancing the indoor environmental quality of the existing infrastructure. Implementing an assortment of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) best management practices (BMPs) are encouraged, from increasing overall outdoor ventilation to putting in place conscious management programs for both indoor and outdoor air distributions. Providing controllability of internal systems as well as access to natural sunlight is encouraged. Credits also seek to ensure that the IEQ of the existing building remains healthy through occupation with an effective green cleaning program.
| Credit ID | Credit Name |
|---|---|
| EQp1 | Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance |
| EQp2 | Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control |
| EQp3 | Green Cleaning Policy |
| EQc1 | Indoor Air Quality Management Program |
| EQc2 | Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies |
| EQc3 | Thermal Comfort |
| EQc4 | Interior Lighting |
| EQc5 | Daylight and Quality Views |
| EQc6 | Green Cleaning - Custodial Effectiveness Assessment |
| EQc7 | Green Cleaning - Products and Materials |
| EQc8 | Green Cleaning - Equipment |
| EQc9 | Integrated Pest Management |
| EQc10 | Occupant Comfort Survey |
LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors (v4)
Low-emitting materials that give off little to no harmful chemicals, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are promoted in LEED for Interior Design & Construction (ID+C): Commercial Interiors for creating a healthy indoor environment. Credits are further dedicated to providing individual controllability to 90% and 50% of the tenant occupants for the lighting and thermal systems respectfully.
| Credit ID | Credit Name |
|---|---|
| EQp1 | Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance |
| EQp2 | Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control |
| EQc1 | Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies |
| EQc2 | Low-Emitting Materials |
| EQc3 | Construction Indoor Air Qualtiy Management Plan |
| EQc4 | Indoor Air Quality Assessment |
| EQc5 | Thermal Comfort |
| EQc6 | Interior Lighting |
| EQc7 | Daylight |
| EQc8 | Qualtiy Views |
| EQc9 | Acoustic Performance |
LEED BD+C: New Construction (v4)
Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) for Building Design and Construction (BD+C) highlights indoor environmental quality in a fully dedicated credit category. Construction has great effect on future IEQ. Credits are awarded for optimizing indoor air quality (IAQ) through the specification of low-emitting materials and pre-occupation flush outs. Monitoring carbon dioxide levels, employing permanent entryway systems, and increasing ventilation levels further contribute to a healthy IAQ. Providing individual control over both lighting and thermal comfort contributes beyond air quality to an overall healthy indoor environment.
| Credit ID | Credit Name |
|---|---|
| EQp1 | Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance |
| EQp2 | Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control |
| EQc1 | Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies |
| EQc2 | Low-Emitting Materials |
| EQc3 | Construction Indoor Air Quality Management Plan |
| EQc4 | Indoor Air Quality Assessment |
| EQc5 | Thermal Comfort |
| EQc6 | Interior Lighting |
| EQc7 | Daylight |
| EQc8 | Quality Views |
| EQc9 | Acoustic Performance |
Green Globes New Construction
Green Globes New Construction accounts for indoor environmental quality though the predesign, schematic design, design development, construction, contracting, and commissioning stages of the building project. Occupant well-being and a healthy environment are stressed through the evaluation of indoor and outdoor sources of pollutants as well as the accompanying acoustical conditions of the site.
| Questions | |
|---|---|
| Is there a commitment to provide healthy indoor air? | |
| Has an analysis been done of the local noise pollution levels and sources? | |
| Is there a requirement that design criteria for the ventilation system meet ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2004, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality? | |
| Is there a requirement that there be moisture control in the building to prevent mold? | |
| Does the design integrate CO2 monitoring? | |
| Are there local exhausts in areas where contaminants will be generated? | |
| Has the Project Authority approved a building flush-out or bake-off strategy before occupancy? | |
| Have practices been reviewed to minimize the noise effects on workers, the present occupants, and adjacent communities during construction? |
Green Globes for Existing Buildings (EB)
Green Globes for Existing Buildings addresses a healthy indoor environment through questions pertaining to the ventilation system, filtration system, humidification system, cooling towers, parking lots, pollution control and indoor air quality (IAQ) management.
| Questions | |
|---|---|
| Are air intakes located far from sources of pollution such as parking areas, bus stops, cooling towers or stagnant water? | |
| Are outdoor air intakes checked regularly to ensure that the openings are protected and free from obstruction? | |
| Is there easy access for cleaning and inspecting filters? | |
| Are filters able to remove particles from incoming air (Efficiency Grade between 60% and 85% Dust Spot or a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 8)? | |
| Is there a program of regular maintenance and cleaning of the cooling towers that includes monthly inspection for evidence of mold or slime? | |
| Are there measures to prevent intake of exhaust fumes from the loading dock and parking areas? | |
| Does the contract with the cleaning contractors specifically state that they are to use environmentally preferable cleaning materials? | |
| Is smoking permitted in the building? |