USGBC LEED v4 Air Testing

"Healthier Air Starts Here" (407) 383-9459
MicroShield, Orlando and Central Florida’s Leading (IAQ) Indoor Air Quality, USGBC LEED Testing, Mold Inspection, and Mold Testing Company

USGBC LEED
v3 2009 IAQ EQ Credits 3.1 & 3.2
v4 EQ Credit: Contaminant Control

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
Green Building Rating System v4
Are you working to attain USGBC LEED v4 EQ Air Testing Certification for your new building or renovation project?  Call Us Today for a Free LEED IAQ Telephone Consultation (407) 383-9459
 
USGBC LEED v4 EQ Credit: Contaminant Control

Option 4. Air Testing (1 point)
After construction ends and before occupancy, but under ventilation conditions typical for occupancy, conduct baseline indoor air quality testing using protocols consistent with the methods listed in Table 1. Project teams must follow either the current versions of ASTM standard methods, EPA compendium methods, or ISO methods, as indicated. Laboratories that conduct the tests for chemical analysis of formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds must be accredited under ISO/IEC 17025 for the test methods they use.

Indoor Air Quality Solutions IAQS, Orlando and Central Florida’s Leading USGBC LEED v4 EQ (IAQ) Indoor Air Quality Testing Company

Indoor Air Quality Solutions IAQS can provide comprehensive services to help you maximize USGBC LEED v4 EQ points and conduct testing in accord with USGBC LEED specifications to document LEED v4 EQ Reference Contaminant Levels as specified in LEED v4. Our Professionals employ methodologies and test protocols as specified by the US EPA and include;

  • Volatile Organic Compounds, including -
    • Total and Individual VOC scans employing high resolution GCMS techniques
    • 4-PC Testing and Analysis
  • Formaldehyde and Total Aldehyde Scans
  • Particulate Matter, including PM10 and PM2.5 measurements
  • Carbon Dioxide, Temperature and Relative Humidity Monitoring
 
 
USGBC LEED v4
EQ Credit: Contaminant Control - Option 4. Air Testing (1 point)

Demonstrate that contaminants do not exceed concentration levels listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Maximum concentration levels, by contaminant and testing methods
USGBC LEED v4 Air Testing
TABLE 1 - USGBC LEED v4 Air Testing - ppb = parts per billion; ppm = parts per million; ug/cm = micrograms per cubic meter
 
   
USGBC LEED V4 Air Testing
USGBC LEED v4 Air Testing

Conduct all measurements before occupancy but during normal occupied hours, with the building ventilation system started at the normal daily start time and operated at the minimum outside air flow rate for the occupied mode throughout the test.

The number of sampling locations depends on the size of the building and number of ventilation systems but must include the entire building and all representative situations. Include areas with the least ventilation and greatest presumed source strength.

Collect air samples between 3 and 6 feet (900 and 1 800 millimeters) from the floor to represent the breathing zone of occupants over a minimum four-hour period.

Measure particulate concentrations by a gravimetric method. Hand-held or real-time instruments are not acceptable unless they are calibrated on site against the standard gravimetric method.

For each sampling point where the concentration exceeds the limit, take corrective action and retest for the noncompliant contaminants at the same sampling points. Repeat until all requirements are met.

Refer to CA Section 01350, Appendix B, New Single-Family Residence Scenario, for air-testing guidance.
 
LEED v4 for
HOMES DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Includes
LEED BD+C: Homes & Multifamily Lowrise - LEED BD+C: Multifamily Midrise
 

USGBC LEED v3 2009

   LEED IEQ Credit 3.2
There are two LEED Indoor Air Quality related points available that Indoor Air Quality Solutions can help you qualify for LEED IAQ EQ 3.1 and 3.2 Credits.

The LEED IAQ EQ 3.1 Credit requires the development and implementation of a Construction IAQ Management Plan during construction.

The LEED IAQ EQ 3.2 Credit requires an IAQ Management Plan for the pre-occupancy phase after construction is complete and immediately prior to occupancy by either: 

        1. Conducting a Two-Week Building Flush-out
        2. IAQ Testing

Indoor Air Quality Solutions Professionals can assist you in obtaining USGBC LEED EQ 3.1 or 3.2 Credit for your bronze, silver or platinum certification. The US Green Building Council’s LEED Green Building Rating System provides points for Building Air Quality in a number of areas, including:

  • Environmental Tobacco Smoke
  • Control Outdoor Air Delivery
  • Increased Ventilation Construction
  • IAQ Management Plans
  • Building Flush Out/Air Quality Testing
  • Low Emission Materials
 
 

USGBC LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. It demonstrates that the building is environmentally responsible, profitable and a healthy place to live and work. There are environmental and financial benefits to earning USGBC LEED certification...

  • Conserve energy and water.
  • Reduce waste sent to landfills.
  • Healthier and safer for occupants.
  • Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Lower operating costs and increased asset value.
  • Qualify for rebates and other incentives in hundreds of cities.

LEED IAQ EQ Credit 3.1 is the implementation of a Construction IAQ Management Plan during construction.

Control measures for an effective IAQ plan during the construction phase should include the following:

  • HVAC Equipment Protection,
  • Source Control,
  • Pathway Interruption,
  • Housekeeping,
  • Scheduling.

The IAQ Management Plan is the only LEED credit that requires photographs to be taken throughout the construction process. A total of 18 pictures are required, taken on three different occasions during construction in order to prove that the LEED credit requirements were followed and that all Indoor Environmental Quality recommendations included in the proposed plan were adhered to.

Although not specifically required for any other LEED credits, we normally suggest that our clients include photographs of all LEED-related procedures as a best practice. The photos will not only serve to document your compliance with the stated requirements of the LEED program, but will also serve to satisfy any lingering questions that the USGBC may have regarding credit documentation during the review process.

LEEDS IAQ EQ Credit 3.2 requires an IAQ Management Plan for the Pre-Ooccupancy phase after construction is complete and immediately prior to occupancy by either

  1. Conducting a Two-Week Building Flush-Out
  2. IAQ Testing

Two Week Building Flush-Out: Conduct a minimum two-week building flush-out with new Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 filtration media at 100% outside air. After the two-week flush-out is complete, new MERV 13 filters must be replaced in all locations except those that have been processing only outside air during the flush-out.

100% outside air can be a challenge in some climates, so it is important to identify when construction will be complete as early as possible so it can be determined whether or not this point can be achieved in an economical manner.

Incorporating this point into the project's overall LEED credit strategy is usually a scheduling decision. The owner may or may not want to have a usable building sitting empty for two weeks before the occupants are permitted to move in.
IAQ Testing: As an alternative to the two-week flush-out, the project team may decide to conduct a baseline IAQ testing procedure consistent with the EPA's current Protocol for Environmental Requirements.

The advantages to this approach include the reduction or elimination of the two-week flush-out period and the associated hassles of doing so. But the IAQ test is very sensitive and may require the contractor to perform additional procedures if VOC levels are detected above the limits outlined by the LEED program.
Let the Indoor Air Quality Solutions professionals assist on your project by testing at your facility to document compliance with USGBC LEED EQ 3.2 contaminant levels.

Demonstrate an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility and let Microshield conduct baseline IAQ testing after construction ends and prior to occupancy using testing protocols consistent with the USEPA Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Air Pollutants in Indoor Air.

For more information on how Indoor Air Quality Solutions can support your USGBC LEED IAQ needs, contact John P. Lapotaire, CIEC today at 321-229-2778, Info@FloridaIAQ.com

 
Successful testing results will qualify our clients to meet the
LEED IAQ EQ 3.2 Testing credit requirements.

Indoor Air Quality Solutions and Microshield, Orlando and Central Florida’s Leading (IAQ) Indoor Air Quality, USGBC LEED v4 Air Testing Company.