LEED CoreConcepts&Strategies_3rd edition - Page 085

Extracted Content

•• Combustion processes in HVAC equipment, fireplaces and stoves, and vehicles in garages or near entrances

•• Mold resulting from moisture in building materials

•• Cleaning products

•• Radon or methane off-gassing from the soil underneath the building

•• Pollutants from specific processes used in laboratories, hospitals, and factories

•• Pollutants tracked in on occupants’ shoes

•• Occupants (bioeffluents) and their activities

The best way to prevent indoor pollutants is to eliminate or control them at the sources. The next line of defense is proper ventilation to remove any pollutants that do enter. Both approaches need to be considered at all phases of the building life-cycle.

STRATEGIES FOR DESIGNING FOR GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY:

•• PROHIBIT SMOKING. Institute a no-smoking policy for the building and around building entrances, operable windows, and air intakes.

•• DESIGN FOR PROPER VENTILATION. Consider the number of occupants in each space and the activities they will be engaged in. Make sure that the ventilation system, whether natural or mechanical, is sized appropriately and can provide enough fresh air.

•• PROTECT AIR THAT COMES INTO THE BUILDING. Locate air intakes away from likely exhaust sources, such as idling vehicles or smoking areas. Use air filtration to remove outdoor air contaminants. The filters should have high minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) ratings. The higher the MERV rating the greater the particulates captured by the filter.

•• TEST FOR RADON OR OTHER ON-SITE CONTAMINANTS. If present, include a ventilation system to address possible emissions.

•• DESIGN FOR ENTRYWAY SYSTEMS. Use grilles, grates, or mats at building entrances to reduce the dust, dirt, and contaminants carried into the facility by people’s shoes.

•• SPECIFY LOW-EMITTING MATERIALS. Use materials with low VOC emissions.

STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY DURING CONSTRUCTION:

•• KEEP BUILDING CLEAN DURING CONSTRUCTION. Follow good housekeeping and dust control during construction.

•• PROTECT MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT. Protect materials from moisture exposure, protect and cap ducts and mechanical systems.

•• CONDUCT A FLUSH-OUT. Before occupancy, flush out off-gassed compounds and other contaminants left behind at the end of construction.

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