Best Practices

If pursuing Option 2, and you need to model the whole building because your space shares a central HVAC plant, consider using energy modeling software, like eQuest, that can account for energy use of the base building separately from your project space.  This is more likely to be accep

Follow specific maintenance practices for the carpet products used. Follow a green cleaning and maintenance policy that limits products with VOCs and other indoor pollutants.

Keep a list of compliant carpet systems used on the project so that O&M staff can use these products for future renovations.

Product cut sheets are not required to be included in your LEED review but it is best to keep these until the project is certified, just in case this credit gets audited.

It is usually a good idea to do a “mini air flush” (if your project is not attempting EQc3.2) before occupancy to help remove any lingering VOCs from the construction process. This can be as simple as putting industrial sized fans in the window and pumping in fresh air overnight or running the HVAC exhaust on high for a few days. (See EQc3.2: Construction Indoor Air Quality Plan—Before Occupancy if the team wants to do a full flush-out for an additional LEED point.)

Streamline documentation and research by keeping a master spreadsheet of all items being tracked for each material across MR and EQ credits.

Research compliant, low-emitting carpet, padding and adhesive before construction begins. If product decisions are made after construction begins, with less time to carefully review data sheets, there is a much greater risk of using a non-compliant product.

Give the GC and subcontractors the following tools to help them track materials data for all MR and EQ credits. (See the Documentation Toolkit for access to all of these tools.)

As accountability is key to successfully implementing low-emitting materials, contractors and subcontractors should be contractually required to provide LEED submittal product information.

It is best to require subcontractors to supply all LEED-required low-emitting information on the products they purchase at the time they are submitting products for approval. This way contractors do not wait until the end of construction to supply information, and you have the opportunity to review products for LEED compliance before products are purchased.