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What you need
The overall intent of this credit is that all multi-occupant spacesConference rooms, classrooms and other indoor spaces used as a place of congregation for presentations, trainings, etc. Individuals using these spaces share the lighting and temperature controls and they should have, at a minimum, a separate zone with accessible thermostat and an air-flow control. Group multi-occupant spaces do not include open office plans that contain individual workstations. (like meeting spaces) must have at least one occupant comfort control. For individual spaces or open-plan offices, at least 50% of occupants must be able to control their individual comfort conditions.
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15 Comments
Bathroom Mechanical Ventilation
Hello
We are working in a naturally ventilated LEED CS project. Every office and regularly occupied space will have natural ventilation, but Restrooms will have mechanical ventilation by air extraction. These will be the only mechanically ventilated spaces in the building.
I have two questions regarding this credit:
1. Is a tentative tenant layout completely necessary? Or could we show that more than 50% of the project's area is within 20 ft of windows?
2. In the LEED Online form, one should select if the project is mechanically or naturally ventilated. Ia a project like this, we selected both. A "mechanical ventilation" section appears, and asks for signature from the mechanical designer stating that comfort controls provide a range of options, and are operable by the ocuppants. The mechanical ventilation system installed won't comply with this since its intended to just extract foul air from the restroom, not to provide thermal comfort.
We are kind of confused how to treat this signature spaces and if our "uncomfotable"mechanical ventilation will prevent us from achieving this credit.
Thanks!
Hi Luis,
I would highly suggest doing a sample tenant layout to help achieve the credit. Otherwise, it's very difficult to prove that you're meeting compliance with natural ventilation.
If I understand correctly, it sounds like you're mostly meeting the credit through your natural ventilation system, rather than you mechanical system. The credit requires you to meet it through mechanical or natural or both. In this case, I'd prove your compliance through the natural ventilation requirements (restrooms would be excluded because they aren't regularly occupied) and then just provide a narrative on the LEED Online form for the mechanical system that clarifies that your system's mechanical ventilation system is just extracting air and is not contributing toward your credit compliance.
Hope that helps.
Lauren
Operable windows as controls
Just to clarify: Each operable window counts as one control. Therefore if I have an open office space with 50 people within 20' of the exterior wall, then I need at least 24 windows and one thermostat. Correct?
Hi Amanda,
I agree with you except I don't think you need one thermostat unless you only had 24 windows (wasn't sure if the example was just a hypothetical example). If you already have one thermostat and want to include it then that would be fine but you can comply with one or the other (windows or mechanical controls).
Lauren
What if I had 10 work stations, all within 20' of the same single window? Would I only be able to count 2 occupants as having controls, or would I get to count 5 occupants as having controls?
My project team is trying to determine the cost and feasability of going for this credit. We're working on a new office tower and we'll have some operable windows, but they're expensive, so we're trying to work out how many we need.
The description up above on LEEDuser suggests that occupants need only be within 20' of a window, and that many occupants can share one window. To be honest, this doesn't make sense to me. It seems like max 2 people should be sharing a window, or else they'll all be disagreeing on whether to close or open it.
What's your experience?
Proving compliance for a C&S project
Hello,
Our project is a C&S office and the furniture layout is not yet known. The cooling and heating system will consist of a VRV. Thermostats and other controls will be installed by the tenant.
LEED User says: "For Core and Shell projects to meet the credit requirements, the owner must provide the flexibility of a demand-controlled system
that provides control capability for 50% of the building occupants, so that the tenant can meet the intent of the credit".
It will always be possible for tenants to install thermostat for every 2 workstations. In addition, depending on the furniture layout, some of the workstations will probably be 20 feet from openable windows.
As such it is in our view that tenant could meet the credit. Is there any other documentation we should provide in order to get this credit ?
Thanks,
Hi George,
You are correct in noticing that this credit is fairly easy to achieve in a LEED-CS applciation as it is fairly easy to design the space to ensure compliance. I know you mentioned that you don't have a furniture layout yet but I believe that you'll need to put together a sample layout for at least part of your space to aide in outlining how you'll comply. LEEDv2009 requires you to upload a representative drawing/floorplan(s) that identifies thermal comfort controls declared in the Credit Form's table. LEEDv2 does not require a floorplan upload.
Make sure to note the possible locations of individual workstations as well as the possible locations of multi-occupant spacesConference rooms, classrooms and other indoor spaces used as a place of congregation for presentations, trainings, etc. Individuals using these spaces share the lighting and temperature controls and they should have, at a minimum, a separate zone with accessible thermostat and an air-flow control. Group multi-occupant spaces do not include open office plans that contain individual workstations. in conjunction with noting their controls.
It sounds like you're on track with your explanation provided.
Lauren
Lauren,
many thanks for your reply.
Assuming the Core and Shell is a shopping mall with retail stores (as future tenants). None of the retail stores have access to openable windows.
Can we still get this credit is we prove that the HVAC system currently designed, allows tenants to install a thermostat in their respective retail store ?
Thanks,
George,
Just to confirm: is your project registered under LEEDv3? If so, I am terribly sorry but I stand corrected. This morning I found specific language in the LEEDv3 Reference Guide (page 527) which states that "Core and Shell projects that do not purchase and or/install the mechanical system or operable windows (or a combination of both) have not met the intent of this credit."
To me, this indicates that it will be a stretch to achieve this credit in your case by stating that the system is designed to allow for the installation of thermostats.
In LEEDv2 it was possible to take this approach but not in LEEDv3. I am curious if others have experienced an approach that was acceptable.
I'm sorry to lead you astray originally.
Lauren
We have a similar situation, we have a C&S office project. The HVAC system provided at the project will only reach the core and not any further, this means only cold water will be provided at each office level so the tenant will connect to it with whatever system he desires too.
It does allow the tenant to use a system that will fulfill the requirements for LEED-CI but we are not 100% sure the tenant will implement such.
I just want to double check if we are not achieving this credit by the way we are designing the HVAC system.
We have done several LEED CS V3 projects and achieve this credit in different ways. First of you will always have to provide a potential tenant layout, which is consistent throughout the credits. Keep that in mind especially if you also attempted daylight and views. You have to figure out the FTEFull-time equivalent (FTE) represents a regular building occupant who spends 8 hours a day (40 hours a week) in the project building. Part-time or overtime occupants have FTE values based on their hours per day divided by 8 (or hours per week divided by 40). Transient Occupants can be reported as either daily totals or as part of the FTE. Residential occupancy should be estimated based on the number and size of units. Core and Shell projects should refer to the default occupancy table in the Reference Guide appendix. All occupant assumptions must be consistent across all credits in all categories. per your space then. Keep in mind, that you will also have to account for supporting spaces like storage in the basement, which belong to the space, but usually don't have any occupied spacesOccupied Spaces are defined as enclosed spaces that can accommodate human activities. Occupied spaces are further classified as regularly occupied or non-regularly occupied spaces based on the duration of the occupancy, individual or multi-occupant based on the quantity of occupants, and densely or non-densely occupied spaces based upon the concentration of occupants in the space. there. So that increases your number of FTE.
One of the projects had operable windows and radiators with thermostats all along the perimeter spaces. So we layed out the space so that as many FTE's as possible have a thermostat. In another project we have radiant slabs, which are design to allow for private offices every 2 axis along the windows. So 2 windows equal one zone. Even thought the tenants didn't always design that way, they have the possibility to do so and install the thermostats for each room. It's my understanding, that you have to have a system installed in the tenant space, which allows the tenant to have the thermal comfort control. But you don't have to have the actual thermostat in place. So David my guess would be a NO, or you have to have a lease agreement requiring that.
Also for retail, please keep in mind that there are separate guidelines for retail spaces in regards to this credit. So even thought this is a Core & Shell project I would apply the specifics of the retail certification for those areas. I actually just did for one of my LEED CS projects and it was excepted, but we also had 75%. So no need for the reviewer to get down to the details.
Thank you Sussan, it was really helpful. I will get back in case I have more questions.
We have a c&s industrial project, 1/F-21/F are warehouse area, only 23/F-25/F are office area. I
We have a c&s industrial project, 1/F-21/F are warehouse area, only 23/F-25/F are office area. Ventilation system in warehouse area is divided into 3 typies:FCU will be provided in 1&2/F, 3-15/F will be nature ventilation, and mechanical ventilation in 17-21/F to be installed by tenant. FCU will be installed in 23-25/F. And thermosate will be provided for at least 50% of occupant for the area with FCU(1-2/F AND 23-25/F). However, for 3-21/F, do i need to demonstrate the compliance? and how, if yes.
Thanks for any advice!
We have a c&s mixed use building with a small restaurant and retail spaces on the first floor. Mechanical system is installed under c&s for all tenant spaces (LEEDv2009).
Can doors to outside be counted instead of operable windows for providing thermal comfort?
Or can one thermostat control the temperature in the sales/ dining area for both customers and employees?
Appreciate any advice.
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