-
Use MERV 13 filters
Pursuing this credit means using a high level of air filters at your outside air intakes and inside air-recirculation returns. To earn this credit, MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. 13 filters must be used at all outside air intakes and at all inside air-recirculation returns—no spaces may be omitted.
Buildings where it works…
MERV 13 filters provide higher quality air to occupants and remove pollutants. Mechanical systems typically found in Class-A commercial office buildings are most likely to be compatible with MERV 13 filters. These buildings, which commonly supply outside air through air-handling units or rooftop units, can...
Step-by-step credit help
Got the gist of the LEED credit but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Members get:
- Checklists covering all the key action steps you'll need to earn the credit.
- Hot tips to give you shortcuts and avoid pitfalls.
- Cost tips to assess what a credit will actually cost, and how to make it affordable.
- Ideas for going beyond LEED with best practices.
- All checklists organized by project phase.
- On-the-fly suggestions on useful items from the Documentation Toolkit, Resources, and Credit Language.
-
Credit language straight from USGBC
Need to check up on the exact LEED credit language from the LEED Rating System on the fly? LEEDuser includes the verbatim language. Members get:
- Easy access to the official LEED credit language with just a couple of clicks.
- On the jobsite without your bulky LEED Reference Guide? Check up on the credit language details here.
- Credit language content is used by permission of the U.S. Green Building Council.
Your credit-by-credit reference library
Why waste time chasing down referenced standards and supporting resources when LEEDuser links you directly to the ones you need? LEEDuser has gathered all the best tools out there and organized them by credit for easy reference. Members get links to:
- Organizations that can give information or help on a credit.
- Standards or studies that are key reference points for credits and prerequisites.
- Articles that help explain important topics.
- Key documents or references for credit inputs.
- Software tools you can use to run calculations or simulations.
Documentation Toolkit
In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:
- Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
- Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
- Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
- Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
- Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
- Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
9 Comments
equipment rooms and data centers
LEED states that it requires MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. 13 filters for all outdoor and indoor AHUs. Does this include spaces that are unoccupied such as equipment rooms and data centers. According the "Reduced Occupancy Guidance for LEED 2009 Existing Buildings" document:
"• Air delivery systems must be physically capable of delivering MERV 13 or better filtration throughout the entire building according to the normal credit requirements.
• In actual use the building is permitted to employ lower MERV filters for any completely vacant or unused spaces while they are vacant. All fully occupied and partially occupied portions of the building must use MERV 13 or better filtration in actual use."
Would this imply that those spaces, such as equipment rooms and data centers, be exempt as long as the system could hold a MERV 13 filter?
Thanks,
Wendy Gibson
Jean Marais replied b.i.g. Bechtold INGENIEURGESELLSCHAFT MBH May 18 2010
Practically speaking, assuming that the AHU1.Air-handling units (AHUs) are mechanical indirect heating, ventilating, or air-conditioning systems in which the air is treated or handled by equipment located outside the rooms served, usually at a central location, and conveyed to and from the rooms by a fan and a system of distributing ducts. (NEEB, 1997 edition) 2.A type of heating and/or cooling distribution equipment that channels warm or cool air to different parts of a building. This process of channeling the conditioned air often involves drawing air over heating or cooling coils and forcing it from a central location through ducts or air-handling units. Air-handling units are hidden in the walls or ceilings, where they use steam or hot water to heat, or chilled water to cool the air inside the ductwork. and ducting are dedicated to equipment rooms (non-regularly occupied spacesRegularly occupied spaces are areas where workers are seated or standing as they work inside a building. In residential applications, these areas are all spaces except bathrooms, utility areas, and closets or other storage rooms. In schools, they are areas where students, teachers, or administrators are seated or standing as they work or study inside a building.) and therefore the air does not mix with air served to humans, I see no advantages to anyone in using MERV13 filters for equipment room air quality. In fact it sounds a bit rediculous. The main purpose of conditioning these spaces at all is for temperature control and to possibly avoid build up of toxic off gassing. But maybe there's something I'm not thinking of...
Wendy Gibson replied May 19 2010
Jean - I agree. I just can't find anything that specifically exempts these areas, which I feel would be stated if they are. I'll keep digging. Thanks for the advice.
Dan Ackerstein replied Principal, Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC May 28 2010
Wendy - I think your question is a valid one, but I would be wary to employ the Reduced Occupancy Guidance to support your conclusion. That guidance is intended specifically for portions of the building that are usually occupied but are vacant during the performance period (unleased tenant space, for example), rather than areas that are unoccupied by design (mechanical rooms or storage areas, for example). For the latter space types, I think you've got a logical point about MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. 13 being a bit much for those spaces. However, the credit language as I read it does not suggest that such an exception is allowed, envisioned, or presently accommodated. I think that short of a CIRCredit Interpretation Ruling. Used by design team members experiencing difficulties in the application of a LEED prerequisite or credit to a project. Typically, difficulties arise when specific issues are not directly addressed by LEED information/guide getting approval for excluding those spaces, you probably have to assume that the entire building has to get MERV 13 filtration.
MERV 11 with Carbon Pre-Filters
The building that is undergoing certification has MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. 11 filters with Carbon Pre-Filters. According to our facilities team, this combination of a Carbon pre-filter paired with the MERV 11 has a stronger filtration than a MERV 13 filter.
Would this be an acceptable alternative to the MERV 13 filter requirements?
The carbon pre-filter is the "Vari-Klean Ultra High Efficiency Gas Phase Adsorbers" it has no MERV rating.
Any help would be great on this.
Tristan Roberts replied Editor – LEEDuser, BuildingGreen, LLC Jul 12 2010
You might be able to do this but it would be through an alternative compliance path, and you would have to demonstrate definitively that your filtration is as good as or better than MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. 13. Some data or evidence would be required, in other words.
Dan Ackerstein replied Principal, Ackerstein Sustainability, LLC Jul 13 2010
I agree with Tristan - I think the key here is confirming the type of filtration at issue. My understanding (or lack thereof) is that there may be a difference between the effectiveness of a filtration process in removing particles and the SIZE of the particles being removed. MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. refers to the latter, so your system may be very effective at removing particles, just not particles as small as MERV 13. Worth exploring further with your filter vendor or HVAC team.
Jean Marais replied b.i.g. Bechtold INGENIEURGESELLSCHAFT MBH Jul 14 2010
A MERVMinimum efficiency reporting value. 13 filter will be effective (% wise) at removeing particles of different sizes...here's a nonsense example:
particle size: 1 2 3 4 5
% effective: 80 75 20 65 90
under specific lab test constraints/conditions/proceedures
You would have to demonstrate that your filter combination will be as good as or better than the baseline MERV numbers. The manufacturers would most likely have to give you this information or find someone who could.
Richard Navarro replied Jul 14 2010
Thank you all this is extremely helpful.
We will definitely go ahead and try the alternative compliance method for this one.
Thank you again for your help
Please register to use the forum.