An easy credit, if the owner is on board

This credit requires surveying building occupants to find out if they are satisfied with thermal conditions in the building, as defined by the thermal comfort variables defined in ASHRAE 55-2004. The credit costs little or nothing to implement (although it does take some time), and provides important feedback to building owners and operators. 

Do it yourself, or get help

If you have the internal staff resources and don’t want to pay for an outside service, you can go with a simple self-administered online survey.

If you want some hand-holding, can afford the (relatively low) fee, and are interested in a more comprehensive occupant survey (beyond just thermal performance) that gives you results in the context of a large dataset, use the service from UC Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment or something similar.

Some owners may have reservations about surveying occupants because they’re worried about getting poor results. Doing the survey through a third-party service that specializes in post-occupancy evaluations can help with that fear by returning individual building results in the context of results from many other buildings. If the survey turns up some weak areas, you’re likely to be in good company! 

Corrective action

In schools, students in grades 6 and above have to be surveyed along with the adults. 

Develop a plan for corrective action in case more than 20% of respondents report dissatisfaction with thermal comfort. It is up to the owner and operations staff to determine how to implement the plan. For example, if occupants indicate that they are uncomfortable, the HVAC system is inspected and tested and there are no faults found with the HVAC system, technically you’ve done what’s required. (Although, it is a good practice to make operating adjustments until your occupants are reasonably comfortable!)

In general, implementing the plan is something that usually happens after the project is already certified. You have to do something to honor your commitment, but how far you go is up to you.

Submit the documentation early if you can

You don’t gain anything by waiting to submit for this credit until the construction submittal, but if you want to wait and see whether you’ll need the point before committing to it, you can. (Whether or not you pursue the credit, surveying occupants about their satisfaction is a good practice.)

The owner is the required signatory for this credit and has to verify that that the survey will be performed, along with a plan for corrective action.

Implementation of the occupant survey is the most difficult part of this credit. The occupant survey is to be implemented after six months of occupancy at the earliest. This credit is largely based on the honor system. There is no enforcement mechanism in place to confirm that the credit will be implemented after 6 months of occupancy or that the plan of corrective action be administered if 20% of survey respondents are dissatisfied with system performance, but the owner’s organizational integrity is at stake if they fail to live up to their commitments.

FAQs for IEQc7.2

How should international projects comply with this credit?

A guidance document has been developed by USGBC that provides international alternative compliance paths (referencing local standards) and additional LEED Online credit forms for international projects.

What is required for the permanent monitoring system? 

USGBC has not made clear the exact requirements for a permanent monitoring system. One contributing approach, however, is to administer a survey, as this is often easy and cheap to implement. Additional approaches could be a building automation system if sensor locations are adequately distributed throughout 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., and air speed and radiant temperature testing with the use of handheld meters or other monitoring equipment. See LEED-EBOM IEQc2.3 for additional ideas on permanent monitoring systems.

What is the best way to implement a survey? 

The survey must measure thermal comfort conditions and satisfaction based on ASHRAE 55-2004 thermal comfort criteriaComfort criteria are specific design conditions that take into account temperature, humidity, air speed, outdoor temperature, outdoor humidity, seasonal clothing, and expected activity. (ASHRAE 55–2004), and is to be measured by a 7-point scale format (+3 = very satisfied, 0 = neutral, -3 = very dissatisfied). Although USGBC does not require a specific means to administer the survey, there are a few options out there that can be easy for the project team to implement. Surveys can be done by phone, networked computer, website or a paper questionnaire. Web–based surveys can compile data readily and generate results that can be helpful in evaluating responses. See the Resources tab for links.

Is there a required number of respondents to the survey?

No, LEED does not define a minimum number of occupants that need to respond to the survey. However, if 20% of those that do respond are dissatisfied or uncomfortable, corrective action plan must be put in place.

Can residential dorms pursue IEQc7.2?

USGBC has not publicized a blanket policy on whether dorms would be considered residential projects per this credit, and it is up to the discretion of the project team to determine the most appropriate project type and whether this credit can be pursued. If the dorm includes common areas, lounges, game areas, kitchen, etc. there may be opportunity for this credit to be pursued, but GBCI may not approve of this—it's best to check.