Log in
LEED v4
Existing Schools
Indoor Environmental Quality

Enhanced indoor air quality strategies

LEED CREDIT

Schools-EBOM-v4 EQc2: Enhanced indoor air quality strategies 1-2 points

See all forum discussions about this credit »

SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

SPECIAL REPORT

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Frank advice from LEED experts

LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Option 1. Entryway systems (1 point)
Establishment
Have in place permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grilles, slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath, rollout mats, and any other materials manufactured as entryway systems with equal to or better performance. Maintain all on a weekly basis.
Performance
Confirm that entryway systems have been maintained on a weekly basis.
Option 2. Additional enhanced IAQ strategies (1 point)
Comply with the requirements of at least one of the following.
Filtration for mechanically ventilated spaces
Establishment
Each ventilation system that supplies outdoor air to occupied spaces must have particle filters or air cleaning devices. These filters or devices must meet one of the following filtration media requirements:
  • minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 52.2–2007;
  • Class F7 or higher as defined by CEN Standard EN 779–2002, Particulate Air Filters for General Ventilation, Determination of the Filtration Performance
  • [East Asia ACP: Filtration Media]
Establish a regular schedule for maintenance and replacement of filtration media according to the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
Performance
Follow the schedule for maintenance and replacement of filtration media.
Carbon Dioxide Monitors
Establishment
Have in place CO2 monitors in all densely occupied spaces. Rooms smaller than 150 square feet (14 square meters) are exempt. CO2 monitors must be between 3 and 6 feet (900 and 1 800 millimeters) above the floor. Configure the system to generate a visual alarm to the system operator if the differential CO2 concentration in any zone rises more than 15% above that corresponding to the minimum outdoor air rate required in the ventilation section of EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance. Test and calibrate CO2 sensors to have an accuracy of no less than 75 parts per million or 5% of the reading, whichever is greater.
Performance
Sensors must be tested and calibrated at least once every five years or per the manufacturer’s recommendation, whichever is shorter. Monitor CO2 sensors with a system configured to trend CO2 concentrations in intervals no greater than 30 minutes.
Outdoor air monitoring for mechanically ventilated spaces
Establishment
For variable air volume systems, provide a direct outdoor airflow measurement device capable of measuring the minimum outdoor air intake flow for at least 80% of the outdoor air flow. This device must measure the minimum outdoor air intake flow with an accuracy of +/–10% of the design minimum outdoor airflow rate required in the ventilation section of EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance. An alarm must indicate when the outdoor airflow value varies by 15% or more from the outdoor airflow setpoint. For constant-volume systems, balance outdoor airflow to the design minimum outdoor airflow rate required in the ventilation section of EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance, or higher. Install a current transducer on the supply fan, an airflow switch, or similar monitoring device.
Performance
Calibrate all measurement devices within the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
Outdoor air monitoring for naturally ventilated spaces
Establishment
Provide a direct exhaust airflow measurement device capable of measuring the exhaust airflow. This device must measure the exhaust airflow with an accuracy of +/–10% of the design minimum exhaust airflow rate. An alarm must indicate when airflow values vary by 15% or more from the exhaust airflow setpoint.
Performance
Calibrate all measurement devices within the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
Alarmed openings for naturally ventilated spaces
Establishment
Provide automatic indication devices on all openings intended to meet the minimum opening requirements. An alarm must indicate when any one of the openings is closed during occupied hours.
Performance
None.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

IAQ-HIGH">East Asia ACP: Filtration Media
Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as high efficiency (高中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008 (空气过滤器). See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Frequently asked questions

Can we earn Option 2 by adopting a phase-out plan of our old filters and replacing them with MERV 13 filters?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

LEEDuser expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

Get the inside scoop

Our editors have written a detailed analysis of nearly every LEED credit, and LEEDuser premium members get full access. We’ll tell you whether the credit is easy to accomplish or better left alone, and we provide insider tips on how to document it successfully.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Option 1. Entryway systems (1 point)
Establishment
Have in place permanent entryway systems at least 10 feet (3 meters) long in the primary direction of travel to capture dirt and particulates entering the building at regularly used exterior entrances. Acceptable entryway systems include permanently installed grates, grilles, slotted systems that allow for cleaning underneath, rollout mats, and any other materials manufactured as entryway systems with equal to or better performance. Maintain all on a weekly basis.
Performance
Confirm that entryway systems have been maintained on a weekly basis.
Option 2. Additional enhanced IAQ strategies (1 point)
Comply with the requirements of at least one of the following.
Filtration for mechanically ventilated spaces
Establishment
Each ventilation system that supplies outdoor air to occupied spaces must have particle filters or air cleaning devices. These filters or devices must meet one of the following filtration media requirements:
  • minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) of 13 or higher, in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 52.2–2007;
  • Class F7 or higher as defined by CEN Standard EN 779–2002, Particulate Air Filters for General Ventilation, Determination of the Filtration Performance
  • [East Asia ACP: Filtration Media]
Establish a regular schedule for maintenance and replacement of filtration media according to the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
Performance
Follow the schedule for maintenance and replacement of filtration media.
Carbon Dioxide Monitors
Establishment
Have in place CO2 monitors in all densely occupied spaces. Rooms smaller than 150 square feet (14 square meters) are exempt. CO2 monitors must be between 3 and 6 feet (900 and 1 800 millimeters) above the floor. Configure the system to generate a visual alarm to the system operator if the differential CO2 concentration in any zone rises more than 15% above that corresponding to the minimum outdoor air rate required in the ventilation section of EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance. Test and calibrate CO2 sensors to have an accuracy of no less than 75 parts per million or 5% of the reading, whichever is greater.
Performance
Sensors must be tested and calibrated at least once every five years or per the manufacturer’s recommendation, whichever is shorter. Monitor CO2 sensors with a system configured to trend CO2 concentrations in intervals no greater than 30 minutes.
Outdoor air monitoring for mechanically ventilated spaces
Establishment
For variable air volume systems, provide a direct outdoor airflow measurement device capable of measuring the minimum outdoor air intake flow for at least 80% of the outdoor air flow. This device must measure the minimum outdoor air intake flow with an accuracy of +/–10% of the design minimum outdoor airflow rate required in the ventilation section of EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance. An alarm must indicate when the outdoor airflow value varies by 15% or more from the outdoor airflow setpoint. For constant-volume systems, balance outdoor airflow to the design minimum outdoor airflow rate required in the ventilation section of EQ Prerequisite Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance, or higher. Install a current transducer on the supply fan, an airflow switch, or similar monitoring device.
Performance
Calibrate all measurement devices within the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
Outdoor air monitoring for naturally ventilated spaces
Establishment
Provide a direct exhaust airflow measurement device capable of measuring the exhaust airflow. This device must measure the exhaust airflow with an accuracy of +/–10% of the design minimum exhaust airflow rate. An alarm must indicate when airflow values vary by 15% or more from the exhaust airflow setpoint.
Performance
Calibrate all measurement devices within the manufacturer’s recommended interval.
Alarmed openings for naturally ventilated spaces
Establishment
Provide automatic indication devices on all openings intended to meet the minimum opening requirements. An alarm must indicate when any one of the openings is closed during occupied hours.
Performance
None.

Alternative Compliance Paths (ACPs)

IAQ-HIGH">East Asia ACP: Filtration Media
Projects in East Asia may use filtration media classified as high efficiency (高中效过滤器) or higher as defined by Chinese standard GB/T 14295-2008 (空气过滤器).

In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, 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.

Can we earn Option 2 by adopting a phase-out plan of our old filters and replacing them with MERV 13 filters?

The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial »

(If you're already a premium member, log in here.)

LEEDuser expert

Trista Brown

LEED AP O+M, BD+C, Fitwel Ambassador

WSP USA
Project Director

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Subscribe to new discussions about Schools-EBOM-v4 EQc2