Sustaining a high indoor environmental quality requires collaboration between the building owner, design team, contractors, building operators and occupants. LEED puts a heavy emphasis on this category because of multiple reasons: indoor pollutants are 2 to 5 times higher than the outdoor levels. Therefore, LEED makes it a point to focus on improving indoor air quality and increasing occupants’ comfort. This chapter discusses four issues and solutions: Indoor air quality (IAQ), note the difference between IAQ and EQ (Environmental Quality), thermal comfort, lighting comfort and acoustical performance. (16 points).

Noteworthy Standards

• ASHRAE 62.1
• ASHRAE 55
• MERV standards for filters
• CPDH and SCAQMD
• Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines