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Concern about the environmental impact of construction and emissions has increased significantly in recent years, due to factors such as global warming, biodiversity loss and water pollution, among others. This has led to a boom in the development of standards and certifications that focus on the sustainability of buildings from various points of view. Energy efficiency, the reduction of the use of polluting materials or the saving of essential resources such as water are some of the conditions and points of interest that are framed in this type of certifications. In this context, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) stands out as the most widely recognized sustainable building certification system worldwide.
LEED-certified buildings are considered to be healthy and energy-efficient buildings, thereby reducing their environmental impact and resulting in social benefits. Like the vast majority of certifications in this field, it offers a holistic approach that considers building sustainability as the result of many key elements, including the following:
The current version of LEED is v4.1, which is distinguished from the previous version by its improved standards for energy efficiency, water conservation, site selection, materials selection, lighting and waste reduction.
LEED certification projects are distinguished according to building type and phase of construction, including new construction Core & Shell (Building Design and Construction; BD+C), new construction and interior design (Interior Design and Construction; ID+C) and projects in existing buildings (Building Operations and Maintenance; O+M). This variety of possibilities is reflected in specific certification systems for each type of project, as described below. In all processes, certification is based on a point system. The minimum number of points required for certification is 40, although different levels of enhanced certification are available: Silver (>50), Gold (>60) and Platinum (>80).
New construction projects can earn points under the Indoor Environment Quality (EQ) category, where there are several credits where air quality monitoring can help earn those points.
First, the Minimum Indoor Air Quality Performance credit is a requirement for CO2 monitoring in naturally ventilated spaces, so inBiot's solutions can greatly assist in compliance.
Secondly, LEED proposes several strategies to obtain points in the Enhanced Indoor Air Quality Strategies credit. Compliance with 3 of them earns 1 point and inBiot offers the ability to comply with 2 strategies that focus on air quality monitoring. These are strategy 9, which consists of CO2 monitoring, and strategy 10, which extends monitoring to additional pollutant sources.
Third, the Indoor Air Quality Assessment credit proposes two options for establishing better indoor air quality after construction and during occupancy to protect the well-being of occupants. The first option consists of a filtering and Flush-Out process to clean the new construction of contaminants such as VOCs to obtain 1 point. During this process, an internal temperature of between 15 and 27°C and a humidity of no more than 60% must be maintained. For this purpose, inBiot offers a monitoring solution that can be of great help in ensuring that these limits are not exceeded.
The second option provides for a pre-occupancy air test. The PM and inorganic gases test contributes 1 point and includes PM10, PM2.5, CO and Ozone. The required thresholds are summarized in the table below:
In its most recent version, LEED offers great flexibility for compliance with the established thresholds, allowing the use of monitoring devices, such as MICAin addition to laboratory testing.
Operations and maintenance projects for existing buildings also have the opportunity to earn points through the Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ) category. In this case, the Indoor Environmental Quality Performance credit offers the possibility of earning up to 20 points. This is a requirement that includes, on the one hand, a building occupant satisfaction survey, which accounts for 50% of the weight of the final score.
On the other hand, indoor air quality assessment comprises the other 50%, divided between CO2 monitoring ( 25%) and TVOC monitoring (25%). In addition, additional pollutants such as CO, ozone, PM and formaldehyde may be included.
The resulting score can provide from 8 points, the minimum required, up to 20, depending on the level of satisfaction of people and air quality. This reaffirms the importance of IAQ monitoring because of its close relationship with the sustainability of buildings and the effects on the health of the people who occupy them.
LEED v5 is the newest beta version of LEED, based on a restructured framework of the LEED system, but emphasizing climate action, quality of life and greening goals. The beta version developed for existing building projects, LEED Operations and Maintenance (O+M), differs from previous versions in its increased emphasis on indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring. The Indoor Environment Quality (EQ) category includes a new Indoor Air Quality Performance credit, which incorporates a section entirely focused on indoor air quality monitoring (Measure Indoor Air) and can contribute up to 10 points toward LEED certification.
This section proposes two paths to gain points by monitoring air quality parameters. Path 1a Continuous Indoor Air Monitoring offers the possibility to gain up to 6 points through the installation of monitors for relevant parameters, summarized in the table below. Path 1b Meet air quality thresholds: via continuous monitoring goes one step further, and allows up to 10 points to be earned if, in addition to monitoring, established thresholds are met for each parameter, also summarized in the table below.
Ultimately, air quality monitoring plays an important role in obtaining LEED certifications, being a fundamental element in the creation of sustainable and healthy buildings. inBiot's innovative solutions, led by MICA, not only meet the rigorous LEED standards, but also promote efficiency and quality of life in buildings, contributing to the well-being of people and care for the environment.Contact us and find out how we can boost your project's LEED certification!
