ASHRAE 62
Ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) throughout the project must comply with the sections of ASHRAE 62.1-2022 and ASHRAE 62.2-2022 (Residential) listed below, or an approved international equivalent standard.
- ASHRAE 62.1-2022: sections: 4, 5, 6.1, 6.2, 6.5, and 7 (projects in the Interior Typology are not required to demonstrate compliance with sections 5.1 and 7). The procedures defined in section 6.3 may not be used to comply with this requirement.
- ASHRAE 62.2-2022 (Residential) sections: 4, 5, 6.1.2, 6.7, 6.8, and 7.
Project teams proposing an international standard equivalent to ASHRAE 62.1 or ASHRAE 62.2 must submit a Request for Ruling for preapproval of the proposed standard.
No HVAC Scope
Projects in the Interior and Building Renovation Typologies that did not modify any of the HVAC distribution equipment within the Project Area may demonstrate compliance with the outdoor ventilation requirements of ASHRAE 62.1 section 6.2 by either providing documentation from the design engineer or using a performance-based approach as follows:
- Ventilation rate procedure calculations from the system’s design engineer may be used to demonstrate compliance with the minimum ventilation and outdoor air rates in ASHRAE 62.1 2022 Table 6-1 and the minimum exhaust rates in Table 6-2. However, an updated calculation must be done to address the effect of any new or altered partition walls created by the certifying project or by any other modifications since the system was originally installed.
- Project compliance with Table 6-1 may also be documented through calculations incorporating the flow hood testing results and the system’s outside air mix to show that ventilation to the space meets the specified minimum rates for the certifying project’s design occupancy. Testing must also show compliance with Table 6-2.
Interior and Building Renovation projects with no HVAC scope that are unable to meet this requirement may seek approval in advance for an alternative method of meeting the requirement intent through a Request for Ruling.
Natural Ventilation
Project teams seeking to meet the outdoor air requirements within Section 6 by means of natural ventilation must submit a Request for Ruling and receive pre-approval from ILFI. All submissions must demonstrate how the project will provide for acceptable indoor air quality when the Air Quality Index rises above 100 for PM and Ozone, regardless of the US EPA attainment status of the location.
- Non-residential project teams must also demonstrate in the Request for Ruling submission how the project will comply with ASHRAE 62.1 sections 6.1.4 and 6.4, and provide either:
- an exhaust airflow monitoring system accurate to +/-10% of the design minimum exhaust airflow rate that alarms when airflow values vary by 15% or more from the exhaust airflow setpoint; or
- a device that alarms when any aperture that is part of the ventilation supply system is closed during occupied hours.
- Residential project teams must also demonstrate in the Request for Ruling submission that the project meets the conditions in ASHRAE 62.2 Exception to 4.1.1.
DAYLIGHT AND VIEWS
Project teams are encouraged to incorporate as many outside views and as much daylighting as programmatically appropriate to balance energy use and support visual acuity, with a minimum requirement that 75% of regularly occupied spaces have access to views outside and daylight.
In multi-unit residential and other projects designed for overnight occupancy, each individual unit must provide views outside and daylight for the specified minimum percent of regularly occupied spaces (75% for I09 Healthy Interior Environment; 95% for I10 Healthy Interior Performance). The percentages also must be met for the building as a whole. Daylight and views to the outside in excess of the minimum required percentages are encouraged within units, but the overage may not be applied to the overall building percentage.
There shall be at least one window-wall in a space to qualify as a space providing adequate access to views and daylight. Window-walls are defined as exterior walls that have a minimum glazed area of 10%, with a minimum of 5% of this glazing providing direct view windows, and having a sill(s) no higher than five feet above the finished floor. There are no other requirements for the amount of glazing.
When considering views outside and daylighting, project teams should consider the visual relief and reduced eye strain provided by focusing on a view to the outside. Aside from a connection to nature, a view may be beneficial for occupants using computers or other screens for extended periods of time, in which case studies show that focusing on objects or views far away reduces fatigue on the eye muscles. Typically, skylights and views of the sky, while they do provide daylight, do not provide the visual relief that is supplied by views to solid objects and natural forms.
Daylight and views to the outside should, however, be balanced with other considerations, including glare issues. Light shelves, window shades, or awnings can provide glare mitigation when it is an issue, allowing daylight and/or views while protecting from glare.
Occupied and Exempt Spaces for Views and Daylight Requirement
For the purpose of this Imperative, a regularly occupied space is a space used by a full-time employee, part-time employee, resident, extended-period visitor, or any other person for four or more hours per day for two or more days in a week.
For residential projects and those designed for overnight occupancy, regularly occupied spaces include bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and home offices. Dedicated spaces with a light-sensitive function, such as a home theater or darkroom, may be excluded.
Exempt Spaces
The following areas are not considered regularly occupied unless they contain a staffed workstation or are otherwise regularly staffed or occupied for more than four hours per day (i.e., a commercial laundry facility). Although project teams are still encouraged to consider the benefits of fresh air and daylight based on anticipated space use, the following spaces do not need to meet the daylight and views requirements of this Imperative:
Spaces Exempt from Views + Daylight Requirement:
Break rooms, circulation spaces, coat rooms, dishwashing areas, electrical rooms, elevator machine rooms, exit stairs, janitor closets, laundry rooms, locker rooms, mail rooms, mechanical rooms, museum and zoo exhibit areas, print/copy rooms, restrooms, seating in office libraries, server rooms, storage/shelving areas.
Additionally, retail service counters used for the display and serving of food products or other products that are sensitive to direct sunlight may be exempt from the direct access to daylight requirement. Staff in those areas should have visual access to daylight, either at a greater distance or through a nearby skylight located so that it will not impact the sensitive products. Please note that project teams should still explain in their Daylighting and Views narrative and diagrams how 75% of occupants have access to views and daylight from all spaces within the project.
Non-Exempt Spaces
Spaces that are considered regularly occupied for the purpose of the views and daylight requirement include:
- Multi-use classrooms and lecture-style presentation; and
- Work spaces including work stations, seating areas, conference and meeting rooms, service areas, and any space workers inhabit or use on a regular basis.
- Work spaces meeting the distances from a window noted in Figure 9-1 are assumed to meet the daylighting requirement. Areas that are not within the required distance may submit a Request for Ruling for preapproval.
Distance to Daylighting
Areas within regularly occupied spaces are considered to meet the distance to daylighting requirements if they are:
- Within 9m (30ft) of windows.
- For projects that are Building Renovation or Interior Typology, the areas are compliant if they are within 14m (46ft) of windows when existing conditions make the 9m (30ft) requirement infeasible.
- Proximal to partitions no more than 110cm (3ft 7in) high when in the line of sight to windows and when the work is seated.
- Buildings sized over 46,451sm (500,000sf).
- If limited by floor plate configuration, offices and retail spaces in buildings over 46,451sm (500,000sf) may have 100% of staffed workstations within 14m (approximately 46ft) of a compliant window wall in lieu of 9m (30ft). This includes all desks and checkout counters but excludes circulation, library, or retail display areas.
Views
Areas within regularly occupied spaces are considered to provide compliant views to outside if they provide unobstructed views through window-walls as defined earlier in this Daylight and Views Clarification.
As long as the view is unobstructed, the distance to the view may exceed the maximum distance to daylight, such as where a building with a large floor plate meets daylighting requirements through a combination of skylights and window-walls.
Daylighting Strategies
Acceptable Daylighting Strategies
- Skylights;
- Fixed or operable glazing; and
- Glazed doors.
Unacceptable Daylighting Strategies
- Daylight simulation, including daylight-simulating lamps and lighting fixtures, mirrors, and gloss finishes.
DIRECT EXHAUST
Exhaust from areas that are likely to have strong odors or other contaminants, including kitchens, bathrooms, and janitorial areas, as well as dedicated copy rooms, must exhaust to the outside and not get mixed with return air. It is acceptable for the exhaust air from multiple areas to mix on its way out of the project if allowable by code.
Separate ventilation for janitorial areas is not required for a residential project, as long as the occupants have a Healthy Indoor Environment Plan (HIEP) with cleaning protocols that avoid introducing contaminants into the home.
HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT PLAN (HIEP)
The HIEP must be specific to the project type and location and must be an instructional, updatable document. It must cover, at a minimum:
- Cleaning protocols, including:
- Cleaning products, frequency, and methods;
- Inspection, maintenance, and cleaning schedule for ensuring clean and leak-free HVAC systems, plumbing systems, and exterior envelope systems; and
- A plan for training and/or communicating the cleaning protocols to occupants and to those performing the cleaning.
- Particulate prevention strategies, such as walk-off mats, vestibules and other entry approach strategies, curtains, screens, or relevant policies (see Entry Approaches in HIEP, below, for strategies and recommendations).
- Multiple indoor air quality improvement strategies, such as toxin prevention policies, air flow systems, or filtration protocols that are appropriate to the project. At least one of these strategies must be implemented.
- Installation of carbon monoxide detectors must be included in the plan for all buildings that have combustion-based appliances or equipment within the building footprint in accordance with the limits specified in I07 Energy + Carbon Reduction (C4), or that have an enclosed parking area within the building footprint. The detector(s) should be UL listed and installed at the frequency and location indicated by the manufacturer, unless otherwise specified by applicable building code, and must have both an audible alarm and a digital display. In addition, the user documentation must specify at what concentration and duration the alarm will sound. The concentration at which it alarms must not exceed thresholds set by a nationally or internationally recognized public health safety standard such as in the US, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This requirement is in addition to the requirement to implement one identified indoor air quality improvement strategy.
Project teams should note that the HIEP should not be limited to the above four categories, but should also include information about all strategies used to improve the indoor environment, including ventilation, smoking limitations, direct exhaust, operable windows, IAQ testing, measures to reduce airborne infectious disease, and even the pesticides and fertilizers specified in Imperative 01, Ecology of Place (C1). Anything the team has incorporated into the design and operation of the building in order to improve occupant health should be included in the Plan.
The HIEP must be made available to the project owners, occupants, and facilities managers. It can be added to or amended over time, but should at minimum continue to address the cleaning protocols, particulate prevention strategies, and indoor air quality improvement strategies enumerated above.
Entry Approaches in HIEP
Project teams should keep in mind that a successful entry approach, included in the HIEP, is corroborated by performance-based indoor air quality testing in Imperative 10, when pursuing the Health + Happiness Petal. Common best practices include dirt walk-off systems, which should be scaled appropriately and tailored for each project’s specific programmatic requirements and foot-traffic demand. The following are recommendations for interior and exterior entry-approach strategies. When entry approaches are being used as the one required air quality improvement strategy for compliance with the Imperative requirements, deviation from these recommendations should be submitted as a Request for Ruling for preapproval.
All Projects
The following entry-approach recommendations apply to all projects:
- Provide both exterior and interior dirt walk-off systems at all primary entrances.
- Dirt walk-off systems typically consist of grates, grilles, and/or temporary or permanently installed walk-off mats combined with a regular cleaning schedule, or any other strategy designed to capture and remove particles from shoes without allowing build-up of contaminants.
- Interior mats, whether permanently installed or temporary, should be cleaned at least once a week, though twice weekly is preferable in heavily trafficked areas (per the American Lung Association).
Commercial/Institutional Main Entrances
The following recommendations apply to the main entrances of commercial and institutional buildings, but are also encouraged for secondary entrances that are anticipated to experience high foot traffic. Main entrances are encouraged to:
- Have a permanently installed exterior dirt walk-off system and an interior dirt walk-off system that is contained within a separate entry space/vestibule.
- The interior and exterior dirt walk-off systems ideally add up to a minimum of 2.5m (8ft) in length or approximately enough length to take two steps on each mat.
- It is not recommended to eliminate the entire exterior portion of the dirt walk-off system, resulting in a system contained entirely within the main entry vestibule. The interior portion is intended to serve as a “finishing” system.
- Have a canopy extending a minimum of 1.2m (4ft) from the main entrance doors.
- Include, where applicable, an optional shoe rack for people to change shoes or to take off shoes prior to entrance.
Vestibules
Vestibules are a good option for the primary entries for commercial, institutional, and multifamily residential projects in most climates where the interior and exterior temperature are often different or there is a risk of particulate contamination.
For smaller-scale commercial or institutional projects, it may not be feasible to have a dedicated entry vestibule at the main entrance, though it is strongly recommended. In this circumstance, projects might choose to install an unenclosed interior walk-off mat, which should be a minimum of 2.5m (8ft) from the nearest programmed space.
Buildings in Climate Zones 1–4 do not always need vestibules on primary entrances that are screened or oriented away from the primary wind direction and therefore wind-driven dust. See Approved Regional Equivalencies for comparable climate zones within Australia.
Commercial/Institutional Secondary Entrances
Secondary entrances are encouraged to have exterior and interior dirt walk-off systems but may not always have a separate entry space. The interior dirt walk-off systems may be temporary walk-off mats if they are cleaned at least once every week.
The dirt walk-off system is ideally a minimum of 8ft in length and maintained according to the anticipated foot traffic of the entrance.
For secondary entrances, decks and patios are usually sufficient as an exterior dirt walk-off system.
Residential Projects
It is recommended that multifamily residential apartments with public entrances follow the dirt walk-off criteria for a commercial/institutional main entrance as outlined above.
Within single-family residences or townhomes with individual entrances, the main entrance and the secondary entrances are encouraged to meet the criteria for a commercial/ institutional secondary entrance as outlined above. A shoes-off policy in the home can replace the interior portion of the dirt walk-off system entirely, although interior dirt walk-off mats are still recommended.
Transition Zones
Entries to transition zones, such as attached garages, loading zones, and attached greenhouses, do not always need to have walk-off systems, though it is encouraged. If such spaces are connected to the main building by an interstitial door, that door should have an appropriate dirt walk-off system based on whether it is a main or secondary entrance.
Exterior Lifts/Elevators
Lift/elevator entryways that are accessed from a building’s exterior are considered entryways if they are being designed as ways for people to access the various building levels directly from the outside. There should be a permanent dirt walk-off system at the exterior entry to the lift/elevator, and the floor of the lift should be a material that can be used as the interior, or “finishing,” part of the dirt walk-off system.
Exit Doors
Dirt walk-off systems are not necessary where doors are provided for exit only.
Existing Buildings
Existing building projects may provide temporary dirt walk-off systems if a permanent dirt walk-off system and/or vestibule is infeasible due to jurisdiction restrictions or the configuration of the existing space.
