The intent of this credit is to provide a high level of thermal comfort controls for building occupants to improve occupant productivity and comfort.

Requirements for Certification:

Provide individual comfort controls for at least 50% of the building occupants.

Provide comfort controls for multi-occupant spaces to meet group needs.

Successful Strategies:

• Consider adjustable underfloor air diffusers, or thermostat controlled VAV boxes.
• Operable windows can be used in lieu of comfort controls for occupants of areas that are 20 feet inside of and 10 feet to either side of the operable part of the window.
• Perform preliminary temperature/airflow control calculations early in design to determine if more or less thermal comfort controls are required to meet the credit.

Helpful Hints:

1. Comfort controls are defined as the provision of control over at least one of the primary factors in the occupant's local environment: thermostats, diffusers, radiant panels, operable windows.
2. Specific types or numbers of controls are not defined by LEED for shared multi-occupant spaces.
3. The control strategies cannot rely on average temperature inputs, individual temperature control must be provided.
4. Provide sensors at each operable window so that maintenance staff gets notified when windows are left open after hours.

Historical Data (updated June 2006):

• 15% of all California LEED Certified projects achieved this credit for LEED v2.1.

Additional EDR Resources

Design Briefs: Smart Buildings

Design Briefs: Underfloor Air Distribution and Access Floors

Design Briefs: Air Conditioning & Ventilation

Design Briefs: Design For Your Climate

Design Briefs: Options & Opportunities

Design Guidelines: Commissioning Guidelines - Appendix 6