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USGBC LEED Green Associate: The Standard for Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality

Learn about ASHRAE 62.1, the standard that ensures adequate ventilation for building occupants, and its importance for the LEED Green Associate Exam. Improve your knowledge of ventilation requirements for green buildings.

Table of Contents

Question

What standard ensures adequate ventilation is supplied to building occupants?

A. ASHRAE 55
B. ASHRAE 62.1
C. ASHRAE 90.1
D. ASHRAE 189.1

Answer

B. ASHRAE 62.1

Explanation

ASHRAE 62.1 is a standard that ensures adequate ventilation is supplied to building occupants. ASHRAE stands for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, a professional organization that develops standards and guidelines for the design, operation, and maintenance of buildings.

ASHRAE 62.1 is a standard that specifies the minimum ventilation rates and other measures for new and existing buildings that are intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ) for the occupants. Ventilation is the process of supplying outdoor air to or removing indoor air from a building. Adequate ventilation is important for maintaining good IAQ, which can affect the health, comfort, and productivity of the occupants.

ASHRAE 62.1 is the “Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality” standard developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). This standard specifies the minimum ventilation rates and other measures needed to provide indoor air quality (IAQ) that is acceptable to human occupants and minimizes adverse health effects.

Key aspects of ASHRAE 62.1 include:

  • Minimum requirements for ventilation system design and acceptable IAQ
  • Ventilation rate procedure for determining outdoor air intake flow
  • Indoor Air Quality procedure as an alternative compliance path
  • Requirements for operations and maintenance of ventilation systems
  • Requirements for monitoring and controlling indoor air contaminants

The other ASHRAE standards mentioned are not directly related to ventilation and IAQ:

  • ASHRAE 55 focuses on thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy
  • ASHRAE 90.1 provides minimum requirements for energy-efficient design
  • ASHRAE 189.1 is the standard for the design of high-performance green buildings

So in summary, ASHRAE 62.1 is the key standard that ensures proper ventilation is supplied to maintain acceptable indoor air quality for building occupants, which is an important concept to understand for the LEED Green Associate Exam.

USGBC LEED Green Associate certification exam practice question and answer (Q&A) dump with detail explanation and reference available free, helpful to pass the USGBC LEED Green Associate exam and earn USGBC LEED Green Associate certification.