Thermal Comfort – Above Green

The management of thermal comfort conditions is often one of the biggest operational challenges for building managers. And, while many facilities management teams only address thermal comfort in terms of temperature, to achieve optimal thermal comfort conditions, an ideal balance must be struck between temperature, relative humidity and air speed. The ‘Thermal Comfort’ credit rewards the monitoring of each of these factors throughout the performance period.

Acceptable temperature range standards for many types of spaces and building uses (offices, classrooms, industrial facilities etc) as outlined in recognized standards are considered best practice. Points are awarded where processes are in place to monitor, measure and maintain indoor temperature, relative humidity and air speed within acceptable best practice ranges in a building’s regularly occupied spaces.

Temperature measurements must be taken and recorded in each HVAC zone in regularly occupied spaces at least four times during the performance period. These measurements should fall within the designated temperature range. If measurements are outside this range, plans and processes should be in place to adjust or repair HVAC systems to ensure that temperatures are maintained at appropriate levels.

Similar measurement and monitoring processes should be implemented for relative humidity and air speed, with relative humidity measurements taken within each humidity zone, and air speed measurements taken at the riser ducts within each regularly occupied space.