** Incoming! v3 Revisions are on the way! **

MTBB:

In response to your feedback, we will be providing the following clarification: Implementation language update to clarify that these requirements are only applicable to the base building space.

CI:

In response to your feedback, we will be providing the following clarification: Implementation language update to clarify that these requirements are only applicable to CI space.

Please note, the below requirements and compliance documentation will be updated soon to reflect v3 changes. You can find more information on these revisions in a Change Log that will be available on the Help Center on December 10, 2024. ________________________________________________________________________

Provide occupants with thermal control and comfort

Rationale: Ensuring that occupied spaces meet standard and comfortable temperature ranges and allow occupants to influence room temperature enhances thermal comfort, contributing to improved mood and diminished risk of psychological distress — and temperate room temperatures are also associated with infection control.

For the most accurate strategy and documentation requirements, please refer to the digital scorecard made available on the Fitwel Platform.

Requirements

Demonstrate compliance with one of the options below:

 

Option 1 - Optimal Temperature and Control (Full Credit):

Demonstrate compliance with all the following requirements:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management)

1. Ensure an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉ (20℃ - 26℃) through direct reading sensors or thermostats within the entire building.

 

2. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all building occupants.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

 

1. Ensure an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉ (20℃ - 26℃) through direct reading sensors or thermostats within all spaces under the control of the building management/owner.

 

2. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all building occupants.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

1. Ensure an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉ (20℃ - 26℃) through direct reading sensors or thermostats within all spaces under the control of the tenant.
2. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all full- and part-time employee occupants within tenant spaces.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Option 2 - Survey and Control (Full Credit):

Conduct an occupant thermal comfort satisfaction survey that meets all of the following requirements:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. The thermal comfort satisfaction survey is fielded annually.

 

2. Ensure the thermal comfort satisfaction survey meets the response rate below based on the number of total building occupants:

Required response rates:

• for projects with 1 - 1,000 occupants, a 30% response rate
• for projects with 1,001 - 2,000 occupants, a 25% response rate
• for projects with 2,001- 3,500 occupants, a 20% response rate
• for projects with 3,501 - 5,000 occupants, a 15% response rate
• for projects with 5,001 - 10,000 occupants, a 10% response rate
• for projects over 10,000 occupants, the required response rate decreases by 1% for every additional 1,000 occupants to a minimum of 5%.

 

3. Ensure 80% of the thermal comfort satisfaction survey respondents are "satisfied" with the thermal conditions.

Note that projects must use the Likert Scale to assess satisfaction with thermal conditions (5-point scale: Very unsatisfied, Somewhat unsatisfied, Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Very satisfied). Any respondent reporting a “somewhat satisfied” or “very satisfied” response will qualify as satisfied.

 

4. Share the thermal comfort satisfaction survey results with all building occupants through a minimum of one of the following methods:

• a digital platform, such as a website, digital application, or display screen in common areas
• communication material, such as notification emails or newsletters.

 

5. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all building occupants.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

1. The thermal comfort satisfaction survey is fielded annually.

 

2. Ensure the thermal comfort satisfaction survey response rate below based on the number of full- and part-time employees and staff within tenant spaces:

 

Required response rates:

• for projects with 1 - 1,000 occupants, a 30% response rate
• for projects with 1,001 - 2,000 occupants, a 25% response rate
• for projects with 2,001- 3,500 occupants, a 20% response rate
• for projects with 3,501 - 5,000 occupants, a 15% response rate
• for projects with 5,001 - 10,000 occupants, a 10% response rate
• for projects over 10,000 occupants, the required response rate decreases by 1% for every additional 1,000 occupants to a minimum of 5%.

 

3. Ensure 80% of the thermal comfort satisfaction survey respondents are "satisfied" with the thermal conditions.

Note that projects must use the Likert Scale to assess satisfaction with thermal conditions (5-point scale: Very unsatisfied, Somewhat unsatisfied, Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Very satisfied). Any respondent reporting a “somewhat satisfied” or “very satisfied” response will qualify as satisfied.

 

4. Share the thermal comfort satisfaction survey results with all full- and part-time employees and staff within the tenant space through a minimum of one of the following methods:

• a digital platform, such as a website, digital application, or display screen in common areas
• communication material, such as notification emails or newsletters.

 

5. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all full- and part-time employee occupants within tenant spaces.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Option 3 - Predicted Mean Vote and Control (Full Credit):

Demonstrate compliance with all of the following requirements:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. Ensure that the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) of thermal comfort is between +0.5 and -0.5 for the entire building.

 

2. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all building occupants.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

 

1. Ensure that the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) of thermal comfort is between +0.5 and -0.5 within the tenant spaces.

 

PMV may be calculated using the ASHRAE 55 chart of the online Thermal Comfort Tool, which can be found at: https://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu/.

If the project team opts to use a PMV calculator other than the one provided, they must demonstrate that the calculations have considered air speed or velocity, air temperature, clothing insulation, metabolic rate or work, relative humidity, and radiant temperature.

 

2. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all full- and part-time employee occupants within tenant spaces.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Option 4 - Optimal Temperature Range (Partial Credit):

The project may achieve partial credit by demonstrating compliance with the following requirement:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. Ensure an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉ (20℃ - 26℃) through direct reading sensors or thermostats within the entire building.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

1. Ensure an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉ (20℃ - 26℃) through direct reading sensors or thermostats within all tenant spaces.

 

Option 5 - Satisfaction Survey (Partial Credit):

Conduct an occupant thermal comfort satisfaction survey that meets all of the following requirements:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. The thermal comfort satisfaction survey is fielded annually.

 

2. Ensure the thermal comfort satisfaction survey meets the response rate below based on the number of total building occupants:

 

Required response rates:

• for projects with 1 - 1,000 occupants, a 30% response rate
• for projects with 1,001 - 2,000 occupants, a 25% response rate
• for projects with 2,001- 3,500 occupants, a 20% response rate
• for projects with 3,501 - 5,000 occupants, a 15% response rate
• for projects with 5,001 - 10,000 occupants, a 10% response rate
• for projects over 10,000 occupants, the required response rate decreases by 1% for every additional 1,000 occupants to a minimum of 5%.

 

3. Ensure 80% of the thermal comfort satisfaction survey respondents are "satisfied" with the thermal conditions.

Note that projects must use the Likert Scale to assess satisfaction with thermal conditions (5-point scale: Very unsatisfied, Somewhat unsatisfied, Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Very satisfied). Any respondent reporting a “somewhat satisfied” or “very satisfied” response will qualify as satisfied.

 

4. Share the thermal comfort satisfaction survey results with all building occupants through a minimum of one of the following methods:

• a digital platform, such as a website, digital application, or display screen in common areas
• communication material, such as notification emails or newsletters.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

1. The thermal comfort satisfaction survey is fielded annually.

 

2. Ensure the thermal comfort satisfaction survey response rate below based on the number of full- and part-time employees and staff within tenant spaces:

 

Required response rates:

• for projects with 1 - 1,000 occupants, a 30% response rate
• for projects with 1,001 - 2,000 occupants, a 25% response rate
• for projects with 2,001- 3,500 occupants, a 20% response rate
• for projects with 3,501 - 5,000 occupants, a 15% response rate
• for projects with 5,001 - 10,000 occupants, a 10% response rate
• for projects over 10,000 occupants, the required response rate decreases by 1% for every additional 1,000 occupants to a minimum of 5%.

 

3. Ensure 80% of the thermal comfort satisfaction survey respondents are "satisfied" with the thermal conditions.

Note that projects must use the Likert Scale to assess satisfaction with thermal conditions (5-point scale: Very unsatisfied, Somewhat unsatisfied, Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, Somewhat satisfied, Very satisfied). Any respondent reporting a “somewhat satisfied” or “very satisfied” response will qualify as satisfied.

 

4. Share the thermal comfort satisfaction survey results with all full- and part-time employees and staff within the tenant space through a minimum of one of the following methods:

• a digital platform, such as a website, digital application, or display screen in common areas
• communication material, such as notification emails or newsletters.

 

Option 6 - Predicted Mean Vote (Partial Credit):

Demonstrate compliance with the following requirement:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. Ensure that the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) of thermal comfort is between +0.5 and -0.5 for the entire building.

 

PMV may be calculated using the ASHRAE 55 chart of the online Thermal Comfort Tool, which can be found at: https://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu/.

If the project team opts to use a PMV calculator other than the one provided, they must demonstrate that the calculations have considered air speed or velocity, air temperature, clothing insulation, metabolic rate or work, relative humidity, and radiant temperature.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

1. Ensure that the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) of thermal comfort is between +0.5 and -0.5 within the tenant spaces.

 

PMV may be calculated using the ASHRAE 55 chart of the online Thermal Comfort Tool, which can be found at: https://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu/.

If the project team opts to use a PMV calculator other than the one provided, they must demonstrate that the calculations have considered air speed or velocity, air temperature, clothing insulation, metabolic rate or work, relative humidity, and radiant temperature.

 

 

Option 7 - Thermal Control (Partial Credit):

The project may achieve partial credit by demonstrating compliance with the following requirement:

 

Multi-Tenant Whole Building (no on-site management), Multi-Tenant Whole Building (with on-site management)

1. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all building occupants.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Single-Tenant, Commercial Interior

1. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all full- and part-time employee occupants within tenant spaces.

 

2. Provide access to thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature for all full- and part-time employee occupants within building owner/management spaces.

 

Qualifying thermal control devices or systems may include but are not limited to the following:

• thermostat controls
• HVAC grills that allow for vent control
• building management system, website, or app that allows for temperature control requests
• stand-alone fans.

 

Compliance Documentation

Design Pathway

Option 1: 

• Requirement 1
  • Checkbox to certify that the temperature within all spaces under the control of the building management/owner will be set to an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉.
• Requirement 2

  • Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature will be accessible to all relevant building occupants

  • Upload an annotated specification sheet of the proposed thermal control devices or systems

Option 2: 

• Requirement 1
  • Checkbox to certify that the thermal comfort satisfaction survey will be fielded annually
• Requirement 2

  • Checkbox to certify that the thermal comfort satisfaction survey will meet the required response rate based on the number of relevant occupants within the building

  • Upload a copy of the survey that will be fielded.

• Requirement 3
  • Checkbox to certify that the thermal comfort satisfaction survey will meet the required response rate based on the number of relevant occupants within the building
• Requirement 4
  • Checkbox to certify that the survey results will be shared with all relevant building occupants
• Requirement 5

  • Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature will be accessible to all relevant building occupants

  • Upload an annotated specification sheet of the proposed thermal control devices or systems

Option 3: 

• Requirement 1

  • Checkbox to certify that the PMV of all relevant spaces will be between +0.5 and -0.5

• Requirement 2

  • Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature will be accessible to all relevant occupants

  • Upload an annotated specification sheet of the proposed thermal control devices or systems

Option 4: 

• Checkbox to certify that the temperature within all relevant spaces will be set to an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉

Option 5: 

• Requirement 1
  • Checkbox to certify that thermal comfort satisfaction survey will be fielded annually
• Requirement 2

  • Checkbox to certify that the thermal comfort satisfaction survey will meet the required response rate based on the number of relevant occupants within the building

  • Upload a copy of the survey that will be fielded

• Requirement 3
  
  • Checkbox to certify that the thermal comfort satisfaction survey will meet the required response rate based on the number of relevant occupants within the building
• Requirement 4
  • Checkbox to certify that the survey results will be shared with all relevant building occupants

Option 6: 

• Checkbox to certify that the PMV of all relevant spaces will be between +0.5 and -0.5

Option 7: 

• Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature will be accessible to all relevant occupants

• Upload an annotated specification sheet of the proposed thermal control devices or systems

Built Pathway 

Option 1: 

• Requirement 1

  • Checkbox to certify that the temperature within all spaces under the control of the building management/owner is set to an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉

  • Upload an annotated photograph of the direct reading device showing the temperature range of each unique sensor or thermostat.

• Requirement 2

  • Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature are accessible to all relevant building occupants

  • Upload an annotated specification sheet of the qualifying thermal control devices

Option 2: 

• Requirement 1
  • Checkbox to certify that the the thermal comfort satisfaction survey is fielded annually
• Requirement 2

  • Text boxes to input the following:

    • the number of survey responses that were received

    • the number of relevant building occupants

  • Upload a copy of the survey that was fielded

• Requirement 3

  • Text boxes to input the following:

    • the number of respondents who reported they are "satisfied" with the thermal conditions

    • the number of residential occupants

• Requirement 4

  • Upload a copy of the survey results

  • Checkbox to certify that the survey results are shared with all relevant occupants

• Requirement 5

  • Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature are accessible to all relevant occupants

  • Upload an annotated specification sheet of the qualifying thermal control devices.

Option 3: 

• Requirement 1

  • Checkbox to certify that the PMV of all relevant areas is between +0.5 and -0.5

  • Upload an annotated copy of the PMV calculation results

• Requirement 2

  • Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature are accessible to all relevant occupants

  • Upload an annotated specification sheet of the

Option 4: 

• Checkbox to certify that the temperature within all relevant areas is set to an optimal temperature range of 68℉ - 79℉

• Upload an annotated photograph of the direct reading device showing the temperature range of each unique sensor or thermostat

Option 5: 

• Requirement 1
  • Checkbox to certify that the thermal comfort satisfaction survey is fielded annually
• Requirement 2

  • Text boxes to input the following:

    • the number of survey responses that were received

    • the number of relevant occupants

  • Upload a copy of the survey that was fielded
• Requirement 3

  • Text boxes to input the following:

    • the number of respondents who reported they are "satisfied" with the thermal conditions

    • the number of residential occupants

• Requirement 4

  • Upload a copy of the survey results

  • Checkbox to certify that the survey results are shared with all relevant occupants

Option 6: 

• Checkbox to certify that the PMV of all relevant spaces is between +0.5 and -0.5

• Upload an annotated copy of the PMV calculation results

Option 7: 

• Checkbox to certify that thermal control devices or systems that allow for individual or group control of temperature are accessible to all relevant occupants

• Upload an annotated specification sheet of the qualifying thermal control devices