Hi Radwan, thanks for your question regarding indoor environmental quality (IEQ) for thermal insulation.

Most LEED rating systems do not address thermal insulation in their IEQ credit categories, with the exception of LEED for Schools.

LEED for Schools: IEQ for Insulation

LEED for Schools awards 1 point for IEQ Credit 4.6: Ceiling and Wall Systems. This credit addresses insulation, gypsum board, acoustical ceiling systems, and wall coverings installed in the building interior.

According to the rating system, insulation must:
“…meet the testing and product requirements of the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers, including 2004 Addenda.”

For this credit, there is an alternative compliance path for projects outside the U.S. Essentially, international LEED projects must follow the guidelines for insulation above by using the California Department of Health Services Standard “by substituting appropriate benchmarks and metrics that use a local standard for establishing a baseline, and measure performance relative to that baseline.”

Pilot Credit for Insulation: Innovation in Design

While most of the LEED rating systems do not currently address insulation for indoor environmental quality, there is currently a pilot credit that addresses this topic.

As I mentioned in my previous article on pilot credits, the pilot credit library was created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to refine potential new prerequisites, credits or alternative compliance paths before they are balloted and introduced to the LEED rating system.

A LEED certification project can earn points under Innovation and Design (ID) or Innovation of Operations (IO) for implementing and giving feedback on a pilot credit from the library.

According to the USGBC, Pilot Credit 21: Low-Emitting Interiors is intended to “reduce concentrations of chemical contaminants that can damage air quality, human health, productivity, and the environment”. Projects can earn 1-3 points, depending on its percentage compliance with the credit requirements.

This credit addresses 5 interior components, including flooring, ceilings, walls, thermal and acoustic insulation, and furniture.

Specifically for insulation, the requirement is as follows:
“Batt insulation products shall contain no added formaldehyde, including urea formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, and urea-extended phenol formaldehyde.“

This pilot credit is can be tested in the following LEED rating systems:
- New Construction
- Core and Shell
- Schools
- Commercial Interiors
- Retail – Commercial Interiors
- Retail – New Construction
- Healthcare

To learn more about this credit, see Pilot Credit 21 in the pilot credit library.

If this credit is piloted successfully, it will be incorporated into LEED rating systems. So, while insulation guidelines for IEQ are currently only a part of LEED for Schools, they may soon be added to the other LEED rating systems as well.

Related Advice:

• LEEDuser: LEED Question and Answer Forum for Pilot Credits



• Pilot Credits and LEED: Can I Earn Points for Innovation in Design?



• Maximize your Building Envelope’s Energy Efficiency with Insulation