How frequently should new occupant surveys be performed to achieve EQ Credit Occupant Comfort Survey?

To achieve EQ Credit Occupant Comfort Survey under the LEED O+M guidelines, it is recommended that occupant surveys be conducted at least once every two years. This frequency allows building management to gather relevant feedback from occupants regarding indoor environmental quality aspects such as lighting, acoustics, temperature, and overall satisfaction with the space.

Conducting the survey biennially ensures that any issues or concerns related to occupant comfort can be identified and addressed in a timely manner, promoting a healthier and more productive environment. The data collected can be leveraged to make informed decisions regarding improvements and can help illustrate responsiveness to occupant needs, which is a key component in maintaining a high-performance building.

In the context of other choices, conducting surveys every year may lead to redundant data collection without substantial changes or improvements being implemented between surveys. Conducting surveys every five years would not provide timely feedback and might allow issues affecting occupant comfort to persist for too long. Surveying once every quarter may also result in overwhelming data, creating unnecessary workload for management without providing significantly more value. Thus, once every two years strikes an appropriate balance between capturing valuable insights and managing survey frequency efficiently.