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The ASHRAE Standard 55 defines thermal comfort as “the condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment and is assessed by subjective evaluation.” In other words, thermal comfort involves technical aspects like temperature and humidity, but individual needs and preferences also come into play. In an office building, you can have some occupants […]
This technology brings trust (and potential profitability) to every building energy retrofit project
Energy efficiency upgrades for buildings often focus on specific components, such as lighting fixtures and electric motors. However, building elements are not independent from each other, and they operate as a single energy-consuming system. The best opportunities to save energy are found when a technical analysis covers the entire building. Since energy efficiency represents a capital […]
Building owners benefit from having both energy efficiency and indoor air quality. While energy efficiency reduces operating costs, IAQ improves the built environment for occupants. There is a common misconception that you must choose between both benefits – many owners believe that air quality requires more energy, and that efficient ventilation reduces air quality. However, […]
Every human adult breathes more than 3,000 gallons (11,000 litres) of air every day, this is the equivalent of swallowing 3,000 1 gallon water bottles a day. People wouldn’t drink water that is contaminated, hence we have control systems to ensure the water we drink is safe. Still, if you suspected that the water you […]
HVAC systems represent the largest share of energy consumption in commercial buildings. Space heating is a larger load for buildings in cold climates, while air conditioning is a larger load in warm climates. However, HVAC systems as a whole normally use more energy than any other system. In 2016, the New York City Urban Green Council […]
According to the 2019 Global Coworking Survey, 90% of all profitable coworking spaces have over 200 members. In addition, the 2019 State of Coworking study found that coworking spaces have an average of 90 members, and that only 11% have 300 or more members. Having plenty of clients not only increases revenue: they also create […]
The most successful companies in the world follow research data to improve their employees’ productivity. That includes office environment. An office environment can be described using measurable and subjective factors. The former could be, for example, indoor temperature, the concentration of air pollutants, or noise. The latter refers to how the workplace is perceived by employees. Scientific […]
Landlords and property managers, when considering energy efficiency solutions for their buildings, need to assess the payback time and return on investment. Thus, it’s essential for them to predict accurately how much energy will be saved after changes will be made. So the industry, architects, engineers, and energy modelers, instead of “hoping for the best” or […]
Open-plan offices have become very popular in recent decades, and in great part they were popularized by the high-tech companies of Silicon Valley. According to these companies, an open-plan office removes physical barriers to promote more communication and collaboration among employees. Real estate costs also drop by around 20% with open-plan offices, and this has […]
Thermal comfort is a complex topic, which involves both measurable data and subjective factors. Modern heating and air conditioning systems can control indoor temperatures very accurately. However, finding a temperature that makes everyone comfortable is difficult. This is especially true for office buildings, which may have hundreds or thousands of occupants, of different genders and […]
“Artificial intelligence” is everywhere in marketing materials and trade shows related to smart buildings. It’s true, Ai plays a key role in energy management, in HVAC management in particular as heating, cooling and ventilation are one of the largest energy consumers in most buildings, representing as much as 50-60% of the total energy consumption. Better […]
Building management is a thankless task. When things are going well, nobody notices. But when things go wrong, and the conditions in a building are suboptimal, people definitely notice. Increasingly, technology is able to help in this regard. And one revolution that’s particularly interesting lies in the field of machine learning. What is machine learning?Essentially, machine learning is […]
Is carbon dioxide harmful? The answer to this question depends on the scale. There is no doubt that rising carbon dioxide is harmful for the environment, and it has been identified as the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change. However, if we are dealing with offices and other indoor environments occupied by humans, carbon […]
Most of the substances that pollute indoor air are impossible or very difficult to detect with human senses alone, and the goal of indoor air quality is to prevent exposure to them in the first place. The US Environmental Protection Agency has created a compendium of the methods that can reliably determine the presence of […]
Formaldehyde is a volatile organic compound (VOC) whose molecules are composed of one carbon atom, one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms – its chemical formula is CH2O. It is a colorless gas at room temperature, but can be detected due to its pungent smell and suffocating effect. In general, formaldehyde is produced when hydrocarbons […]
The term “asthma trigger” is used to describe anything that causes asthma symptoms in patients. We tend to associate asthma flare-ups with substances like tobacco smoke, but they can also be triggered by physiological or emotional factors. Indoor air quality (IAQ) initiatives are especially beneficial for asthma patients, since many triggers are kept under control […]
Most people think of building management systems merely as a means to improve the energy and resource efficiency of buildings and offices. However, research reported in two recent news articles has raised an enticing possibility: Intentional building management may also be a means to increase the productivity of workers. The New York Times article “Is Conference […]
Building management companies face a different set of challenges than homeowners when it comes to mold control. The first and most important is the scale of operations: keeping mold under control across many residential and commercial buildings requires dedicated staff members and an action plan that ensures all buildings are kept in check, even if there’s just […]
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an ongoing process: the natural tendency of interior spaces is to gather pollutants, not to get rid of them. Poor office air quality can lead to discomfort and a series of health issues, as well as a decrease in productivity, so you should not overlook the topic. If you want to […]
Quick Navigation Particulate MatterMold & Other FungiVolatile Organic CompoundsTrichloroethylene (C2HCl3)Formaldehyde (CH2O)Benzene (C6H6)Xylene (C8H10)Pet DanderDust MitesPollenOzone (O3)Ammonia (NH3)Carbon Monoxide (CO)RadonLeadArsenicAsbestosMake The Invisible, Visible One of the key elements of indoor air quality (IAQ) is keeping pollutant levels under control. There are many substances that degrade air quality, each generated from different sources and producing a distinct […]
More than 26.5 million people are diagnosed with asthma in the US, and more than 6 million of those affected are children. The most susceptible of those children are those who live in low-income neighborhoods. The direct correlation between income and treatment received isn’t a difficult one to connect; poor families live in poor neighborhoods […]
Air duct cleaning can be a tricky maintenance activity. When performed correctly, it has the potential to improve HVAC performance and indoor air quality. On the other hand, a poor cleaning procedure may worsen existing problems. In general, you should only clean your air ducts if there are valid reasons, and not as part of […]
We often have the wrong perception that most air pollution leaks into our meeting rooms and offices from outdoors. The truth is, outdoor air is usually cleaner than indoor air, and most air pollution is generated inside – this is true even in urban areas. Of course, there are situations where outdoor air becomes more polluted. […]
What are the airborne pollutants tracked by governments? What are the threshold limit values, why do they vary? This article shows how much we need for a global air quality standard…
A healthy home is in balance. It’s comfortable, healthy, and easy to control. Part of what make it healthy are that moisture levels aren’t too high or too low, dust particles are being filtered out, chemical and pollutant levels are under control, and the air just feels fresh. In other words, indoor air quality (IAQ) is continuously managed all year.
If any of this is missing there is a Health Thief in the house. If you or your family are having health problems that are IAQ related, this health thief is a thief we need to catch. To catch a health thief, we need to understand how he works. To stop him we need to figure out how he’s getting in and what he’s taking.
Furniture, clothing and many other products used in households are exposed to noxious chemicals during their manufacturing process. These chemicals can be absorbed by various types of surfaces, especially porous materials, and many are classified as volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. These substances are notorious for causing irritation and allergic reactions in humans, and have […]
Air purifiers improve the quality of the air you breathe, as implied by their name. Although their common goal is to eliminate harmful substances from the air, there are many viable methods to accomplish this, including mechanical filtering, ionization, and chemical methods.Mechanical filtering is the simplest method, since its consists on trapping airborne particles without […]
Foobot is one of several indoor air quality monitors to reach store shelves in recent years. But in the science and HVAC worlds, devices have been measuring air quality for decades. Being professional-grade, these older devices are incredibly accurate and reliable… but expensive. Decent ones start around $5,000 while many others cost multiples of that. Home […]
Have you ever heard that adding plants** at work can boost productivity by 15%? Green plants have indeed a remarkable ability to remove noxious substances from indoor air while replenishing oxygen, and there is experimental evidence from NASA that proves this. A green wall is basically a wall made from plants, which includes space for soil […]
Indoor air quality (IAQ) often takes a back seat to energy efficiency, but it is equally important if you want your space heating, air conditioning and ventilation to perform at their best. Improving IAQ makes your home more comfortable, and breathing less air pollutants saves you plenty of medical expenses in the long run. The […]
For once, we’ll discuss outdoor air quality – we spend most of our time indoors, but outdoor air quality is also important for many reasons. Building ventilation systems draw air from outdoors to replenish indoor air, and we are of course exposed while commuting or taking a walk. This is not a breaking news, outdoor […]
Mold is a type of fungus and one of the most common sources of indoor air pollution. Mold is not harmful in the Roquefort cheese above, it’s not harmful either when found outdoors in nature, as it even helps break down dead organisms and decaying matter. However, when mold grows indoors it becomes a problem:Negative health effects: […]
There are many ways in which technology can be deployed to enhance indoor air quality (IAQ), including ventilation system upgrades, humidity controls, air filtering, or recently smart home automation. So, why improve air quality with… just plants? As NASA found out in their space stations, the use of indoor plants** offers some exclusive benefits that […]
The breath you just took is full of history. Two millennia ago, Julius Caesar drew his final breath before dying at the hands of his assassins. Odds are that at least one of the molecules in that breath is in your lungs right now. It makes no difference if you’re in Rome, Japan, Argentina or […]
Childhood asthma has been a big issue in the US for the past decade. According to the National Institute of Health, more than 6 million children have asthma, and it’s the third cause of hospitalization. Where does asthma come from? Your home is surrounded by tiny micro threats, but do you see them? They are many […]