Indoor Air Quality
“Indoor air quality” refers to how clean the air in a building is.
As buildings become more airtight and energy efficient, actively managing indoor air quality becomes more important. Some air pollutants, like carbon monoxide, are highly dangerous. Others, like volatile organic compounds, can cause short-term health problems as well as chronic ones.
Moisture management, adequate ventilation, and selection of low-VOC products are some of the best ways to ensure good IAQ.
Indoor Air Quality
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Biophilia in Practice: Buildings that Connect People with Nature
Feature Article
Biophilia, or human beings' inherent love for nature, has been called "the missing link in sustainable design." EBN's Alex Wilson helps readers understand biophilia, describes why it is important relative to building design, and presents specific design strategies for bringing people closer to nature.
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Measurement and Verification: Monitoring Building Systems for Optimal Performance
Feature Article
Tracking the performance of a building's mechanical and electrical systems is essential for energy savings that persist over time. In this article, EBN explores measurement and verification and explains why demand for these systems is growing. We also explain the LEED® Rating System's evolving treatment of M&V.
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How Six Affordable Housing Projects Got to Green
Feature Short
Stories of designers and developers who overcame the challenges of building affordable housing that is also green, sustainable, and healthy.
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The Questionable Science Behind VOC Emissions Testing
Feature Short
We need the protection that product VOC testing provides, but it’s far from the last word on human health in buildings.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Underfloor Air: Rising Above a Checkered Past
Product Review
With attention to building science, UFAD may offer greater comfort and better energy performance than other systems.
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Cost-Effective Analog-to-Digital Thermostat Retrofits
Product Review
Switching to digital thermostats in existing buildings can be expensive and disruptive. Cypress Envirosystems offers a simple analog-to-digital solution.
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Air Renew Wallboard Absorbs Formaldehyde from Indoor Air
Product Review
Using a common building product to clean indoor air? AirRenew drywall claims to improve indoor air quality by absorbing formaldehyde and trapping it chemically in the gypsum core.
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Recovering Heat from Commercial Kitchen Exhaust
Product Review
The Halton Heat Recovery Unit captures heat in commercial kitchen exhaust to pre-heat incoming make-up air, reducing the HVAC demands on the kitchen. Optional domestic water heating loops and air-cooling coils are also available.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Does COVID Have You Wondering About Your Building’s IAQ?
News Brief
A new resource from WHO walks users through how to assess and optimize ventilation systems for COVID-19. -
Aerosols and Micro-droplets: HVAC Approaches During COVID-19
News Analysis
Good indoor air quality will help if SARS-CoV-2 is airborne, and tried-and-true measures can get us there.
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ASHRAE Releases COVID-19 Recommendations
News Brief
ASHRAE offers guidance on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 through HVAC systems.
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Air Filtration in Schools May Improve Test Scores
News Brief
Students with cleaner indoor air significantly out-performed their peers in a recent study.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
- Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
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- You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.