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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Commercial Kitchens: Cooking Up Green Opportunities
Feature Article
Commercial kitchens run energy- and water-intensive equipment for long hours, sometimes even when not in use. While the challenges of saving water and energy in commercial kitchens are daunting, they're not insurmountable. Careful equipment selection and a commitment to conscientious kitchen practices can dramatically cut down on waste-and utility bills.
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Design for Adaptation: Living in a Climate-Changing World
Feature Article
Even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, rising global temperatures would still bring major changes to the climate system and our way of life. This article offers solutions for designing buildings that not only mitigate our impact on the global climate, but also adapt to the changes that are coming-and those that are already here.
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Bringing Nature Indoors: The Myths and Realities of Plants in Buildings
Feature Article
Some proponents of indoor plants promise that they will clean the air and promote occupant health and productivity. But will they? Scientific backing for these claims is still being developed, but some of the results are promising.
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Ductless Mini-Splits and Their Kin: The Revolution in Variable-Refrigerant-Flow Air Conditioning
Feature Article
Ductless split systems using heat pumps and variable refrigerant flow offer an energy-efficient alternative to conventional heating and air-conditioning systems for a variety of settings, from homes to hotels and schools. Three major manufacturers-Daikin, Mitsubishi, and Sanyo-offer the greatest variety of products.
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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Laminate Flooring: Worth a Second Look?
Product Review
Laminate flooring offers recycled content and low emissions in an economical, low-maintenance product that has overcome aesthetic and performance challenges.
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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.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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IAQ Monitoring for COVID: What’s in a Score?
News Analysis
Occupants want access to IAQ data. But it’s a battle between simplicity and accuracy.
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How Schools Can Use Federal Dollars for IAQ, Resilience, and More
News Brief
HVAC upgrades, climate education, and green cleaning are just a few of the ways schools can spend the billions available from the federal government.
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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.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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