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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VOCs: Why They’re Still Here and What You Can Do About It
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“Sick building syndrome” was one of the first problems the green building community tried to solve. We’ve come a long way, but we’re not done yet.
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Clean, Fresh Air: Getting What We Need
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Human health probably benefits from more fresh air than current ventilation standards require. But pulling in outdoor air can mean pulling in pollution.
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Mind the Gaps: Making Existing Buildings More Airtight
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Leaky building enclosures create health hazards, comfort problems, and high energy bills. Fixing them isn’t rocket science; but you’d better know your building science.
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Can Commercial Kitchens Go Electric?
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An all-electric commercial kitchen offers potential energy and carbon savings over using natural gas, but making the switch can be complicated—and even controversial.
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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No More Condensation on Chilled Beams
Product Review
Semco’s Neuton pump module could simplify installation of chilled beams, eliminate condensation problems, and provide improved zone control.
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Façade as Ventilation: Moving beyond Open Windows
Product Review
AirFlow Panels supply air and recover energy on commercial building façades, improving air quality while reducing energy and space requirements.
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Do Living Walls Make for Cleaner Indoor Air?
Product Review
Nedlaw Living Wall Biofilters do more than most green walls to remove VOCs, but it’s unclear that they provide a true fresh air supply.
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Heat-Pump Energy Recovery Ventilation Gets an Update
Product Review
Build Equinox and Minotair Ventilation Inc. (MVI) have updated their heat-pump-based energy recovery ventilation systems, providing better control of humidity, heating, and cooling in a smaller footprint.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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EPA Takes Action on Spray-Foam Health Risks
News Analysis
EPA takes another look at spray foam after increasing consumer health complaints. The action plan leaves open questions about how far EPA will go to clamp down on these products, but it's safe to think of this as a shot across the bow from EPA for the SPF industry.
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Formaldehyde Causes Cancer; Styrene a Likely Carcinogen
News Analysis
A U.S. agency finally classifies formaldehyde as a carcinogen after years of caving to industry pressure.
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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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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.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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