GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY ( IAQ )
GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY ( IAQ )
by Michael Gilmore , LEED AP , and Paul Luster , PE
Good indoor air quality ( IAQ ) management has become essential in the construction industry with the realization that employee productivity and health are directly related to the quality of air being delivered inside the workplace environment . The IAQ industry is growing as buildings become smarter due to advancements in technology and new building codes require minimum air change rates within occupied buildings . Strategies such as CO2 monitoring , demand-controlled ventilation , ventilation energy recovery , dedicated outdoor air systems , ultraviolet germicidal irradiation , displacement ventilation and underfloor air distribution are becoming more commonplace due to the positive effect on building operations , lower energy costs and improved IAQ .
Commissioning plays an important role in ensuring IAQ requirements meet the intent of the design engineer . The commissioning agent is brought on board early in the design phases and provides review of the construction documents at certain milestones of the HVAC design development . Once the project is awarded to the contractor they are tasked with creating an IAQ plan for the commissioning agent to review and approve . This IAQ plan may require a preoccupancy “ flush out ” of the HVAC system to ensure that the air being delivered to the building is free of any dust , chemicals and volatile organic compounds ( VOC ) that may be residing in the equipment or ductwork that originate from building materials commonly used in construction . Other areas that the commissioning agent considers are temperature , humidity and outside airflow levels .
Several points need to be considered in creating good IAQ for any project or building . Identification of contaminates during the design phase , whether they are inside or outside the building , is very important . For outdoor contaminants , placement of the intakes and discharges of the building is important relative to other emitters that may be present at the building location . Indoor contaminants need to be isolated and captured at the source with either manufactured or properly designed hoods or capture devices . Architectural features must be implemented as the leakage and configuration of dirty spaces are key to the HVAC system ’ s success in supporting good IAQ . For ongoing performance , initial commissioning of the building systems and ongoing monitoring of IAQ parameters are very important . Monitoring CO₂ and VOC levels and the simplification of control strategies and equipment components will ensure a building that can maintain the commissioned level of IAQ through the building ' s life .
You can read the in-depth IAQ article here .
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