Elevating Building Standards: Beyond COVID to IAQ Excellence

1/17/2024

Institutional and commercial facilities have been paying closer attention to improving indoor air quality (IAQ) in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic fades away, maintenance and engineering managers are expanding their focus.  

While IAQ will always be a priority, managers are also dedicating more time and resources to issues like sustainability, energy efficiency and building performance, and they are getting up to speed on regulatory compliance changes. 

“While high indoor air quality may not always be visible, its positive effects deliver significant benefits to building occupants, tenants and owners,” says Greg Alcorn, senior vice president, healthy buildings for Carrier Commercial Systems. “In the wake of the pandemic and in the new normal of hybrid work, commercial building owners need to differentiate to attract quality tenants and grow asset value. Tenants have an advantage to attract employees that are focused on health and well-being.” 

Health benefits 

Improved IAQ in buildings contributes to improved occupant health and reduced absenteeism, as well as to improved productivity and cognitive function.  

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s COGfx (cognitive function) Study Series study revealed that occupant cognitive test scores were 61 percent higher in environments with lower concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 101 percent higher in environments with lower VOCs and increased outdoor air ventilation rates than in conventional environments. 

“Adequate IAQ is critical for the health and productivity of the occupants within a space,” says Tyler Mancl, P.E., principal application engineer with the customer insights team with Greenheck. “Spaces with poor IAQ can suffer from higher absenteeism, lack of energy, lack of focus and reduced mental acuity.” 

Simply providing ample volumes of clean, fresh air or ventilation into a building “can improve all of these areas because our bodies need a continuous supply of oxygen to perform our best and ensure we can defend against illness,” Mancl says. 

While the pandemic might have subsided significantly, the cases that do pop up now should remind managers that the threat of COVID-19 as well as other airborne viruses still exists. 

“While we’ve moved toward vaccines as our primary form of protection from COVID-19, they are more effective at preventing the more serious outcomes of a COVID infection, and less so at preventing mild cases,” says Brian Wright, director of educational sales for Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC U.S. “That’s why it’s still important to take measures that reduce risk, and the more steps we take to improve air quality in the room, the more effective the HVAC system will be at cycling viruses out of the space quickly.” 

Regulation changes 

Building owners and managers cannot choose between improved IAQ, sustainability and environmental, social and governmental goals. It is important to emphasize each of these issues. 

“Existing buildings can invest in equipment upgrades like enhanced filtration or dedicated outdoor air systems with energy-recovery technology, along with advanced controls to realize IAQ improvements that do not require excessive energy consumption,” Alcorn says. “Data availability and the proliferation of sensors and analytics are truly changing what is possible when making building operations more efficient.”  

Real-time monitoring enables preventive action to avoid downtime, optimize operations planning and maintenance based on need, and automate reporting.  

“A key element to optimized building performance is real-time monitoring, including IAQ metrics like temperature and humidity,” Alcorn says. “Temperature and humidity not only impact occupant comfort and well-being but also affect asset life and performance.” 

For instance, high humidity levels and temperatures can promote mold growth and other issues that harm assets. Real-time monitoring of IAQ can help reassure occupants that indoor air is healthier, help managers prioritize IAQ-related improvement opportunities and help employers attract talent and increase productivity.  

“Maintaining an optimal humidity level is essential for creating a comfortable and healthy indoor environment,” says Duncan Curd, global business development leader for DriSteem. “Balanced humidity levels contribute significantly to respiratory health. Too much moisture in the air can promote the growth of mold and mildew, leading to respiratory issue and exacerbating allergies.” 

More states and cities are exploring IAQ legislation to improve indoor environments in commercial buildings. Alcorn says these are the first steps toward mandated IAQ requirements.  

“The CDC and ASHRAE have made recommendations to help building owners prepare for the next health crisis and improve IAQ to help prevent the spread of airborne illnesses,” Alcorn says. 

Changes to outdoor environmental conditions due to climate change are projected to cause additional problems for IAQ, including increased indoor heat stress, mold, ozone exposure and wildfire smoke exposure. Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental sensing technology provide an opportunity to control IAQ. With AI’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data and make predictive analyses, building owners and managers can provide healthier indoor environments.  

Howard Riell is a freelance writer based in Henderson, Nevada.