November 28, 2007—Indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy conservation are interdependent and should be given the same priority to ensure the health of building occupants, but according to a new research report from Air Quality Sciences, Inc., as demand for energy continues to increase and concerns about global warming grow, this lesson about IAQ is at risk of being forgotten.
In response to concerns about global warming and the growing popularity of sustainable (green) building in both the commercial and residential sectors, energy conservation usually takes center stage. What is missing in now is the understanding that to pursue energy conservation in homes and buildings without taking the quality of indoor air into consideration puts building occupants at unnecessary health risk, says Air Quality Sciences.
Conversely, to pursue good IAQ without considering the efficient use of energy may unnecessarily increase energy costs and emissions of greenhouse gases, thereby contributing to outdoor air pollution and global warming, says the report.
According to the new AQS report, “Energy Conservation and Indoor Air Quality: Partnering to Protect Public Health,” the relationship between IAQ and the use of energy to heat, cool and ventilate buildings is well documented throughout history.
The report briefly reviews the history of IAQ and energy conservation during the past 40 years and how indoor air contaminants can affect human health, with the goal of reminding readers that outdoor and indoor environments are not mutually exclusive nor are the efficient use of energy and IAQ.
A companion report, “Energy Conservation and Indoor Air Quality: Lessons From the Past Have Relevance for the Future,” reviews the history of energy conservation and IAQ from early human history to 1970.
Both reports are available free of charge from the Aerias-AQS IAQ Resource Center website, under Premium Content.
Air Quality Sciences, Inc. is a fully integrated IAQ company that provides solutions to create healthy indoor environments and avoid potentially dangerous indoor pollution.
