May 30, 2005—A proposed guideline from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) calls attention to many interactions that designers might not have previously recognized or understood, ASHRAE says. These interactions can strongly influence occupant reactions to and perceptions of the quality of the indoor environment, according to Hal Levin, chair of the committee writing the guideline.
Guideline 10P, Criteria for Achieving Acceptable Indoor Environments, is open for public comment until June 20. It opened for comment on May 6.
It specifies indoor environmental criteria that are acceptable to human occupants and are intended to minimize the potential for adverse health effects.
For example, the warmer the air, the poorer and stuffier the air quality is perceived by occupants. This suggests that while the thermal comfort range spans several degrees, the lower end of the range should be preferred when there are known to be sources of pollutants, according to Levin.
At the same time, when the thermal conditions are expected be at the higher end of the comfort range, extra care must be taken to reduce indoor air pollutant sources or increase dilution with outdoor air.
For more information, or to submit guidelines, see the ASHRAE Web site.
