Session 1 Integrating Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in Buildings
Buildings are one of the largest energy end use sectors in countries around the globe. Concerns for the availability of energy supplies and the impact of energy use on the environment are driving a worldwide focus on energy end use reduction. In this push for dramatic changes in the energy use intensity of the building sector, it is essential that the fundamental importance of indoor environmental quality, particularly indoor air quality, not be lost. This presentation addresses: 1) the significance of indoor air quality in terms of its impact on health and productivity and associated costs; 2) the inseparable linkage between indoor air quality and building energy demands, including examples of efficient technologies for maintaining good indoor air quality; and 3) the need for an approach to building research, design, and operation that recognizes this connection.
Session 2 HVAC and Airborne Infectious Diseases
Concern regarding the risk of hospital acquired infections and the effect of the built environment on epidemics of drug-resistant diseases is increasing. The well-educated designer and owner needs to understand the mechanisms by which infectious disease is transmitted indoors, the extent to which HVAC system characteristics affect probability of infection, available means for controlling risk with demonstrated effectiveness. These topics are presented and discussed using the ASHRAE Board of Directors-approved Position Document Airborne Infectious Diseases as a framework. Pertinent scientific knowledge about modes of disease transmission is reviewed, its practical implications for control are discussed, and the three HVAC-related control methods identified by the Position Document: ventilation, particulate filtration, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, are presented and compared. General recommendations for reducing risk are provided and knowledge gaps that need to be filled are identified.