Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
Energy efficiency without increased outside air = Sick Building Syndrome.
- Symptoms of poor indoor air quality.
- Why do so many buildings have poor indoor air quality?
- Why are increased ventilation and moisture control important to indoor air quality?
- What does Berner do differently?
- What about the quality of outside air?
Symptoms of poor indoor air quality
- Headache
- Coughing and sneezing
- Shortness of breath
- Dry or watery eyes, nose or throat
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Allergies
- Sinus congestion
- Dizziness
Why do so many buildings have poor indoor air quality? Years ago, when many buildings were constructed, it cost more money to heat and cool outside air than it did indoor air. So, the heating and air conditioning systems were designed to recycle the indoor air over and over and over, again. And the more often it was breathed in and out, the more CO2, the more airborne pathogens, the more dust, the more spores, the more chemicals, and the less oxygen were in it. Making the people who occupied these buildings sick. However, the heating and cooling bills were as low as they could be.
Why are increased ventilation and moisture control important to indoor air quality? The EPA, Doctors, Public Health Officials and ASHRAE all preach that increased ventilation and moisture control:
- reduce poor health and productivity issues due to CO2 build-up, airborne pathogens, mold, etc. in the Indoor Environment
- remove many contributing factors to Sick Building Syndrome
The EPA promotes increased outside air ventilation to improve IAQ and prevent Sick Building Syndrome.
The American Lung Association promotes increased outside air ventilation to help prevent asthma attacks. Click here for their paper to Proactively Maintain Healthy Indoor Air Quality.
"The Key to Mold Control is Moisture Control” The EPA also promotes increased outside air ventilation along with moisture control to prevent mold and mildew growth.
What does Berner do differently? Energy recovery technology has existed for over 50 years. We have taken this technology and made it better, allowing for both 100% outside air and energy efficiency.
Berner’s fresh air ventilation systems with energy recovery allow for moisture control as part of the design, reducing that clammy feeling when the air conditioning is on and also helping to dry up mold habitats.
Berner’s fresh air ventilation systems with energy recovery allow 100% outside air into the buildings where you work, where your children go to school, where your parents get 24-hour care, etc. This is important because increased ventilation is good for your health!
What about the quality of outside air? Pollen, dust, air pollution? Outside Air can be filtered as it enters the building. Berner’s default filter is a 2”, 30-30, MERV 8 filter. Upon request, Berner will design the ventilation system to provide final filtration up through MERV 17 filter classification.