EEBA Academy

Energy-efficient new homes that are built tight require appropriately sized bath and kitchen exhaust and whole house mechanical ventilation (WHMV) systems to enable good indoor air quality. ASHRAE Standard 62.2 specifies minimum airflow rates and requires verification, but there is a lack of data on installed system performance and operation and their relationship to indoor air quality in occupied homes. This session will present early findings from an ongoing Building America research study that has gathered data on mechanical ventilation systems, indoor air quality parameters, and house and household characteristics from 180+ occupied homes in CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, OR, and SC.

As societal forces shift, new buying behaviors emerge and consumers are becoming more educated about the place they call home. Builders must also shift the way homes and communities are designed and built. High Performance Homes, in particular, are in demand, but must be designed differently to perform at levels which meet or exceed homeowner expectations.

This presentation addresses the challenges and opportunities associated with providing healthy indoor spaces going forward into a post-COVID future. The presentation discusses filtration, ultraviolet light, and hydro-peroxides as different methods for cleaning air, as well as various products available on the market today. The authors discuss and quanitify their conclusion that a system approach is needed using a combination of all three methods in order to provide the healthiest indoor air quality possible, which will be able to heavily mitigate or even eliminate the risks associated with airborne viruses in indoor spaces.

Chef Rachelle Boucher of Kitchens to Life cooks her favorite Chinese New Year dishes as two of the top experts in Indoor Air Quality bring a fresh perspective to traditional cooking and the vital role of ventilation in today's homes.