New Residential Verntilation and IAQ Study

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Please find posted at our web page the final report of the Ventilation and IAQ in New Homes study, which was just published. http://www.IEE-SF.comThis study involved 108 new homes in California ,and concludes that new homes are built relatively airtight, which in combination with the practice of many homeowners to not open windows as a result of concerns for noise, comfort, dust, security, etc., results in air contaminants with indoor sources such as formaldehyde, to exceed cancer and irritant guidelines.Homes with continuous mechanical outdoor air ventilation systems, such as heat recovery ventilators worked well to increase outdoor air exchange rates and lower indoor air contaminant concentrations, while intermittent mechanical systems interconnected with the forced air heating/cooling system did not perform well.Some of the main points of the California new home study:• new California homes are built relatively airtight to save energy• many homeowners never open there windows as a result of concerns for noise, comfort, dust, security, etc., • the outdoor air ventilation rates in these homes are very low which causes air contaminants with indoor sources, such as formaldehyde, to exceed cancer and irritant guidelines.• homes with continuous mechanical outdoor air ventilation systems, such as heat recovery ventilators worked well to increase outdoor air exchange rates and lower indoor air contaminant concentrations, while intermittent mechanical systems interconnected with the forced air heating/cooling system did not perform well.• homes can be built to be BOTH healthy and energy efficient, through use of energy efficient heat recovery ventilation systems and selection of low emitting building materials. • homes need to be, first and foremost, built to provide healthy environments, while striving for energy efficiency and sustainability• to improve indoor air quality in homes the California Building Code now requires all new homes to have a mechanical outdoor air ventilation system.• in addition, the California Air Resources Board has adopted new regulations limiting the emission rate of formaldehyde from composite wood products such as particle board and medium density fiberboard. Bottom line: health trumps energy, but with both goals pursued we can have healthy and energy efficient sustainable homes. Bud Offermann PE CIHPrincipal InvestigatorARB Ventilation and IAQ in New Homes StudyPresidentIndoor Environmental Engineering1448 Pine Street, Suite 103San Francisco, CA 94109Office:Cell:Fax: E-mail: Offermann@...Web Site:http://www.IEE-SF.com