Indoor Air Quality
Surveys indicate that comfort problems are common in many U.S. commercial buildings. A recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration report noted that 20%-30% of commercial buildings suffer from IAQ problems. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health surveyed 350 buildings with deficient indoor air quality and found that more than half of the complaints stemmed from HVAC systems that were not maintained properly.HVAC, with decades of experience as a mechanical contractor, can help clients prevent many IAQ problems through its focus on training building operators in the proper maintenance of building systems. Additionally, our expertise in commissioning, control systems and test and balance, protects owners by providing documented verification of a building's performance and operation — including a test of outside airflow rates and building pressurization, primary factors affecting IAQ.
HVAC holds the well-respected Certified Indoor Air Quality Professional (CIAQP) Certification administered by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). This national certification requires passing an AEE exam on IAQ, and voting by the CIAQP Board of Directors from AEE on approval for certification. The approval process is based on past experience, and is one of the most stringent and highly regarded professional certifications within the IAQ industry.
Various studies have established that the HVAC system is responsible for 50 to 60 percent of building generated IAQ problems. The HVAC system is capable of resolving up to 80% of the indoor air problems. In other words, if a building is "sick", chances are the HVAC system is at fault, or at least a contributor to the problem and can often remedy the problem. Yet, the design, operation and maintenance of a HVAC system, therefore, are at the heart of a quality indoor air program.
Source: H.E. Burroughs and Shirley Hansen, "Managing Indoor Air Quality" (2004) 163.
HVAC has the unique blend of necessary experience and skills to provide a holilistic approach towards investigating; diagnosing and solving IAQ related problems.