Re: Building Air Quality Lacks In Green Buildings

[Guest guest]

Dear Colleagues:

This concern that " green " buildings may not actually be providing a healthy

indoor environment is exactly why I am such a strong proponent of the need to

continually assess and document whether the intended amount of ventilation is

actually being provided to a building's occupants.

After all, we don't create building to use energy, we create buildings to

provide a healthy and productive indoor environment for its occupants.

Unfortunately, over zealous efforts to save energy can end up degrading IAQ.

I find the best way to assess and document whether a building is actually

providing its occupants with the intended amount of ventilation is with accurate

CO2 monitoring, trending, and timely review of the data.

Sincerely,

W. Bearg, PE, CIH

--

LIFE ENERGY ASSOCIATES

20 Darton Street

Concord, MA 01742-5710

www.LifeEnergyAssoc.com

-------------- Original message ----------------------

> FYI......

>

> Not All 'Green' Buildings Are Healthy Buildings

> VANCOUVER, British Columbia‹Even though a building may be built with " green "

> principles, it may not be healthy for occupants, says an industry expert.

> ³Not all green buildings have good indoor air quality,² said Elia Sterling,

> Member ASHRAE, president of Theodor Sterling Associates. He told attendees

> at a recent construction solutions conference that voluntary building

> certification systems such as LEED® are inadequate to determine a building's

> health. That is because, he says, builders and designers decide which

> aspects of the building are examined when they seek certification. ³As a

> result, it is possible for a building to be LEED certified without actually

> verifying that air quality objectives have been met,² Sterling explained.

>

>

> Like we (at IEQuality) didn¹t already know this!

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

It may be a long battle; I spent 8 years getting the powers that be who

funded energy research in Canada to change their stance on this. They

originally supported the position that energy conservation that made

occupants ill was OK if the direct, traceable costs of illness were not more

than the saving. After 8 years they admitted that the purpose of most

buildings was to provide safe and healthful environments for people. Some of

our energy department personnel still espouse the former stance, however,

since their mandate is to reduce energy use, not concern themselves with

other issues.

Jim H. White SSC

Re: Building Air Quality Lacks In " Green " Buildings

> Dear Colleagues:

>

> This concern that " green " buildings may not actually be providing a

> healthy indoor environment is exactly why I am such a strong proponent of

> the need to continually assess and document whether the intended amount of

> ventilation is actually being provided to a building's occupants.

>

> After all, we don't create building to use energy, we create buildings to

> provide a healthy and productive indoor environment for its occupants.

>

> Unfortunately, over zealous efforts to save energy can end up degrading

> IAQ.

>

> I find the best way to assess and document whether a building is actually

> providing its occupants with the intended amount of ventilation is with

> accurate CO2 monitoring, trending, and timely review of the data.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> W. Bearg, PE, CIH

>

> --

> LIFE ENERGY ASSOCIATES

> 20 Darton Street

> Concord, MA 01742-5710

> www.LifeEnergyAssoc.com

>

>

> -------------- Original message ----------------------

>

>> FYI......

>>

>> Not All 'Green' Buildings Are Healthy Buildings

>> VANCOUVER, British Columbia >> principles, it may not be healthy for

>> occupants, says an industry expert.

>> ³Not all green buildings have good indoor air quality,² said Elia

>> Sterling,

>> Member ASHRAE, president of Theodor Sterling Associates. He told

>> attendees

>> at a recent construction solutions conference that voluntary building

>> certification systems such as LEED® are inadequate to determine a

>> building's

>> health. That is because, he says, builders and designers decide which

>> aspects of the building are examined when they seek certification. ³As a

>> result, it is possible for a building to be LEED certified without

>> actually

>> verifying that air quality objectives have been met,² Sterling explained.

>>

>>

>> Like we (at IEQuality) didn¹t already know this!

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

>

> This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always

> been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such

> material available in our efforts to advance understanding of

> environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific,

> and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use'

> of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US

> Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the

> material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have

> expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for

> research and educational purposes. For more information go to:

> http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use

> copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go

> beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

>

[Guest guest]

Hi all!

The Maine Indoor Air Quality Council (MIAQC - on-line at

www.maineindoorair.org) is tackling this issue (and LEED) at its annual

IAQ conference. Save the date - Wed., March 25, 2009 at the Augusta

Civic Center in Augusta, Maine. Hope to see you all there - stay tuned

for more details!

-

Klane, M.S.Ed., CIH, CHMM, CET

Klane's Education Information Training Hub (KEITH)

93 Norridgewock Rd.

Fairfield, ME 04937-3116

P: 207-453-KEITH (5348)

F:

jonathan@...

www.trainerman.com

" Take a step in the right direction "

sagefarm@... wrote:

> Dear Colleagues:

>

> This concern that " green " buildings may not actually be providing a healthy

indoor environment is exactly why I am such a strong proponent of the need to

continually assess and document whether the intended amount of ventilation is

actually being provided to a building's occupants.

>

> After all, we don't create building to use energy, we create buildings to

provide a healthy and productive indoor environment for its occupants.

>

> Unfortunately, over zealous efforts to save energy can end up degrading IAQ.

>

> I find the best way to assess and document whether a building is actually

providing its occupants with the intended amount of ventilation is with accurate

CO2 monitoring, trending, and timely review of the data.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> W. Bearg, PE, CIH

>

> --

> LIFE ENERGY ASSOCIATES

> 20 Darton Street

> Concord, MA 01742-5710

> www.LifeEnergyAssoc.com

>

>

> -------------- Original message ----------------------

>

>

>> FYI......

>>

>> Not All 'Green' Buildings Are Healthy Buildings

>> VANCOUVER, British Columbia‹Even though a building may be built with " green "

>> principles, it may not be healthy for occupants, says an industry expert.

>> ³Not all green buildings have good indoor air quality,² said Elia Sterling,

>> Member ASHRAE, president of Theodor Sterling Associates. He told attendees

>> at a recent construction solutions conference that voluntary building

>> certification systems such as LEED® are inadequate to determine a building's

>> health. That is because, he says, builders and designers decide which

>> aspects of the building are examined when they seek certification. ³As a

>> result, it is possible for a building to be LEED certified without actually

>> verifying that air quality objectives have been met,² Sterling explained.

>>

>>

>> Like we (at IEQuality) didn¹t already know this!

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

>

> ------------------------------------

>

> FAIR USE NOTICE:

>

> This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been

specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material

available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political,

human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as

provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17

U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to

those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information

for research and educational purposes. For more information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted

material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you

must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

[Guest guest]

Sorry, Sheryl, didn't see this post until Monday. Please make sure

that Lila Albin, the IEQ Committee Secretary, has you on the e-mail

list for the Committee.

Don

>

> Don -What is the call in number for the ieq committee teleconference?

>

> Sherryl

>