While building resilience, and resilience in general, has been in the news, and these columns, over the past years, it’s also important to keep security in mind as part of the HVAC system design goals. In this month’s column, I will revisit some of the major concepts regarding building security as it relates to the building systems. When discussing design goals and preventive measures, remember that security does not only apply to criminal or terrorist activities but also to events, such as wildfires, accidental chemical spills/releases, etc.
The first concept I would like to explore is that the comfort and health of the building occupants must not be jeopardized when addressing security concerns. The preservation of the day-to-day operation of building systems to serve their intended functions, at the appropriate level, must not be compromised. Concerns about smoke or other infiltration due to an extreme event cannot lead to, for example, reduced airflows under typical operating conditions that negatively impact IAQ. Note that the reduced airflow may not manifest due to the design itself, but if the cost of running the equipment to maintain the flow rate is sufficiently high, the owner may reduce its use over time and, thus, negatively affect the air quality in the building.