Mother Nature, unforgiving with wasteful and inefficient strategies, just sent a memo on designing HVAC systems to both support occupant health and reduce energy consumption. Let’s take a look.
According to ASHRAE, HVAC systems are designed based on building configurations, climactic conditions, and owner desires. Of those, owner desire is usually tied to the price tag of first costs and energy use needed to preserve any valuable goods contained indoors. Missing from this list is a reference to occupant health, probably because occupants are ubiquitous and usually do not have clear monetary value.