What should we do with all these gray-haired baby boomers? Do the brilliant and bold youngsters who seem to dominate the world of creativity and innovation still have a place for us?

During ASHRAE’s June 2019 annual meeting in Kansas City, I became optimistic that the society is truly expanding its horizons to include occupant health as an important building performance metric.

Have you ever wondered how chemical compounds or microbes actually get into the cells of your body and have a powerful influence on your health?

From my perspective of working in the intersection of two very different professions, medicine and design of the built environment, I’m frequently surprised by the resistance of each group to embrace concepts from the “other side.

Once again, research has revealed an entire new dimension of the role of indoor air quality in determining human health.

When a building is found to be consuming excess energy, the next step is usually an energy audit followed by retro-commissioning of the HVAC system. If available, an infrared scan of the building exterior might follow.

Once upon a time, humans lived outdoors in harmony with vast and diverse populations of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, largely unaware of the presence of these microbes.

One big difference between building systems and the human body is the immediacy of an “alarm” when something goes wrong. If we lose a mitten while skiing, we know immediately that there has been a breach in our insulation.

Bosch Thermotechnology has introduced its first condensing furnace with the BGH96 Series. This company says the Energy Star-rated furnace offers a two-stage gas valve that switches between high- and low-fire settings for a 96 percent AFUE heating efficiency.

Bosch Thermotechnology Corp. introduced the Buderus SSB Industrial Boiler. The company says the boilers are available in 798 MBH and 1,024 MBH standalone units, or a 1,024 cascading unit, designed to effortlessly cascade to meet demands up to 4,096 MBH, making it an ideal solution for applications such as schools, hotels, office buildings, and warehouses.