Sustainable Facilities Tool

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is most simply described as the conditions inside a building. It does not refer to the air quality alone, but the entire environmental quality of a space, which includes air quality, access to daylight and views, pleasant acoustic conditions, and occupant control over lighting and thermal comfort. Americans spend a majority of their time indoors; not surprisingly, studies have shown an increase in worker productivity when improvements are made to a space’s IEQ.  Building managers and operators can increase the satisfaction of building occupants by including thoughtful IEQ details in the design and operation of a space.

Related Topics

Acoustics

A space with good acoustics is not too loud, does not echo too much, and is an appropriate space for concentration. Noise Pollution is at a minimum.

Adequate Exhaust

Adequate exhaust is important in spaces that contain air contaminants - such as copy rooms and janitor closets. Provide separate exhaust for copy, printing, break rooms, and food preparation areas. Flush out office prior to occupancy. Use energy efficient fans for enhanced air movement. Ensure the building management staff is conducting the preventive maintenance on all building exhaust systems (restrooms, garage exhaust fans, etc)

Adhesive

Adhesives are substances used to bond one surface to another. They include bonding primer and adhesive primers for plastics. Adhesives often have high levels of harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), so care must be taken to adequately ventilate spaces when using them.

http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf

http://www.greenseal.org/FindGreenSealProductsAndServices.aspx

Adjustable Equipment

To promote occupant comfort, equipment should be adjustable. This includes ergonomic seating and desks, well-designed cleaning equipment, occupant controlled lighting, and controllable daylight/glare control.

Air Delivery Monitoring

It is important to properly ventilate an occupied space.  However, care should be taken to not waste energy by over-ventilating that space.  Monitoring systems can be installed to generate alarms when unhealthy levels of carbon dioxide are detected – a sign that additional fresh, outside air needs to be brought in to restore healthy indoor air quality.

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Ai

ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) is the governing body which creates and releases the standards regarding indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency.    

http://www.ashrae.org

Binder

Binders are materials used to hold together two or more ingredients in a mixture. They are similar to adhesives, and also must be used with care. Binders can have high levels of harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can be dangerous to human health and the environment. Lower VOC binders are preferable, and all spaces where binders are applied should be well ventilated.

http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf

http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/commercial_adhesives_GS_36.cfm

Carbon Footprint

The Carbon Footprint is a popular way to quantify the amount of carbon emissions an individual, group, or building is releasing. It is a measure of the impact that the entity has on global climate change.

Cleanliness

A clean building is a happy building. Keeping the facility clean decreases the occurrence of “sick building syndrome” and uses less toxic chemicals in the process. Occupants are also more likely to express satisfaction with a well-cleaned building and lose less productivity due to absenteeism.

Combined Sewer Overflow

A combined sewer system conveys both sanitary sewage and stormwater in one piping system. During normal dry weather conditions, sanitary wastewater collected in the combined sewer system is diverted to the wastewater treatment plant before it enters natural waterways. During periods of significant rainfall, the capacity of a combined sewer may be exceeded. When this occurs, excess flow, a mixture of stormwater and sanitary wastewater, is discharged at CSO points, typically to rivers and streams.

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=5

Comfort Criteria

Comfort criteria are the specific original design conditions that at minimum include temperature, humidity, and air speed as well as outdoor temperature design conditions, outdoor humidity design conditions, clothing, and expected activity.

www.ashrae.com

Commissioning

A quality assurance process for enhancing the delivery of a project. The process focuses upon verifying and documenting that the facility and all of its systems and assemblies are planned, designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained to meet the Owner's Project Requirements. This means testing all systems (HVAC, lighting controls, domestic hot water systems, etc.) to ensure they function as intended. Proper commissioning saves energy, reduces risk, and creates value for building operators.

http://www.bcxa.org/

Construction Air Quality Management

Construction activities can threaten the indoor air quality of an occupied space. Precautions should be taken to protect the health of construction workers as well as the health of occupants. These precautions include ensuring that airborne particles from construction activities are isolated from the permanently installed HVAC equipment; flushing out toxins before occupation; ensuring absorptive materials are kept dry and the facility is kept free from mold; and using construction materials low in harmful VOCs.

http://www.ashrae.org

http://www.smacna.org

Daylight

Daylight and views to the outside are critical to the well-being of building occupants. In order to provide equitable access to daylight and views, it is recommended that private offices are located toward the core of a space and that low workstation panels are installed to allow for maximum daylight penetration. Use glass walls and partitions to enable views out from interior spaces and highly reflective, light-colored surfaces on the walls and desk surfaces to bounce daylight around the space. If the daylighting of a space is designed well enough, the occupants can choose to have daylight instead of artificial light. In all daylighting strategies, it is important to consider glare, and to take steps to minimize it.

Tips for Daylighting (.Pdf)

Energy Performance

All buildings use energy in order to operate. Some buildings use energy efficiently, some buildings don’t. The measure used to evaluate a building’s energy efficiency is the ENERGY STAR program.

Entryway Systems/Walk-off Mats

Toxins are tracked into a building on occupants’ shoes.   Entryway systems, like grates, grills, and walkoff mats can greatly reduce the amount of outside dirt, dust, and particulates brought into a building. This makes for a cleaner environment, and cuts down on the amount of cleaning necessary to maintain a high level of cleanliness in a facility.

Ergonomics

Ergonomic workspaces are designed to accommodate user preferences and comforts. They include height-adjustable desks that can be easily moved around on casters, fully adjustable chairs, monitor arms, keyboard trays, footrests and document holders. It is important to train employees on how to appropriately and effectively adjust their workspaces to maximize comfort and health.

ETS (Environmental Tobacco Smoke) Control

ETS is another term for secondhand smoke. It consists of cancer-causing airborne particles emitted from the burning end of cigarettes, pipes, and cigars, and is exhaled by smokers. Good indoor air quality is assured by not allowing ETS to enter the air breathed by non-smokers. This is often achieved by banning smoking within the facility and within a certain distance from openings in the building envelope (often 20-25 feet). Buildings can also install separate HVAC systems to isolate areas within a facility that does allow smoking.

Feels Good

A space with good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has an appropriate temperature, humidity, and air movement. Occupants should be comfortable in their environment.

Finish

Finish is the final covering of a material in a built environment. It can refer to the finish on a floor, countertop, wall, or piece of furniture. Similar to adhesives and binders, finishes must also be used with care. They can have high levels of harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which can be dangerous to human health and the environment. Lower VOC finishes are preferable, and all spaces where finishes are applied should be well ventilated.

http://www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf

http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/commercial_adhesives_GS_36.cfm

Flush Out

The odor from recently installed building materials and finishes such as flooring, paints and finishes, caulks and sealants, cabinets and work surfaces made from composite lumber products can reduce indoor air quality. The most common cause of these odors is the release of gases, such as formaldehyde and a wide range of other volatile organic compounds (VOC's), from the products into the air. To increase indoor air quality, large amounts of outdoor air can be forced through a recently completed building for a period of 3 to 90 days so that the majority of pollutant emissions from building materials, finishes, and furnishings can be removed from the building before occupancy.

Glazing

Tinted glass and glass with a reflective coating are glazing alternatives that reduce heat gain. One example, low-e glass, has a thin metal coating to allow light to pass through the glass;  heat remains on the side where it is originating (it keeps the sun’s heat out of the building and mechanical heating inside the building).  Low-e coatings contribute to energy efficient window assemblies.

http://www.wbdg.org/resources/windows.php

Green Building

Green buildings are those that are efficient, comfortable, healthy, durable and adaptable over time. They meet the needs of the occupants that live and work in them in a way that minimizes demand for natural resources and reduces or eliminates waste. Green buildings save energy, water, materials, protect the indoor environment and are designed to evolve as occupant needs change.

Green Cleaning

A good green cleaning program makes a facility pleasant to be in and protects the environment from unnecessary harm. In addition, it protects the health of the cleaning staff. Green cleaning encompasses the use of non-toxic, biodegradable chemicals; recycled paper products; and cleaning equipment that doesn’t pollute. It also addresses the training of employees, use of microfiber cleaning cloths, and the use of concentrated cleaning chemicals which require less packaging.

www.greenseal.org

www.epa.gov/epp

Human Health

Buildings with good indoor air quality keep the occupants inside them healthier. A space with good indoor air quality is one that is well ventilated (with outside air) and that is not compromised by pollutants brought into the space or by pollutants off-gassed within the space. It is free of tobacco smoke (ETS) and free of mold, and the cleaning materials used are non toxic.

www.cbesurvey.org

www.wbdg.org/design/ieq.php

www.usablebuildings.co.uk/

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the quality of the air within a space. A space with good indoor air quality is one that is well ventilated (with outside air) and that is not compromised by pollutants brought into the space or by pollutants off-gassed within the space. Strategies used to create good IAQ include bringing in 100% outside air, maintaining appropriate exhaust systems, complying with ASHRAE Standard 62.1, utilizing high efficiency MERV filters in the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, installing walk-off mats at entryways, prohibiting smoking with the space and near operable windows and air intakes, providing indoor plants, and using only low-emitting / non-toxic materials and green housekeeping products.

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/

http://www.ashrae.org/technology/page/548

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Integrated Pest Management is managing pests (plants, fungi, insects, and/or animals) in a way that protects human health and the surrounding environment and that improves economic returns through the most effective, least-risk option. This method means using non-toxic options such as cleaning and physical barriers to entrance before resorting to chemical means.

www.birc.org

www.sfenvironment.org/our_programs

Low Flow

Low flow plumbing fixtures use less water than their conventional counterparts by providing water at a lower rate.  Conventional fixtures typically base their water usage on the current Energy Policy Act (EPAct) which dictates the maximum allowable water usage per fixture type.  To significantly reduce water use, building managers can install fixtures that use less water than the baseline.  For instance, for commercial restroom sinks (also known as lavatories), the current baseline is 2.2 gallons per minute (gpm).  By installing 0.5 gpm aerators, the building can save 1.7 gallons per minute of run time.

www.epa.gov/watersense

www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/products/bathroom_sink_faucets.html

Low VOC

VOCs are volatile organic compounds – toxins that are found within products (paints, adhesives, cleaners, carpets, particle board, etc) and that are released into a space’s indoor air, thus harming its quality. Low VOC products are those that meet or exceed various standards for low-emitting materials. Low-emitting standards include Green Seal, SCAQMD, CRI Green Label Plus, Floor Score, etc.

http://www.wbdg.org/resources/greenproducts.php?r=mou_rc

http://www.greenseal.org/

http://www.carpet-rug.org/

http://www.aqmd.gov/

Low-Emitting

Materials used in buildings often contain compounds that can have a negative effect on indoor air quality (IAQ) and on the Earth’s atmosphere. These compounds can be present in adhesive, sealants, paints, flooring, carpets, composite wood and agrifiber products, furniture and furnishings, and in ceiling and wall systems. Good materials have low levels of these harmful compounds, and do not release large quantities into the surrounding air.  Strategies for selecting low-emitting options include insuring material compliance with the ANSI/BIFMA X7.1-2007 standard for furniture emissions. Non-profit certification programs that verify conformance with the standard including but not limited to Indoor Advantage, Certified Green, Greenguard, and any other program that uses the open ANSI standard.

http://www.bifma.org/standards/standards.html

www.aqmd.gov/rules/reg/reg11/r1168.pdf

http://www.greenseal.org/GreenBusiness/Standards.aspx?vid=ViewStandardDetail&cid=6&sid=33

www.carpet-rug.org

Measurement and Verification Plan (M&V Plan)

A Measurement and Verification Plan (M&V) provides for the ongoing accountability of building electricity consumption. Creating and using a good M&V plan helps building management keep track of energy use and identify problems. M&V plans help identify systems which use energy, monitor electricity metering, track the success of energy-savings plans, and identify the party responsible for keeping up with the execution of the M&V plan.

http://www.evo-world.org

MERV Filter

Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value, MERV, is a number from 1 to 16 that is relative to an air filter’s efficiency. The higher the MERV rating, the denser the filter and the more efficient it is at removing small particles in the air. However, a higher MERV rating creates more resistance to airflow, thus requiring additional energy to push air through the filter.  For the cleanest air, a user should select the highest MERV filter that their unit is capable of handling based on the limit of the unit’s fan power.

http://www.epa.gov/iaq

http://www.ashrae.org

Noise Pollution

Noise pollution is the presence of unwanted or unpleasant noise. Noise pollution comes from improperly functioning HVAC equipment, street noise, or the conversations of others. Besides the fact that it is obnoxious and distracting, noise pollution can be detrimental to human health. It is therefore important to consider ways to eliminate noise pollution in project planning.

http://www.epa.gov/air/noise.html

Occupant Comfort

Workspaces should be designed to provide an optimum level of thermal comfort for the occupants. Occupant comfort should be based on ASHRAE Standard 55.

Occupant Control

Workspaces should be designed to allow for occupant control over lighting (light switches, occupant or daylight sensors with override capability, etc) and thermal comfort (operable windows, individual thermostats, and underfloor air diffusers).

Pervious

Pervious surfaces allow precipitation to peculate through letting the water be absorbed and naturally filtered by the ground. Pervious surfaces reduce the amount of water that is sent to the stormdrains. Types of pervious surfaces include landscape, pavers, porous asphalt, and pervious concrete.

Plants

Plants not only contribute to the appearance of an office and provide aesthetic value but they can help reduce air pollutants and introduce more oxygen to increase air quality.

http://greenplantsforgreenbuildings.org

 

Recirculated Air

Air that is removed from a space by mechanical means and reused again as supply air. Using a mix of recirculated air and fresh air is efficient because it keeps levels of oxygen at healthy levels but doesn’t require excessive amounts of conditioning (heating or cooling) in order to be used.

Smells Good

A space with healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) doesn't smell like chemicals because the materials used in the space should be low-VOC and low-emitting. No mold should be present and there should be ample ventilation.

Sounds Quiet

A space with good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is not too loud, does not echo too much, and is an appropriate space for concentration.

Submetering

Submetering or system-level metering is used to determine the proportion of energy use within a building attributable to specific end uses or subsystems (e.g., the ventilation system of an HVAC system). This energy use information can be used to support energy management and identify opportunities for additional energy saving improvements.

Supply Air

Supply air is air delivered to a space by mechanical ventilation.  It can be 100% outside air, or it can be a combination of outdoor air, recirculated air and / or transfer air.  Although it may seem like a good idea to use 100% outside air, the air needs to be conditioned (heated or cooled) before it can be circulated, so it makes sense to use only as much as is necessary to keep the circulating air fresh and the energy use down.

Thermal Comfort

Workspaces should be designed to provide an optimum level of thermal comfort for the occupants. Occupant comfort should be based on ASHRAE Standard 55.

http://www.ashrae.org/technology/page/548

Ventilation

Ventilation is the process of "changing" or replacing air in any space to control temperature; remove moisture, odors, smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, and carbon dioxide; and to replenish oxygen. Ventilation includes both the exchange of air to the outside as well as circulation of air within the building. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in buildings.

Views to the Outside

Building occupants with access to outside views have an increased sense of well being. Keeping employees happy and healthy is good for business, as happy employees show higher productivity and increased job satisfaction, resulting in fewer employee turnovers. In order to provide equitable access to daylight and views, it is recommended that private offices are located toward the core of a space and that low workstation panels are installed to allow for maximum daylight penetration. Use glass walls and partitions to enable views out from interior spaces.

Worker Productivity

Employee salaries are a significant cost in any commercial building. It makes good business sense to keep employees happy, healthy, and productive. Good indoor environmental quality, access to views, comfortable temperatures, comfortable lighting, good acoustics, and ergonomic design keep employees happy and productive.