NEWTON, MASS.—Aircuity, the leader in creating healthy and sustainable buildings, marked National Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) month last month by recognizing the increased need for “ventilation optimization” in commercial buildings. This strategy creates healthier IAQ and reduces carbon emissions enabling buildings to meet goals and standards for both which are being created on the national, city and corporate levels. Ventilation Optimization Reduces IAQ-Associated Health Risks Ventilation optimization strategies support a recent announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO) that provided guidelines for lower thresholds for several IAQ parameters including particulate matter which has a direct association with cardiovascular and respiratory health risks. Additionally,...

SHOREVIEW, MINN.—TSI Incorporated, a global leader in performance measurement solutions, announces the expansion of the TSI AirAssure Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Monitor product line. The newest addition, the AirAssure 8144-2, a two-gas model designed to help one understand and manage common indoor air pollutants utilizes low-cost sensor technology to continuously monitor carbon dioxide (CO2), total volatile organic compounds (tVOC), particulate matter (PM), and other indoor air conditions. The AirAssure model 8144-2 also connects to the same TSI Link Solutions cloud-based monitoring platform as the four and six-gas models which allows one to deploy any combination of the three AirAssure monitors around the building...

READING, Pa.—October is National Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) month, and this year more than ever, it is important to educate and evaluate the IAQ where people live, work, learn and play. Americans spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, and it is vital to understand what is in the air we breathe. Ambius, a global leader in creating smarter, healthier spaces, identified five common air pollutants and how to solve IAQ issues: COVID-19 and other Viruses—The COVID-19 pandemic is the most recent virus to spread across the globe. Aerosol viruses spread through tiny droplets that are expelled into the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Seal announced a new certification standard for paints and coatings that fully aligns with the latest version of the LEED green building rating system. Products certified to Green Seal’s updated paint standard are designated by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as complying with the requirements for the LEED v4 and v4.1 low-emitting materials credit. Green Seal’s paint certification is the only mark in the marketplace to qualify products for both LEED v4.1 credit requirements and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly badge, making it simple for health-focused buyers to identify safer products. The updated GS-11 Standard for Paints, Coatings, Stains and Sealers is...

CHICAGO—The Mitchell Group has introduced the newest offering in silicone upholstery fabrics, Sta-Kleen Silicone Digital Prints. The new digital print collection offers the same environmental, performance, and cleaning qualities as the award-winning Sta-Kleen Silicone fabrics, announced Bill Fisch, President. The collection will initially consist of seven digitally printed fabrics that have been designed for the healthcare, hospitality, contract, and other commercial markets. “Sta-Kleen Silicone is produced in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. It was conceived, planned, and constructed under the direction of an environmentally driven team that’s trained in and remains dedicated to fuel efficiencies, resource conservation and recovery, and production...

The world’s environment is affected primarily by real estate, transportation, and manufacturing. Due to the influence that these industries have on each other, it is clear that designing and operating sustainable buildings have a tremendous impact on the environment. Some of the concerns addressed by sustainability practices include inefficient site planning; lack of smart growth; waste of water, electricity, and energy; overconsumption and excessive waste; not using sustainable materials; minimizing transportation; the lack of healthy indoor air quality; increased pollution; depletion of the ozone layer; and climate change. Challenges & Misconceptions The hospitality industry was slow to adopt sustainable operations and design because...

WASHINGTON—The asthma & allergy friendly Certification Program, which is jointly run by Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America is participating in Greenbuild’s International Conference & Expo taking place September 21 to 23 in San Diego. Greenbuild provides the opportunity for the world’s leading architects, designers, builders, sustainability professionals, consultants and governments to connect, learn, network, and source innovative solutions to improve resilience, sustainability, and quality of life in buildings, cities, and communities. The asthma & allergy friendly Certification Program’s involvement in Greenbuild will be two-fold: Allergy Standards Limited CEO, Dr. John McKeon will serve as a keynote speaker at the Global Health &...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Code Council—the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions—launched its “Code on a Mission” challenge which aims to have over a third of the U.S. population covered by the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by the end of 2023. To make this a reality, the Code Council is challenging the building industry and communities alike to update their building energy codes to meet or exceed the requirements of the 2021 IECC. Already industry leaders like Architecture 2030, the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC), Northeast Energy Efficiency...

Commercial buildings, including hotels in the United States, waste up to $60 billion in energy every year. That is not a good record, especially since by 2050, every building in the world will need to achieve the target goal of net-zero energy use to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Given that most buildings that will exist in the next 30 years have already been built, the only way to get there is more technology and digitization of buildings and the built environment. So says Paul Ghezzi, CEO and Director of Kontrol Technologies, whose company’s aim is to make...

Monsoon season excites many residents and tourists during the summer, but hotel operators and building owners must recognize that monsoon season can pose serious threats to people and property. This year, unpredictable and intense monsoons have been sweeping the southwestern United States, increasing the amount of dust and debris particles in the air which can decrease the performance and efficiency of air conditioning units. Not only does this reduce the level of comfort in the building, but it also impacts the quality of the indoor air your employees and guests breathe. It’s no surprise your building’s commercial HVAC unit is...