The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has published a new guideline for “achieving good indoor environments by considering the interactions of air quality and thermal conditions as well as lighting and acoustics.” The guideline is considered especially important in the design of low-energy buildings to ensure full consideration of indoor environmental quality and its effects on occupants.
ASHRAE Guideline 10-2011, Interactions Affecting the Achievement of Acceptable Indoor Environments, calls attention to many interactions that designers might not have previously recognized or understood, according to the organization. The guideline contains an assembly of available knowledge on the complexity of the indoor environment and its impact on building occupants.
“The guideline summarizes what research and experience have taught us about the complex interplay of the wide range of factors that determine occupants’ reactions to the buildings they inhabit,” said Hal Levin, chair of the committee writing the guideline.
The guideline is intended to help users understand and use existing documents that address indoor environments -- including ASHRAE standards related to energy, ventilation, indoor air quality, and thermal conditions -- with a more complete understanding of their combined effects on occupants.
“It can provide assistance to building design professionals and building operators by making them aware of the major interactions that have the potential to impact the indoor environment,” Levin said. “We believe the guideline will help draw attention to the narrowly defined scopes of the widely used standards and the significance of combined or interactive effects in determining the acceptability of an indoor environment.”
