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Question #1: Which HVAC system factors most influence building sustainability? |
For a building to be truly sustainable, or Green, we must always look
at the “big picture,” rather than a single factor or component.
For example, high-efficiency HVAC (heating, ventilation, and airconditioning)
products by themselves do not necessarily result in a
Green system. If the system is not operating properly for optimum
efficiency, does not bring in enough fresh outdoor air, or uses an
ozone-depleting refrigerant, it can have a detrimental effect on
building sustainability and the environment. It may also use more
energy to operate and possibly cause “sick building syndrome,”
resulting in allergies, asthma attacks, and other illnesses, due to the
lack of fresh air.
A Green HVAC system evaluates the requirements of the entire
building—starting with the individual spaces such as offices and
classrooms, taking into account all other aspects of sustainable
design and the demands of the building that affect the HVAC system.
For instance, every aspect of the building (i.e. lighting, building
envelope, landscape, number of occupants, age of occupants, type of
facility) is interrelated and considered. That is why it is important to
view the “big picture” as mentioned earlier when developing a Green
HVAC system.
An efficient, Green HVAC system has minimal impact on the
environment. And with proper building evaluation and design, it can
keep the facility comfortable and also be efficient, economical, and
sustainable.
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Question #2: How much is indoor air quality (IAQ) really affecting
us today? |
IAQ problems evolved out of the 1970s. At that time, because of the
1972 oil embargo, new buildings were made airtight, and the amount
of fresh air entering facilities was reduced. Although this may have
reduced energy consumption, it also resulted in allergic reactions and
respiratory problems because of the products, materials, and
cleaning items used to furnish and maintain facilities.
According to the latest statistics on IAQ, the problems are still
widespread and are one reason for the growing interest in Green
cleaning. For instance:
- Up to 30 percent of all buildings contain indoor air
contamination.
- Indoor air quality can be from 2 to 100 times worse than
outdoor pollution.
- Indoor pollution costs more than $50 billion in the United States
and Canada in healthcare expenses, absenteeism, lost
production, and lost revenue.
- In the workplace, allergic reactions to unhealthy IAQ account
for more than 10 million workdays missed by employees each
year.
- In schools and universities throughout the United States and
Canada, allergic reactions to harmful contaminants keep as
many as 10,000 children out of school each day
- According to a University of California study, adverse health
effects have been identified in 222 traditional cleaning products.
- Nationwide, more than 32 million pounds of household cleaning
products are poured down the drain each day.
- Many cleaning products used in households and offices contain
more than 50 potentially harmful and possibly lethal chemicals.
In addition, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) estimates:
- Poor indoor air quality, also known as sick building syndrome,
affects between 30 million and 70 million (…) workers annually.
- Approximately 37 percent of the U.S. and Canadian population
suffers from chemical sensitivities, skin rashes, or allergies.
For more information regarding Indoor Air Quality, as well as
Occupational Health and Safety, visit the Enviro-Solutions
Website/Resource Center/Other Helpful Sites. |
Question #3: Could you explain the connection between Green cleaning products and improved indoor air quality? |
There are many ways Green cleaning products improve indoor air
quality (IAQ). In fact, scores of articles have been written discussing
how IAQ issues can be and have been corrected once Green
cleaning chemicals and products are incorporated into a facility's
cleaning program. However, one of the best discussions of the topic
just recently occurred.
At the May 2007 Cleaning Industry Research Institute (CIRI)
symposium in Las Vegas, NV, one of the presenters, Dr. Marilyn
Black, founder and CEO of Air Quality Sciences, Inc., Atlanta, GA,
and a leading expert on indoor air quality issues, discussed how
environmentally preferable cleaning chemicals can make a major
contribution to reducing IAQ problems.
According to Black, more than 60 million Americans, approximately 1
in 4, now experience some type of respiratory problem, such as
asthma or allergies, on a regular basis as a result of indoor
substances. Very often, the triggers for these respiratory problems
are conventional cleaning products because of the strong chemicals
they contain, such as:
- Hydrocarbons, glycols, and glycol ethers that are used as
cleaning solvents
- Terpenes and other ingredients used as fragrances in some
cleaning chemicals
- Alcohols commonly found in disinfectants
- Chlorinated hydrocarbons found in certain spot cleaners
- Gases used as propellants in aerosol cleaning products
Dr. Black suggested that cleaning professionals use small or
controlled amounts of these products, if they must be used at all, and to use them only in well-ventilated areas using liberal amounts of
water to rinse surfaces after cleaning. She also encouraged the
industy to "transfer to more sustainable and less toxic [cleaning
chemical] formulations" such as Green cleaning products.
This is because environmentally preferable cleaning products contain
few if any of the respiratory triggers mentioned above and also have
reduced volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These are compounds
released into the air after cleaning, and although they may not be
detectable by scent, in large quantities they can contribute to indoor
"smog" causing serious health-related problems.
Additionally, Black noted that many cleaning chemicals are petroleum
based. These not only can become irritants, causing allergic
reactions and other respiratory problems, but also are not sustainable
and add considerably to the world's dependency on foreign oil.
The best way to select environmentally preferable cleaning products
that can help protect IAQ is to pick ones that have been Green-
certified. This certification ensures that the products are made of
safer ingredients and that they are cost competitive and effective as
well.
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