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Excerpt: “Departing from the simple question Why do we heat and cool buildings with air?, this book focuses on the technique of thermally active surfaces. This technique uses water in building surfaces to heat and cool bodies – a method that is at once more efficient, comfortable, and healthy. This technique thus imbues the fabric of the building with a more poignant role: its structure is also its primary heating and cooling system. In doing so, this approach triggers a cascading set of possibilities for how well buildings are built, how well they perform, and how long they will last: pointing the way toward multiple forms of sustainability.” Source: Princeton Architectural Press

Learn more here: http://www.papress.com/html/book.details.page.tpl?isbn=9781568988801

RBc: I’ve just reviewed this new addition to our library of recommended reading for design professionals. Author Kiel Moe is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at the Northeastern University School of Architecture and has done an outstanding job illustrating the benefits of thermally active surfaces. We have been preaching thermally activated building systems (TABS) for many years and we’re pleased to see a section in this new resource from www.healthyheating.com contributor Geoff McDonell, B.Sc., P.Eng., LEED™ Ap. For more articles from Geoff use the search feature above.

The quality of this book is equal to any higher education text book on architecture, structural design, interior design and HVAC engineering with outstanding easy to understand graphics. We especially appreciate the inclusion of design details from numerous TABS projects from around the world.

A must have for the student or design professional.

ASHRAE Guideline Addresses Interactions Affecting Indoor Environmental Quality

ATLANTA – A proposed guideline, currently out for public comment, would provide guidance on achieving good indoor environments by considering the interactions of air quality and thermal conditions as well as lighting and acoustics.

ASHRAE Guideline 10P, Interactions Affecting the Achievement of Acceptable Indoor Environments, calls attention to many interactions that designers might not have previously recognized or understood. The guideline opened for public comment on April 9 and remains open until May 24.

“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,” Hal Levin, chair of the committee writing the guideline, said.

Levin explains that the guideline is intended to help users understand and use existing documents that deal with indoor environments, including the ASHRAE standards related to ventilation and indoor air quality and thermal conditions with a more complete understanding of the impacts of the indoor environmental 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,” he said. “We believe the guideline will help draw attention to the narrowly-defined scopes of the widely-used standards and the significance of interactive effects in determining the acceptability of an indoor environment.”

The draft of Guideline 10P is available for comment only during its public review period. To read the guideline or to comment, visit www.ashrae.org/publicreviews.

For further information contact: Jodi Scott, Public Relations, 678-539-1140, jscott(at)ashrae.org

RBc: As stated in the forward, “This guideline is intended to help people understand and use all of the documents that deal with indoor environments, such as ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Standard 62.2, Standard 55 and the ASHRAE Indoor Air Quality Guide, as a whole rather than separately. The guideline focuses on thermal conditions, indoor air quality (IAQ), and the interactions between these environmental conditions as they affect the acceptability of the indoor environment. In addition, but to a lesser extent, it also addresses mechanical energy (including noise and vibration) and electromagnetic radiation (including environmental lighting, ultraviolet and infrared radiation) as additional sources of interactions affecting the acceptability of the indoor environment as well as limitations that exist in the ability to achieve acceptability.”

We encourage readers to visit the ASHRAE site to review and comment on this document.

For a back ground study we suggest reading these pages. http://www.healthyheating.com/Defintion_of_indoor_environmental_quality.htm
http://www.healthyheating.com/Thermal_Comfort_Working_Copy/IAQ_ICQ_IEQ.htm http://www.healthyheating.com/Human_Factors/Human_Factors.htm
http://www.healthyheating.com/Definitions/facts_about_skin.htm http://www.healthyheating.com/Thermal_Comfort_Working_Copy/HH_physiology_intro.htm

Also view our ASHRAE lecture on The Human Factors in HVAC Systems

OTTAWA – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced the launch of a campaign to help make Canadian families more aware of the environmental health risks around them.

The four-year public education campaign is part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to environmental health. “Our government is working to help keep Canadian families safer,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “As part of this campaign I’m pleased to introduce Hazardcheck, a guide that provides simple advice that parents can take to keep their homes safer and healthier for themselves and their children”. Environmental hazards can be present in the air, water, soil or in your home. They can be inhaled or ingested or absorbed through the skin. Children are especially vulnerable to environmental hazards.

Hazardcheck includes specific advice on ways to protect our most vulnerable populations. The Guide builds on Government of Canada efforts to raise awareness of such issues as consumer product safety, so that Canadians can better understand and act to reduce the health risks around them. The Hazardcheck campaign directly supports and builds on the Government of Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan and Clean Air Agenda.

For a free copy of Hazardcheck, please visit:
www.HealthyCanadians.gc.ca/Hazardcheck  or call 1-800-O-Canada.

RBc: This is a great consumer piece and a recommended read for those wishing to improve your indoor environments. For those wishing to expand your knowledge you may want to consider enrolling in the HRAI of Canada IAQ Awareness Program offered across the country. Contact HRAI of Canada.

For a background study in IAQ see these links:
http://www.healthyheating.com/Definitions/sneeze.htm
http://www.healthyheating.com/Definitions/pollen.htm
http://www.healthyheating.com/IAQ/IAQ_animation.htm
http://www.healthyheating.com/IAQ/IAQ_animation_lungs.htm
http://www.healthyheating.com/Definitions/Particulate_matter.htm

PENSACOLA, Fla., April 26, 2010 – Some 1,000 undergraduates began taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) classes this Spring semester at the University of West Florida’s new School of Science and Engineering.

The $30.6 million state-funded building embodies the principles of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), an advocate in the United States for building and sustaining strong undergraduate STEM programs by transforming the learning environment.

Designed by architecture firm Lord, Aeck & Sargent, the four-story, 94,719-square-foot building is an energy and water-efficient structure that is targeting LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Full news release and photos of the Science and Engineering Building

Image credit: © 2010 Richard Leo Johnson/Atlantic Archives, Inc.

For further information contact:
Anne Taylor Carros, Lord, Aeck & Sargent, 404-253-6710, acarros(@)lasarchitect.com, or
Ann Kohut, Kohut Communications Consulting, 770-913-9747, annielk(@)bellsouth.net, www.kohutcommunications.com or http://twitter.com/kohutcomm 

RBc: Our favorite line from Leo ter Haar, director of the School of Science and Engineering is, “What I like best about the building is the way it’s designed more around people…”. As readers know we’re big supporters of this design approach as it has repeatedly demonstrated that it results in healthier more efficient buildings.

Congrats again to Lord, Aeck & Sargent for another great project.

WASHINGTON – As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to increasing energy efficiency and reducing costs, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network. This network is meant to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, buildings and industry by 2020. Strengthening energy efficiency initiatives across the country helps to save money and protect the environment at the same time.

For further information Contact:
Enesta Jones
jones.enesta (at) epa.gov
202-564-7873
DOE PUBLIC AFFAIRS:
202-586-4940
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Past deliverables from the network have included, “The Rapid Deployment Energy Efficiency (RDEE) Toolkit” which is designed to help state and local authorities and energy efficiency program administrators plan and implement successful programs as they advance energy efficiency through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The Toolkit was developed under the guidance of and with input from the Leadership Group of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

RBc: A quote from the tool kit includes something we support, “The measure mix (the technologies that are cost-effective for the program to rebate) of HVAC programs varies largely based on weather and primary fuel (electric or gas). For example, in some areas of the country measures such as ground source heat pumps and hydronic heating systems are cost-effective and have been incorporated into residential HVAC programs.”

We suggest readers learn more about low temperature radiant hydronic heating systems.

Washington, DC -The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) and the Alliance for Healthy Homes (Alliance) today announced their plans to join forces. The consolidated organization will continue to operate as the National Center for Healthy Housing, led by Rebecca Morley, with offices in Columbia, Maryland and Washington, DC. Patrick MacRoy, former executive director of the Alliance, will lead NCHH’s Community-Based Initiatives. The merger will consolidate all aspects of healthy homes within a single organization – research and evaluation, policy advocacy, consumer education, training, and assistance to local governments and community-based organizations. Nearly 5.7 million families live in substandard housing conditions placing millions of children at risk for asthma, cancer, lead poisoning, and injuries. As a unified organization, the groups will be able to better serve the interest of these families.

For further information see the full press release and information on the upcoming conference.

RBc: For more information on healthy housing see these articles:

1. Current State of the Science: Health Effects and Indoor Environmental Quality
2. Elements That Contribute to Healthy Building Design
3. Toxic homes, toxic bodies

Canadian researchers work diligently to close the gap between indoor air quality and tight home construction.

Energy efficiency is becoming a key component of modern-day construction as homeowners are searching for the most tightly-built, energy efficient homes on the market. It’s a huge change from 60 years ago, when home construction was looser, with more opportunity for air and energy to escape. But with these air-tight improvements, comes a hidden catch — one that many homeowners don’t even know about. The tighter a home, the less energy escapes. But tighter construction can affect airflow and indoor air quality as well, and not for the better. Despite the importance of clean air inside the home, Canadian homeowners know very little about indoor air quality, and probably know even less about the role that construction can play in ensuring the quality of the air inside their house. But there could be a reason for that — very little accessible scientific data exists on the subject. That’s something the National Research Council Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) is currently trying to remedy, with an ongoing study called the Indoor Air Initiative, led by the NRC’s Indoor Environment Program.

Download the full report.

RBc: We had an opportunity to interview the researchers on this project, you can read about it in the Sept/Oct Issue of HPAC Canada.

See also: How your lungs work.

Predicting Residential Exposure to Phthalate Plasticizer Emitted from Vinyl Flooring: Sensitivity, Uncertainty, and Implications for Biomonitoring Xu, Y., Cohen Hubal, E.A., Little, J.C.

Excerpt: Because of their substantial and widespread use, phthalates have become ubiquitous environmental contaminants (Koch et al. 2003; Weschler and Nazaroff 2008; Wormuth et al. 2006). More than 3.5 million tons of phtha¬lates are used worldwide each year, primarily as plasticizers in flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products (Cadogan and Howick 1996). Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an important phthalate, with more than two million tons produced globally each year (Lorz et al. 2002). About 90% of phthalates are found in numerous consumer products, including floor and wall coverings, car interior trim, cloth¬ing, gloves, footwear, wire insulation, artificial leather, and toys (Afshari et al. 2004; Bornehag et al. 2005; Müller et al. 2003). DEHP is mainly used in PVC products such as vinyl flooring (VF), where it is typically present at concentrations of about 20–40% (wt/wt) (Clausen et al. 2004; Deisinger et al. 1998). Because phthalate plasticizers are not chemically bound to the product materials, they are emitted slowly into the surrounding environment (Müller et al. 2003; Wormuth et al. 2006) and have become widely recognized as major indoor pollutants.

Source credit: Environmental Health Perspectives

(pronounced THAL-alates)

RBc: other useful readings include: Current State of the Science: Health Effects and Indoor Environmental Quality 

Also available at the above page:

1. Elements That Contribute to Healthy Building Design
2. In Search of a Common European Approach to a Healthy Indoor Environment
3. Childhood Asthma and Environmental Interventions
4. Improving Indoor Environmental Quality for Public Health
5. Bringing Green Homes within Reach: Healthier Housing for More People
6. Associations between ambient, personal, and indoor exposure to fine particulate matter.
7. The Relationship of Housing and Population Health: A 30-Year Retrospective Analysis

 
Join us for the 2010 Uponor Convention — our largest gathering of professionals who install, design and specify PEX radiant cooling and heating systems, plumbing and fire sprinkler systems.

Taking place at the fabulous five-diamond Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, you won’t want to miss our major industry announcement as well as the premiere of the new Uponor Advantage program.

We’ll also offer product and program seminars and exhibits, fun speakers, evening events and of course, lots of fun. Only Uponor can put on an event like this.

Convention Details Date: April 8 and 9, 2010
Time: Kick off meeting Thursday, 2 p.m.; wind down with a reception Friday evening
Cost: $649 USD initial guests; $300 USD each additional companion sharing the same room
Includes: Two nights lodging at the Bellagio, meals, convention activities and a registration gift

To make registration changes, contact the Uponor Travel Team at 866.247.7478.
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RBc: I’m looking forward to presenting at this convention…lots of great stuff including the opportunity to hear Peter Simmonds, Ph.D. of IBE Consulting Engineers, talk about some of the unique projects he’s worked on including New Yorks Cooper Union…bonus for those attending is to see the City Center Las Vegas project with over 500,000 square feet of radiant cooling courtesy of the summit host – Uponor.