Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) are considered a best-practice solution in multifamily building design. They optimize both ventilation and energy efficiency by transferring heat and moisture between incoming and outgoing air streams. However, in some projects, ERVs may not be included due to cost, space constraints, or design decisions. For projects without ERVs, it becomes especially important to…
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Amidst the recent devastation in Texas, there have been many deaths reported in Texas from carbon monoxide poisoning due to people heating their homes with combustion appliances inside the home (e.g., people using outdoor cooking grills or vehicles inside the home for heat). This tragic example of how homes may be used in catastrophic times highlights the need for electric homes to still have CO monitors in case auxiliary heat is introduced. Residential building code (IRC) only requires smoke alarms, versus both carbon…
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Since the passing of the Clean Air Act in 1970 the EPA has extensively studied outdoor air quality. From this we know that exposure to outdoor air pollution is linked to a variety of negative health effects. More recently, a small but growing body of work is examining indoor air quality – which makes sense…
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