Ventilating office space differently—including office zones in science buildings—could pay big dividends, according to recent studies from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Though much recent discussion for laboratory space has centered on reducing air changes per hour (ACH), the Berkeley study actually advocates increasing ACH in office-type space, by up to twice as much. This strategy would reduce sick building syndrome symptoms and absences, improve work performance, and result in billions of dollars of annual economic benefits, according to LBNL. The lab's researchers also recommend improving temperature controls (particularly to avid overheating in winter); performing dampness and mold remediation; and adding outdoor air economizers and controls where absent. Results were published in the peer-reviewed journals
Indoor Air and
Building and Environment.
http://1.usa.gov/zjqAoX
