Indoor air quality (IAQ) in buildings can significantly affect people's health, comfort, satisfaction and productivity. Using VOC as an example, this paper outlines the methods and applications of three IAQ control strategies: source control, ventilation and air purification. It is recommended that all three IAQ control strategies be considered in order to achieve acceptable IAQ in buildings in a cost effective and energy efficient manner.

Due to the fact that more and more people are spending a considerable amount of time in an indoor environment it is important to minimise (or control) the amount of pollution that a person is exposed to. Sources of indoor air pollution are building materials, furniture, equipment and people. This work concentrates on personal exposure in a mixing ventilated room. The aim of this work is to investigate the exposure of a person due to pollution from another person in a mixing ventilated room.

Since no literature on design calculations for natural ventilation could be found, the author developed an original design method in the early nineties. He is still using the method to design areas that have to be ventilated naturally. An example of a very common application, is designing the ventilation of a transformer room and the outside air grid area necessary. A surprising result of the design of a practical situation is that it can be demonstrated on the basis of the calculations that wind speed has relatively little effect on the natural ventilation.

Short article on insulation for residential buildings.

Describes how a small business was set up in the field of home energy performance contracting.

Describes a travelling display for methods of retrofitting residential buildings.

Describes how substantial differences resulted from performing a 'Duct Blaster' test during the framing stage and at completion. Outlines the tests used to pinpoint the problem. The tests included: frame-stage leakage - unit untaped; frame-stage leakage - unit taped; finish-stage leakage - face taped; finish-stage leakage - complete-taped; subtraction method; leakage to outside. The data obtained allowed the quantification of leakage at air handler units, at metal supply boots to outside and at supply registers to inside.

Describes how incentives for energy efficient rehabilitation of urban multifamily buildings has now been extended to single family homes, by one of the largest utilities in the US Midwest. The utility provides grants for nonprofit housing developers to include energy efficiency measures as part of their rehabilitation work on existing multifamily buildings. The new programme provides incentives for the construction of energy efficient new single family homes. The program targets abandoned, structurally sound masonry buildings and redevelops them as high-quality affordable housing.

Outlines an updated, expanded tool, NEAT 7.0 which can be used to determine the most cost-effective retrofit measures for single-family homes and is aimed at increasing energy efficiency and comfort levels. Its list of recommended measures and the cost and savings information shortcuts the retrofit planning process.

States that office environments vary in the type of air quality problems they present and that contamination levels fluctuate depending upon the tasks being performed and the frequency of these operations. Describes research which used a common protocol to study the air quality within 256 buildings and provided an account of the state of health in buildings within the UK. Only 15% of the buildings surveyed achieved optimum environmental conditions. Outlines the importance of sick building syndrome problems in relation to possible suits and vacation of premises.