The commercial Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry of North America finds itself in an increasingly difficult balancing act between providing energy-efficient systems and improving Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) for the occupants of commercial buildings. The balancing act occurs as designers work to meet the intent of 2 primary Standards produced by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), namely ASHRAE Standard 62.1 (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality) and ASHRAE Standard 90.1 (Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings).
ASHRAE Standard 62.1 defines the amount of outdoor air to be brought into a conditioned space, depending on the application and occupancy rate. This outdoor air will need to be conditioned (filtered, heated, cooled, humidified, dehumidified, etc.) to meet the building design temperature and humidity levels, increasing the energy consumed by the building.