ASHRAE publishes new guideline for indoor environments

ASHRAE has published a new guideline to facilitate improved indoor environments by considering interactions of air quality, thermal conditions, lighting, and acoustics.

ASHRAE Guideline 10-2011, Interactions Affecting the Achievement of Acceptable Indoor Environments, contains an assembly of knowledge on the complexity of indoor environments and the impact they have on building occupants.  Guideline 10 is especially significant in the design of low-energy buildings.

“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.

The guideline is intended to help users understand existing documents dealing with indoor environments, including all applicable ASHRAE standards related to energy, ventilation, indoor air quality, and thermal conditions with a focus on the effect of these systems 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,” Levin said. “We believe the guideline will help draw attention to the narrowly-defined scopes of the widely-used standards and the significance of combined or interactive effects in determining the acceptability of an indoor environment.”

Visit the ASHRAE bookstore for more information.

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