Indoor Air Quality
Home > Indoor Air Quality
Importance of Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is crucial for public health, regulatory compliance, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Poor IAQ can exacerbate health issues, while adherence to regulations ensures occupant safety.
Moreover, optimising IAQ contributes to energy savings and enhances productivity and comfort. Additionally, addressing IAQ is vital for reducing indoor pollutants and mitigating broader environmental concerns.
BREEAM IAQ Plan
Under BREEAM NC 2018, HEA 02 credits are dependent upon formulating an IAQ Plan at the design stage, which must address the following:
- Removal of contaminant sources
- Dilution and control of contaminant sources
- Procedures for pre-occupancy flush out and purge ventilation
- Third party testing and analysis
- Maintaining good indoor air quality in-use
- Any relevant local authority plans or policies
The IAQ Plan serves as a pre-requisite for earning the rest of the credits in the issue.
IAQ Testing
For further BREEAM credits, post construction testing also needs to be carried out to test VOC emission levels. This would require a site visit which may last up to 8 hours, followed by further laboratory processing to establish the results.
