High Performing Multi-family Homes Focused on IAQ

 

On the Indoor Air Quality & You podcast, we’ve already discussed the role of energy recovery ventilation (ERV) in high performing, single-family homes, as well as the benefits of increased ventilation. In fact, in the wake of the pandemic, air quality is more critical than it’s ever been.

With that in mind, multi-family homes offer even more challenges. They have unique design considerations, including those around air quality, and air quality is a preeminent safety issue as residents carry concerns about contaminants and the spread of disease.

Because of multiple inhabitants and the nature of shared spaces, the construction of these projects is evolving to focus more on high performance and strategies to help builders provide healthy and high-performing homes for residents.

To learn more, host Tyler Kern welcomed Gayathri Vijayakumar, Principal Mechanical Engineer at Steven Winter Associates, and Nick Agopian, VP of Sales and Marketing for RenewAire, to this episode of the show.

Overall, the most important concept in creating high performing, multi-family homes begins with a shared goal to do more than the bare minimum that construction codes require.

Vijayakumar explained the Indoor airPLUS program, which was established by the EPA and is thematically similar to ENERGY STAR . “The program is prescriptive and [offers] a checklist of all the things for higher performance. First, the building must have ENERGY STAR standards, then layer on the indoor air quality elements,” Vijayakumar said.

ENERGY STAR standards relate to requirements for energy efficiency, insulation, air sealing and lighting efficiency for both single and multi-family homes, while Indoor airPLUS turns its attention to the layering of low-emitting materials, balanced ventilation requirements, radon levels, pest management and combustion appliance use regulations on top of those standards.

These standards are more critical than ever, as Agopian noted that air quality is more on consumer radars since the pandemic. “We breathe in 31 pounds of air a day. Because of the pandemic, the quality of that air is concerning. Builders and developers are motivated to build healthier homes, because they can get more dollars per square foot.”

What makes multi-family builds tricky, though, is the variety of air. “It’s not just air from the outside. It’s from neighbors and shared spaces,” Vijayakumar explained.

One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality in multi-family homes is through energy recovery ventilation. For optimal quality, ERVs replace stale air and replenish it with fresh outside air, and they do it all while lowering energy costs and boosting energy efficiency.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Recent Episodes

On this episode of Inside Restoration & Recovery, host Martha Lewis sits down with Shadira Jones, General Manager of BMS CAT’s Tampa office, to talk about resilience, leadership, and preparation during back-to-back hurricanes that hit the Florida coast. With less than two years at BMS CAT under her belt, Shadira was thrust into emergency…

Many homeowners don’t realize that standard homeowner’s insurance excludes flood protection. That’s a risk worth correcting fast. Lori Callahan, Assistant VP and Account Executive for Personal Lines at B.F. Saul Insurance, stresses the importance of proactive flood coverage. “About 40% of flood insurance claims come from outside high-risk zones,” she explains. Because of that, her…

When it comes to flood insurance, preparation is key. Tyler Ardron, Executive Vice President at Floodproofing.com, often advises homeowners and businesses to take proactive steps before a storm hits. “We deal with this all the time with our clients,” Ardron explains. “Have a list of your belongings, include estimated values, and schedule everything out ahead…