Energy Savings Plus Health

Book excerpt: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Energy Savings Plus Health Guide to protect and improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools during building upgrades, particularly ener-gy ef ciency upgrades and building renovation ac-tivities. Energy management and protection of IAQ both should be critical priorities for school facility management. As school districts pursue energy cost savings and occupant health-protection goals, there can be a mistaken impression that the two goals are at odds with each other. In fact, when energy ef ciency and IAQ protection goals are integrated and addressed holistically, schools can achieve strong results in both areas. Alternatively, if careful attention is not paid to the interaction between energy management and IAQ, occupant health can suffer.