Carbon accounting for HVAC turns “we upgraded the system” into a defensible number for audits, ratings, and regulation. This article maps the frameworks a building owner or engineer must know to report HVAC-related emissions correctly. GHG Protocol Scopes Scope HVAC relevance Scope 1 On-site combustion: gas boilers, furnaces, backup generators (direct CO2) Scope 2 Purchased […]
Building Code Heat Recovery Mandate
Across jurisdictions, building codes increasingly mandate energy recovery once a system serves enough outdoor air. This overview compares the main regimes so a designer can specify one core that clears them all. Minimum Effectiveness by Regime Regime Trigger Minimum recovery ASHRAE 90.1-2022 (US) ≥ 5,000 CFM and ≥ 70% OA 50% enthalpy (AHRI 1060) IECC […]
IECC Energy Recovery Provisions
The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) is updated on a three-year cycle (2018, 2021, 2024) and is adopted — with or without amendments — by most U.S. states. Its commercial energy-recovery rule lives in Section C403.7, and it is the baseline that many state codes reference. This article summarizes the C403.7 trigger and how the […]
WELL Building Standard Ventilation
The WELL Building Standard v2 (IWBI) is a performance standard for occupant health, and ventilation is one of its strongest levers. Where energy codes set a floor for “acceptable” air, WELL rewards going well beyond it. This article covers the Air Concept features most relevant to recovery and ventilation design. Feature A06 — Enhanced Ventilation […]
RESET Air Standard
RESET Air is the world’s first sensor-based, performance-driven indoor-air-quality certification. Its Commercial Interiors v2.0 standard is about continuous monitoring and transparent reporting, not a one-time design check. This article summarizes the monitored parameters and the targets a space must hold. What Gets Monitored RESET requires continuous monitors covering at least 80% of occupants across all […]
Passive House Heat Recovery
The Passive House (Passivhaus) standard — from the Passive House Institute (PHI) in Darmstadt — is the most demanding envelope-and-services benchmark in buildings, and continuous ventilation with heat recovery is mandatory. This article covers the recovery requirements and how they compare with code minimums. Core Recovery Requirement Metric PHI limit Sensible heat recovery efficiency (HRV/ERV) […]
ASHRAE 241: Controlling Infectious Aerosols
What ASHRAE 241 Is Published in June 2023 as Standard 241-2023, Control of Infectious Aerosols, ASHRAE 241 is the first comprehensive consensus standard for managing airborne disease transmission in buildings. It is a voluntary standard given legal force only when adopted by a code authority, written into a project specification or lease, or applied voluntarily […]
IECC 2024: Energy Recovery Ventilation Provisions Explained
IECC 2024 and the Energy Recovery Link The 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) addresses commercial ventilation largely by reference to ASHRAE 62.1-2022. Because 62.1 already requires energy recovery on many large outdoor-air systems, IECC 2024 indirectly tightens ERV expectations, in Climate Zones 4 to 8 an energy recovery ventilator is commonly required where a […]
WELL v2 Performance Verification for Air and Thermal Comfort
WELL v2 and Performance Verification The WELL Building Standard v2 (IWBI) certifies buildings on a points basis across ten concepts. Unlike a one-time design review, WELL requires Performance Verification, on-site or post-occupancy testing of selected features before certification is awarded and at recertification. What Gets Verified Air (A01 to A09): particulate PM2.5 and PM10, TVOC, […]
GRESB and CSRD: ESG Disclosure for Building Portfolios
CSRD and ESRS for Buildings The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) replaces the NFRD and phases in from FY2024. After the Omnibus simplification, scope is roughly large companies with more than 1,000 employees and more than EUR 450M net turnover, but value-chain pressure pulls in many smaller firms. Reports follow the European Sustainability Reporting […]