International. A new study reveals that doubling the ventilation rate in typical office buildings can lead to an estimated annual energy cost of between $14 and $40 per person, resulting in up to $6,500 equivalent in improved productivity per person per year.
When using energy-efficient technologies, the study found that energy costs will be even lower, with an environmental impact reduced to the minimum of about 0.03 additional cars on the road per building.
The research found that cognitive function test results improved 101% in green building environments with improved ventilation compared to conventional building environments.
"This study shows that there is no longer a balance between energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality – both can be achieved together to accelerate the sustainable building movement," said John Mandyck, UTC's director of sustainability. "Readily available, energy-efficient technology can turn office buildings into HR tools that improve the health and productivity of people indoors."
The research was conducted by the Chan School of Public Health's Center for Health and the Global Environment, SUNY Upstate Medical, Syracuse University and Carrier.
The researchers studied three indoor environments achieved by four different HVAC system strategies in seven U.S. cities as outlined below. For each scenario, the team selected the U.S. Department of Energy's Average Office Prototype as the standard (at 53,000 square feet, three-story building with more than 260 occupants); used the average public service prices of each city; and referenced wage data obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Three indoor environments: standard ventilation at 20 cubic feet per minute of outside air per person, the green condition used during the COGfx study; 30% more ventilation than ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2.010, which is required to obtain LEED Credit Certification for Enhanced Ventilation, equivalent to 27.6 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per person; and 40 cubic feet per minute of outside air per person, the improved green condition used during the COGfx study.
• Four HVAC system strategies: variable air volume (VAV) and fan coil unit (FCU) systems, both mature technologies are often used in office buildings. Both systems were evaluated with and without an energy recovery fan (ERV), which improves the energy efficiency of the system.
• Seven U.S. cities representative of different climate zones: Albuquerque, New Mexico; Austin, Texas; Baltimore; Boise, Idaho; Boston; Charlotte, North Carolina; and San Francisco.
