About this program:

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Indoor air quality (IAQ) technologies that reduce indoor infection risk have varying feasibility challenges, energy costs, and benefits. This presentation provides an overview of ASHRAE 241, available IAQ technologies, and practical approaches to providing equivalent clean airflow in spaces like classrooms, offices, and healthcare waiting rooms. The technology overview will cover energy use, costs, and implementation considerations, with a focus on germicidal ultraviolet air treatment and portable air cleaners, which can provide high levels of equivalent clean air at low energy cost. The practical approaches include a method to assess the relative difficulty of upgrades and actions to improve IAQ in buildings today.

 

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What You'll Learn:

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• Define equivalent clean airflow.

• Describe characteristics and relative costs of different mitigation strategies over the lifetime of equipment.

• Identify possible solutions to achieve healthier buildings that are practical, affordable, effective, and energy efficient.

• Identify actions to take today to improve IAQ in buildings

• Identify future research and development needs and opportunities to realize healthier commercial buildings with

 

Who Should Attend:  

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• Mechanical engineers and HVAC designers seeking practical guidance on integrating ASHRAE 241 into real-world systems.

• Building owners, facility managers, and operators looking for cost-effective ways to improve indoor air quality while reducing energy use.

• Architects and sustainability consultants aiming to balance health, comfort, and energy goals in building design and retrofits.

• Public health professionals and environmental health officers interested in infection risk reduction strategies through IAQ improvements.

• Energy managers, commissioning agents, and performance contractors who evaluate building upgrades and operational strategies for efficiency and occupant well-being.

• School, commercial, and institutional building administrators responsible for maintaining safe, healthy indoor environments within budget constraints

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About the Presenter:

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Meghan McNulty is a Building Systems Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She researches HVAC and building upgrades that reduce disease transmission, such as germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) air treatment, and their impact on energy use and cost. Meghan has over a decade of experience as a consulting engineer performing energy audits and ventilation assessments. She is a voting member of ASHRAE 62.1 (ventilation & indoor air quality) and 241 (infectious aerosols). Meghan is a licensed professional engineer in Georgia, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University and a MEng in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.

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Program Level: 

All levels (basic, intermediate, advanced)

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Content Areas:

Schools & Commercial Buildings

Balancing Energy Efficiency & Indoor Air Quality

Ventilation

Filtration

Costs and Benefits of IAQ

New Research

Facilities Operations and Management for Health and Energy

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