One would assume that if you build a “green” home, it would automatically ensure high indoor air quality – especially if it is a LEED certified home. Surprisingly, a LEED certification does not guarantee that criterion for indoor air quality are met. The US Green Building Council defines the LEED program as “an internationally recognized green building certification system, which provides
third-party verification that a building or community was designed, and
built, using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the
metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2
emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and
stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts“. The program and certification are based on a point system. A project can earn points in 5 different categories, including: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, material & resources, and lastly indoor environmental quality. One can presumably earn enough points in all the other categories and none in the category of indoor environmental quality – which is the one that addresses indoor air among other things, such as acoustics and daylight.
It is enticing to invest more money into energy efficiency as there are so many benefits to doing so, such as reducing our dependency on fossil fuel, and lowering your energy bill. However it should be balanced with decisions that impact indoor air quality. According to the EPA, our indoor air is 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. We also spend about 90% of our time indoors.
Later this week I will talk about what contributes to poor indoor air and share steps you can take to make improvements.
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