International webinar offers the ‘smart’ answer to indoor air quality

besa-Building Engineering Services AssociationIncreasingly strict building ventilation standards are making the task of achieving a good balance between healthy indoor air quality (IAQ) and lower HVAC power and energy consumption more challenging for building engineers all over the world.

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) is hosting an international webinar organised by the CIBSE ASHRAE Group and featuring global IAQ authority Max Sherman – senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California.

This will take place on Wednesday, 9 November 2016 starting at 6pm (UK time).

As well as being responsible for over 170 technical papers in his 36 years at this prestigious institution, Max is an ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer and former board member. He is also Principal of EPB Consulting Group, which carries out forensic, engineering and expert services relating to building science including energy efficiency and indoor air quality. Max is also a board member of the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre, which is an annex of the International Energy Agency based in Brussels.



He believes that a more harmonious relationship between IAQ and energy consumption can be achieved by being smarter about how and when ventilation occurs, which stems from an understanding of why we ventilate.

High performance

For example, numerous smart ventilation strategies are possible in high performance homes, such as increasing ventilation when the outdoor temperature is less extreme; scheduling ventilation during off-peak hours; avoiding ventilation during periods of poor outdoor air quality, and reducing whole house ventilation operation in response to incidental ventilation (e.g., bathroom or kitchen fan operation) and occupancy.

Speaking via web link live from California, Max will review the how and why of ventilation; outline the requirements of a smart control ventilation strategy; provide some actual examples of smart ventilation strategies; and look further into the future of IAQ.



The session will be chaired by BESA technical director Tim Rook and there will be a discussion led by the Association’s technical committee following the presentation. There are a small number of ‘physical’ places for those wanting to join the discussion in person, but many more will be able to join in online via the webinar link.

For more information about taking part, please email: ewen.rose@theBESA.com.


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