By Healthcare Facilities Today

ATLANTA – The 2013 version of ASHRAE’s indoor air quality standard contains several revisions to help users better meet its requirements.

Newly published, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2013, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, sets minimum ventilation rates and other requirements for commercial and institutional buildings.

The 2013 standard combines the 2010 standard and 10 published addenda to that edition, providing an easy-to-use consolidated standard. Specific information on the contents of each addendum and approval dates for each addendum are included in Informative Appendix J at the end of the standard.

“The 2013 version of Standard 62.1 continues the trend of increasing clarity while adding flexibility,” Roger Hedrick, Standard 62.1 committee chair, said. “These changes will allow designers and building operators to meet the requirements of the standard and provide adequate ventilation airflow to occupants while reducing excess ventilation and the associated energy consumption. “

The 2013 edition of the standard revises and improves the standard in several ways. A number of changes remove inconsistencies within the standard and improve clarity. Significant changes include:

Table 6-2, Zone Air Distribution Effectiveness is modified to increase the ventilation effectiveness of underfloor air distribution systems that meet certain conditions. 

Requirements for the quality of water used in humidification systems are modified and clarified.

Building level pressurization requirements were clarified, including adding a definition of “exfiltration.” 

A performance alternative to the prescriptive exhaust rates is added.  This approach differs from the Indoor Air Quality Procedure, the existing performance-based method for setting supply ventilation rates, in that monitoring of the concentrations of contaminants of concern is required and provides the basis for control of exhaust flow rates. 

Some changes to the ventilation rates and space types in Table 6-1 are made.  These add refrigerated warehouses and change the ventilation rate for sports related spaces to include a per occupant component which then allows the use of demand controlled ventilation in these spaces. 

The filtration requirement on air entering wetted cooling coils has been modified to change the MERV rating from 6 to 8.  This change will reduce potential for particulate deposition on the coils that could lead to biological or other contamination on the coils. 

Toilet exhaust air that is cleaned to Class 1 may be recirculated. 

The cost of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2013, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, is $79 ($67 ASHRAE members). To order, contact ASHRAE Customer Contact Center at 1-800-527-4723 (United States and Canada) or 404-636-8400 (worldwide), fax 678-539-2129, or visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore.

ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is a building technology society with more than 50,000 members worldwide. The Society and its members focus on building systems, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, refrigeration and sustainability. Through research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE shapes tomorrow’s built environment today.