FEBRUARY 2023 A/S|H|R/A\E THE MAGAZINE OF HVAC&R TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS ASHRAE.ORG The Long Road To Decarbonization Avoiding Fire Risks | Harm-Based 1AQ Metric Cybersecurity Tips | Water Efficiency Updates Also: Steam Drainage Systems —- ge ee we ra FRY emMerk: SURO CRN ETL Regs CSLuTe IW Citra va Daikin continues its tradition of providing localized HVAC solutions for North American market with a completely reengineered VAV lineup. Th VRV EMERION offers new features and benefits with major improvem Cece MM oN ML LAL Ure Roch S AT ada models. Ce ee en es eee ie serra atic er ee a i ea ee oDShi felnere)y DISCOVER MORE Al WAYS = talUa COLUMNS 14 Engineer’s Notebook Responsible Approach To Decarbonization in An Existing Building By James Del Monaco Cybersecurity FEATURES 28 The Long Road to Decarbonization: Past, Present and (Possible) Future By Thomas Lawrence and Costas Balaras, TECHNICAL FEATURE 34 Understanding Steam Drainage Systems ‘They're Phishing for You By Gene C. Nelson Be the One That Got Away! 44 Energy Standard for hel Data Centers 24 IEQ Applications By Terry L. Rodgers, Robert E. McFarlane ‘A Proposed Harm-Based IAQ Procedure and Joseph F. Prisco For Standard 622: alljing with OALYS By Berjamin Jones TECHNICAL FEATURE ae : 54 Guideline 14-2023: 72 ee Applications What the Retrofit Really Saved By Andy Pearson By Jeff S, Haber, Dennis R. Landsberg, ot. al Usa IE caus Bein DEPARTMENTS Jones chat with our Techical “tives Snare 4 Commentary a 6 Letters 5 12 Meetings and Shows - _— Ga 66 Info Center \} can the OR cae a Oe seme et 70 Advertisers Index 71 Software Resources hips mutcon/loalutt et: rte ‘alaaeory Misng Acie Paine Soko opto 2 FEBRUARY 2029 ashraeorg ASHRAE JOURWAL VOLUME 65, no. 2RR Rea re eae ne Rie ec aoe Cs PUN rae ae eR ese Caso Relea Ue ETC Renee Regen eae Rae Eee acm tee eee) LATE Te) (=) controls PNET i Better by design’A\S H|R\AE JOURNAL 10 coy Pty Peas Carer 0082 Poe: 0 36-800 Fac AS25078 | wweasea (WReToR OF ASHRUE PURLCTON & aUGATON Marks. Owen ‘aroma itor John 6. Fleont alcionsgashrae.org Managing Editor Kelly arzaca Roarraragashrae org rmatyasovskizashrae org Associate itor ‘a Pats ‘paletsgashrac.org Associate Editor Chadd Jones sjonesaashrae ong Assistant Flitor Kit Baie oatchaashrac.org creative Designer ‘Teresa M. Carton! learbonigashrae.org sees Publishing Services Manager David Soltis Production Jayne jackson ue Wen AVES Associate Publisher Greg Martin sgmartinaashrae.org ‘Advertising Production and Operations Senior Coordinator ‘inessa Johnson vyohsondashrae.org Cireulation Development Coordinator SnstinBraford abratfordaashrae org Aa FERS President Faroog Mehboob President-Elect, ‘Ginger Scoggins, RE. ‘Treasurer Dennis Knight, PE. Vice Presidents Billy Austin, PE, BCxP, BEAP, BMP, BDF, HEDP. OFM Dunstan Laurence Macauley I PE. HBDP Sarah Maston, PE, BCX? Ashish Rake Secretary & Executive Vice President Jed. Lteton oust sour ‘2022-28 Chair Publications Committee ‘Gerardo Afonso, PE. Washington Office wwashdenashrae-org OTN Steady Road to Decarbonization Trismontisnerarideondecrbonztion authors ‘Thomas Lawrence, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE, and Costas Balaras, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE, deliver astartling reminder; | “In the 1970s, there was no scientific consensus on the topic of climate change as to whether Earth was headed toward an ice age or a warming climate caused by human activity, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But by the turn of the century, the likelihood of an ice age occurring was overshadowed by rising CO, levels in the atmosphere and their impact on warming Earth's climate Carbon dioxide, they continue, is recognized asa significant GHG culprit, trapping heat in the atmosphere by absorbing the long wavelength infrared radiation from the earth back out to space, thus preventing that natural cooling effect. Reducing CO, emissions and mitigating the effects of too much CO, in the atmosphere are among the key concerns addressed in the ASHRAE HVAC&R Global Summit Final Report released last month: Securing Our ature: Addressing the Critical Issues ofthe Day. ‘The report, which Tmentioned in an earlier Commentary, comes out of aglobal summit ASHRAE spearheaded in Istanbul late last year. You can. download the report here: https://tinyurl.com/ckhz394a. “The global migration of the population to cities will result in the building floor area doubling by 2060,” the report states. “Inasmuch as buildings contribute around 39% of all carbon emissions into the atmosphere, the expanding carbon problem is clear, as is the importance of the building industry.” Lawrence and Balaras recognize that there's not one solution to the complex climate crisis. They also understand that decarbonization does not mean that every building will have zero CHG emissions. “Thus, calculating a building’s carbon footprint really starts with asking the question as to how big we should define the ‘control volume’ for a structure, Aone size fits all” approach will not work globally, they conclude. “The solutions must be fine-tuned to the local economy, social networks and political landscapes.” This will not happen overnight. But its happening and the pace is accelerating as ASITRAE members and the IIVACRR industry work together to grow our understanding and to develop the technology and practical guidance needed to properly address carbon in the built environment, ai 6, Fat John G, Faleioni ASHRAE Journal Editor (ce lsh tind psn de En 4 ASHAAE JOURMAL sshroeorg FEBRUARY 2029Belimo Tee ALA) and Thermal Trey (cg a Energy Management and Billing Made Easy The integration of Belimos new Thermal Energy Meter with the Energy Valve allows for easy energy control and transparent tenant billing. Designed to EN1434/MID standards ensures high accuracy and reliability, allowing for tenant billing. Belimo is stepping into a new era of integrated thermal energy management and bringing together what belongs together. ERY Discover the advantages www.belimo.us 7) Bocabus @péteup BELIMO Tear rangLETTER IAQ Standards: Reflecting on A White House Summit As Ttype, [have an air quality ‘monitor on my desk. Actually, I have two. Combined, they cost less, than my wife and I spent on din- ner last night, CO, in my room is 1,350 ppm. PM, is 10.ug/m®. PMgis, 20 ug/m®, PM, 5 is 15 ug/m®. TVOCs are 0.004 ugim?. It's 68°F, and the RITis 60%. Now, that means this room doesn't meet the 2021 WHO ‘guidelines mentioned in your [Brandon J. Burley Ph.D’s} column, “Indoor Air Quality Standards Reflecting on a White House Summit.” in the December 2022 {issue of ASHRAE Jounal, But, the more important thing is the technology. Ican diagnose my air quality directly, cost-effectively, and in its native units ‘The gap in ASHRAE’ air quality toolsis they breeze past this vital stepof measurement, We're all engi- neers, We've all heard "You don't know what you don't measure,” “You can't control what you dont measure,” "In God we trust; all oth- ers must bring data,” and the like. Engineers usually love measuring things. So, why is the measurement of air quality so rare? ‘You and I know ASHRAE’ tools ‘were born a generation ago. They evolved in an era when measur ing air quality was expensive and impractical. In 1995, or 2005, 1 couldn't have afforded seven- variables of air quality monitoring. It would have cost more than acar! But, today, the cost of my personal air quality monitoringis less than the cost ofa dinner date. Hey, don’t take my word. Goto your web browser, to your favor- ite search engine, and type in “air quality monitor shopping.” Look at what's available. Look at the prices! While you're looking at the options, think back 25 years. ‘There's been a huge technological change. Itis, in my opinion, a com- plete game-changer. Now that air quality measure- ‘ment is vastly more affordable and. available, it should become com- ‘monplace among engineers, During initial commissioning. continuous commissioningand retro-commis- soning, air quality experts should measure air quality. itsounds so simple when you say it) But, imag {ne this possible future: in 2030, if ASHRAE’s tools still skip the mea- surement step and rely primarily on ventilation rates, filter efficiency prescriptions and equipment check- lists, they'll hardly be the tools of ait quality expertise ‘The WHO, OSHA and other agen- cies already publish performance standards. In time, they'll become ‘more and more easily measurable. People like me will have monitors on their desks. Ill be easier for users and enforcers to measure air than refer to HVAC guidelines, standards, checklists. (Tbought $45 desktop air quality displays forall my staff, and for my brother, as holiday gifts! ‘They're quite cute.) Right now, ASHRAE’s air qual- ity tools rarely, ifever tell us to measure air quality. We frequently breeze past the topic. Just for fun: look at how PM, is handled in ASHRAE’s Indoor AirQuality Guide (2009). The guide warns us about $1 ASHAAE JOURMAL sshroearg FEBRUARY 2029 the dangers of particulates and dis- ‘cusses resuspension, There’s talk about emissions from photocopiers and computers. Ittells us to investigate regional air quality specify titers, check for leakage, minimize thermal bridging, etcetera, etcetera. What it never says is: “Buy PM, ,meter and measure PM, ; inthe spaces. I's too bad it never says that. Today, in 2022, the simplest, most direc, cost effective, time effective, and repeatable thing todois “buya PM, , meter and mea- sure PM, , in the spaces.” Side note-be cautious of placing too much stock in commissioning. There are two disclaimers com- missioning buyers need beware. First, many commissioning efforts fall short of suecess. Ican show you.a stack of commissioning reports with lists of issues the tearm couldn't achieve or solve. “The systems didn't work as intended,” they seem to say, “but atleast we've ‘documented it!” Documentation of issues is great, but it isnt the same as success. Second, any commissioning process is only as good as is goals. TF there aren't air quality goals, there ‘won't be air quality commissioning, Ifachieving PM, ; below 10 ug/ mf isn'ta design goal, it won't a ‘commissioning goal. Iftisnta commissioning goal, it won't be measured. And, ifit isnt measured, itisnt assured. ‘Your conclusion, therefore—1'l paraphrase with the quote, "These documents form an excellent ref- ‘erence’-stands in jeopardy to the threat of time. Affordable air qual- ity measurement isa threat to the viability of heavily prescriptive or prescriptive-only tools, That threatwill grow in the next decade. Tt seems to me the most important thing ASHRAE could do, immedi- ately, is to add the obvious step: ‘measure the air. Like the tools, your column also breezed past the topic of measure- ‘ment. So, I'm interested in your opinion on the matter. ask Ef, Mente ASAE ou The Author Responds Thankyou for taking the time to read the column and for your thoughtful comments, When I first started writing the column Twas focused on specifically addressing the criticisms of ASHRAE Standards and pointing out that all ofthe top- ies discussed at the White House Summit were already addressed by ASHRAE in some form and many were in the process of being devel- oped into the standards You do make a good point that unless you follow the Indoor Air Quality Procedure, you are not compelled to measure air quali, From my perspective thisis because the ventilation rates are based! on achieving vote of not unacceptable from 80% of the occupants: they are not intended to control specific con- taminants to specific thresholds Interins of measurement, I think you are also breering past some of the very real questions about how ‘we should use indoor air quality measurements. Let's start with the most basic design based on achieving a certain ‘maximum level based on a design background condition. This is certainly achievable, but it requires several things. First, we have to identify the contaminants we are seeking to control. Second, we must, gather data of background levels of those contaminants. Third, we must understand the sources of those contaminants. Finally, we ‘must adopt limits from recognized regulating bodies that we can, control to. Let's look at your list of contami- nants: we can certainly regulate any of the PM buckets; we could regulate CO,, but there is significant debate on what an appropriate limit is; reg- lating TVOGs is perilous because it is an aggregate measurement, and. even low levels of certain VOGs can be very harmful; we already have rules for humidity and temperature in ASHRAE Standard 55. So let's assume we establish limits for those air constituents we can. ‘Then we need to have a method of determining the background conditions and sources of those contaminants, similarto the climate database. There are weather stations with air quality readings, but this is not universal and westill need to aggregate and analyze the data, Even when we get this data we still hhave the issue of internal sources; are these understood well enough to design engineering controls around, and do those internal sources require different strategies than the external sources? So having said all ofthis, Tdo think that developing design standards around obtaining limits is possible— the LAQP already allows this~but it isnot nearly as simple as buyinga desktop IAQ monitor. Now let's take a look at the active control scenario, In this case you have your IAQ monitor and it reads an elevated level of a contaminant in your space. What isthe control response to this information? Does the ventilation system increase air volumes? What if the source of the particulates is the ventilation air? Do we put safeties in place ‘to cut off ventilation when the source is external, or do we alarm ‘and continue to ventilate? What ifthere is an air cleaner? Should ‘we mandate its priority relative to ‘changes in ventilation rates? Its not my intention to be dis- missive, but ratherto point out that these are all questions that need to ‘be answered and agreed upon by the committee before we can change the standard. In fact some of these ques- tions have been asked recently with respect to controls for hazardous ‘outdoor air conditions. Tknow you have been working on. indoor air quality in health-care ‘spaces for many years now and are familiar with the CMP process. ‘There are currently two proposals under consideration by SSPC 62.1 ‘one to restore the requirements of active measurement of outdoor air flow rates, and another to publicly display ventilation information. 1 can easily envision a third proposal that requires the inclusion of indoor air quality metrics in either or both, of these requirements. I cannot pre- dict if any of these will be accepted, ‘but you are not alone in your posi- tion, and we are always interested in constructive proposals to improve the standard. Even if air quality control does not enter the standard in an analogous manner to thermo- static control, there are a multitude of conceivable uses for measured data that could be used to improve design practices, redo Brgy DPE Meer ASAE Baie FEBRUARY 2029 ashraeorg ASHRAE JOURNAL 7LETTERS The Role of Cogeneration: Reducing Carbon Emissions ‘The article “The Role of Cogeneration: Reducing Carbon Emissions” by Richard Sweetser, Life Member ASHRAE and Bruce Hedman, Ph.D., in the November {issue of ASHRAE journal presents an unrealistic scale and incomplete picture of the role that combined heat and power (CHP) will have in the use of natural gasas a transition fuel. As we continue to transition to lower carbon energy sources, one thing is clear: natural gas will not disappear overnight ‘The article makes a good point that cogeneration is a very efficient ‘way of using natural gas. However, ‘most cogeneration plants last for 440 years or more. While we need to make sure that our use of natural sas isas efficient as possible, cogeneration looks less like @ transition and more like away of locking in the use of fossil fuels. ‘The author touts renewable natu- ral gas (RNG) asa fundamental way of creating low-carbon CHP opera- tion without noting any of the key concerns surrounding RNG. At best, renewable gas, if all avail- able sources are tapped, will only cover -15% of the current total US. natural gas consumption. This im- ited supply is reflected in the price of RNG, which is already between two to five times more expensive than conventional natural gas. Why ‘would we use this limited supply for applications such asheat and electricity generation, which already have carbon-free and more efficient alternatives, instead ofin industry applications which are notoriously hard to decarbonize? Finally, RNG is chemically identi- cal to natural gas, meaning that it is largely methane. Methane leak- age roughly doubles the impact of natural gas use. As RNG is distrib- uted through the same leaky pipe as, natural gas, it will emit methane to the environment and substantially reduce the “low carbon’ reality of the fuel source. Additional key issues the author does not address include: + ‘The cost-effectiveness of renew- able generated electricity compared to cogeneration plants powered with RNG when full maintenance costs of the cogeneration are included, + Inmany campus settings, cogeneration plants are sized at or above the campus energy needs, which discourages energy efficiency ‘because energy savings have little monetary value. + Hydrogen was noted as the key zero carbon fuel source. In addition tothe fact that hydrogen is not largely available today, the hydrogen that is available is largely produced from natural gas or other non- renewable sourees. We feel that the advantages of renewably generated electricity pow- eringefficient, all-electric buildings far outweigh the long-term carbon, emissions of CHP systems, however efficient they might be. Per ans RE eli ASHRAE, San nce Joe Gare Asai Mente ASHRAE, Sn Frc The Authors Respond This etter provides an opportunity to further describe the important 8 ASHAAE SOURMAL sshroearg FEBRUARY 2029 role of cogeneration, or combined heat and power, in decarboniza- tion. The respondents recognize that “natural gas will not disappear overnight" and that “cogeneration is avery efficient way of using natural gas,’ resulting in enormous amounts of GHG emissions savings today. However, they do not acknowledge ‘ongoing developments in expanding renewable and net-zero carbon fuels Including green and blue hydro- ‘gen which, we believe, will play an important role in a future net-zero carbon economy. Renewable and hydrogen-fueled CHP can decarbonize thermal ‘end-uses in industrial and com- mercial facilities that are difficult ‘or too costly to electrify, as well as critical operations that need dis- patchable on-site power for long- duration resilience and reliability. At the same time, CHP’s inherent efficiency advantage can serve to further extend the resource base of, these emerging renewable and net zero fuels. Installing natural gas CIP today yno means locks one into the long- ‘term use of fossil fuels. CHP systems currently operate on a variety of renewable and low- to no-carbon fuels, including renewable natural gas (RNG), hydrogen and biogas. RNGis biogas that has been upgraded to commercial natural {gas specifications for injection into the existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure and is produced at andfils, through anaerobic diges- tion at wastewater treatment plants, agricultural operations, food pro- cessors and animal feed lots, and from gasification of biomass. RNC ‘can have negative GHG emissions onallife-cycle basis depending onIT’S TIME FOR THE EVAPORATIVE COOLING INDUSTRY TO BE SHAKEN UP These Are Our WaterWays Pe Terai om eae Eee i pra El De Cae Eee ifeedstock and can be used asa direct replacement of natural gas in cur- rent CHP equipment and systems. ‘The respondents note “as RNG is distributed through the same leaky pipe as natural gas, it will emit methane to the environment, and substantially reduce the ‘low carbon’ reality of the fuel source.” The latest Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks shows that annual emissions from the natural gas distribution system declined 69% from 1990 to 2019, as natural gas utility companies added more than, 788,000 miles of pipeline to serve ‘21 million more customers. Distribution systems owned and operated by local natural gas utilities emit only 0.08% of produced natu ral gas. The pipeline infrastructure adds only a small fraction of GHG emissions to the overall reductions that can be achieved through RNG use in CHP facilities. ‘While existing hydrogen sources in the US. are indeed produced pri- ‘marily from natural gas, the respon- dents ignore the massive ongoing slobal effort to develop pathways to clean hydrogen and the US. Department of Energy's efforts to establish net-zero carbon hydrogen as.akey pillar in an emerging clean energy economy. Most gas turbines and natural gas engines available today can operate on hydrogen mix- tures ranging 10% to 40% depending onthe manufacturer and model. All ‘major turbine and engine manu- facturers are on track to have 100% hydrogen-compatible systems com- ‘mercially available by 2030 or ear- lier, and many existing systems will be able to upgrade to 100% hydrogen. ‘with field modifications. Finally, the respondents state, “We feel that the advantages of renew- ably generated electricity powering efficient, all-electric buildings far outweigh the long-term carbon emissions of CHP systems, however efficient they might be.” Electrifying buildings isa good thing where it ‘makes sense. However, is electrify ‘ing buildings the only thing that makes sense? We believe the path- way to azero- require a broad mix of solutions, and CHP, the most efficient way to generate power and thermal energy, ill play a critical role in reducing GHG reduce emissions now and in the future, ‘cht, Set ie MombrsSHRAE Heron ‘ce ema AD, Ad ron future will, Increasing Ventilation In 1980s High-Rise Commercial Office Buildings ‘The article "Increasing Ventilation {in 1980s High-Rise Commercial Office Buildings" by Jamie Kono, PE., Associate Member ASHTRAE; Jim Gieselman, PE, BEAP, Member ASHRAE; Meghan Kara MeNulty, PE., Member ASHRAE; Barry Abramson, P.E., BEAP, Life Member ASHRAE, that appeared in the November 2022 issue of ASHRAE Journal contains some eye-opening data regarding the indoor air qual- ity that exists in a good portion of today’s buildings. agree that existing buildings need to evaluate methods of increasing ventilation rates as the mast effec~ tive means of mitigating airborne 1 ASHAAE JOURMAL sshroeorg FEBRUARY 2029 particles and improving the over- all indoor air safety. However, it isimportant to keep in mind the ‘other major challenge we face today, reducing energy consumption. ‘Simply increasing ventilation will certainly result in an increase in air safety, but at the cost of additional energy use, Asan alternative, Toffer ‘Option 3A": incremental, floor-by-floor retrofits to provide additional ventilation through total energy recovery wheel, ‘Mra PE, Acct Member ASHRA, Sal The Authors Respond ‘We agree that energy recovery can play an important role in achieving the dual goals of improved indoor air quality and energy efficiency and not only for the incremental approach, but forall design options Inourarticle, we aimed to shift the conversation from, “Can we do this [drastically increase ventilation rates]?” to, “How can we do this?” As we move forward with decarbon- izing the built environment, the next question must be, “How ean ‘we do this efficiently?” Perhaps a discussion of annual energy use for each option would make fora good follow-up article Janek, Avec Meme SHIRA, ts imam PE EAP Meme ASHRAF, a on Kor Ny, E, Membr ASR, os ar Aranson PE EA. fe Merb SHR, tara ASHRAE Journal welcomes let- ters to the editor. The letters should be no more than 250 ‘words and must relate to an arti- cle published in ASHRAE journal, Please send your letters to rebecca@ashrae.org.Improving air quality. ebm-papst develops fans that help deliver clean air in commercial and industrial air-conditioning and ventilation systems, Our EC solutions optimize airflow and help maintain high air quality, all while keeping operating c a minimum. Whether in new construction or retrofits, these fans will help you breathe easier. ea Ce eRe CTR eee) RadiPac EC centrifugal eens ebmpapst engineering a better life pace-saving external rotor design The external rotor design has been retained, so the pressure models are axially compact and require [ittle space for installation. The fans are driven by EC motors, gently interconnected. 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Expanded portfolio lebm-papst has expanded its fan portfolio, now supplying reliable centrifugal fans with proven EC lextemal ro or design for applications that have to lovercome high pressures to achieve optimum air flow. impeller sizes 630, 560, 400 and 355 are available now.Ca ee TS ‘eeause of the impact that COVID-19 is having on conferences, please ‘eck the conference's website forthe most up-to-date information. anc [HVAC Cold Climate Conference 2023, March 6-8, Anchorage Alaska, Contact ASHRAE 1 800-527-4725, meetingseashraeo7g0F ‘wwrwasrae ong 2029HVACcoldlinate ACEEE Hot Water Forum, Masch 7-9, San Diego. Contact ihe American Counel for an Energy Eifiient Economy at 202-507-4000 or wow aeee.ong2003 hot water-orum MAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo, March 12-15, Long Beach, Cali Contat the international Ist {ute of Ammonia Refrigeration at 703 312. 4200, conferencegilarong or www.lar org! 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Contact the American Soe of Civil Engineers (ASCE) st 800-548-2723, eisraionstasce org or svn ae- conference org war (CxEnengy, May 2-5 DallavFort Worth “Texas. Contact Anna Kesoea, even man ager, annagcommissoning rg or wowcexenergycom ASCE SEI Structures Congres, May 11-6, New Orleans, Contact the Amer can Soeety oSiuctural Engineers at 703-295-6900, registrationsasceo7gor bps:foww.stucturescongress. ong ABI Spring Meeting, May 15-1 Washington, D.C. Contact the Air Conditioning, eating, ‘Refrigeration fnsitute at 703-524-8800 or wowabrine rg 12 ASHARE JOURNAL IEAHeat Pump Conference, May 5-18, chi CALLS FOR PAPERS. ‘ago, Contact organizers at www hpe2023.0rg | ASHRAEJOURKAL ASHRAE Journal seeks applies Eastern Energy Expo, May 21-24, late (iy. N.Contactorganizets at 973-467 M4000r _onsarticles of 3,000 or fewer words ‘www easternenergyexpo com Submissions are subject o peer Lightfai, May 21-25, New York. Contact orga nirers a 877497 4359, nfoglightfaircom or ‘ewwlighai-com Atlee EXP 2028, May 22-24, Phoenix. Con ‘ae Bethany Blue Chirico, managing dire tor, global meetings ancl business develop meat at behisicoatha ory 7103 846 O36 or swwwaceesp.ore UME ‘AIA Conference on Architecture, June 7-10, San Francisco, Contact the Ame ‘an Insite of Abit at 864-342-6585, vent@conferenceonarcitecture com or hpss/conferenceonarchitectare om, sas ity, Mo. Contac the Building Own~ sand Managers Assocation at 202 326-6900, meetingsaboma.orgor ‘www bomaconvention org ASHRAE Annual Conference, june 24.28, Tampa, Fla, Contac ASHRAF at 800.527 4725, meetingsashra.org or swwashrae org/2028annal SEPTEMBER [NABA Annual Convention, Sept 15-15, Nash ville Tenn, Contact the National Ar Fiteation Assocation at 608-310-754, nafagnafa. org ‘or wrwcnalahy.org AHR Expo: Mexico, Sept. 1-21, Mes: teoCity Mexico. Contact the Interna tional Expesition Company at 208-22 5282, nfogahrexpomexico.com or ‘ww arexpomesien commen IEMA World Workplace, Sept. 27-29, Denver Contact the Intemational Faity Management Assocation at 713-623-4362, magia ong or hips-/worlworkplace ina. ocroser BINXPO, Oct. 10-12, Chicago. Contat Lost Reynolds vector of evens, at 919-459-5716, loriitxpo com or www flixpo.com ACEEE National Conference on Energy Ef- Ficieneyasa Resource, Ort 16-18, Philadel pia. Contact the American Council or an En gy Etilent Economy at 202-507-4000 or ‘ww waceeeorglenergy-eicieney-resource Dt aren CCMPX, Match 20-22, Toronto, Canada. Con- tact organizers at emprstiowsneweom ca or ‘wecinpashoworn ashracorg FEBRUARY 2023 reviews an eannot have heen pb ASHRAE TECHNICAL, COMFERENCE OR ‘TOPICAL CONFERENCE PAPERS: Formore information, contact bblauridsongashrae.ongortel: 678.589 ma. PRI ‘National Home Peformance Conf nee, AprilT-20, Seale, Contact the Bul IngPeformance Asin a 14-370 S38or Inipsovens bing pevormance rg warn Future, March7-9 Landon. Coat Martin Hur, event lector a 44765 221607 mara hurnatuturebu co kor se fturebul.ok 11 2025, Mareh 15-17 Frankf, Ger ary, Conte Stelan Seder SH ‘rand management a 4969757565, hupsishmesstranfurt com -NGREX Ini, Mare 14-16, Mamba, ni. Con "ac Ongar at) 41635655, infoshraehg in APRIL HVAC & Refrigeration Live, Api 1-19, Lon on, Cane Tony Patan cvent organizes a ‘44 (162268703, tparmanddatateam cok or hipster cn way TAQUEC 2028, May 20-25, Toyo. Japan Ee Gorse ASHRAE. Contact organizes lagen? zom or we avee202 03, une “Healthy Buldings Asta 2028, June 6-19, ann, (China. Endorsed by ASHRAE. Contact organizes Infog i202 asa rg or eww 202 asia ML2024 AHR EXPO McCormick Place // Jan 22-24DOK coLuM Tes Det Hence Responsible Approach To Decarbonization in An Existing Building ES WEL MONACO, PE, MEMBER SHRAE Decarbonization in existing buildings presents many unique challenges and requires awell thought out approach to perform responsibly. The author recently presented a high-level approach to decarbonization in a campus setting in an Engineer's Notebook column.! This column will focus on the process of electrifying the hydronic heat generating equipment in several buildings in a higher education setting. Space heating needs have historically been met by using fossil fuels and combustion-based equipment to generate hydronic hot water. The primary genera~ tion equipment is generally inexpensive (boilers are ~$12-$30 per MBH), has high turndown (a number of ‘manufacturers offer 20:1), and use an available, reliable resource for fuel. Building operators are familiar with operating and maintaining this equipment. ‘As we transition to electrifying the space heating sys- tem, heat pumps offera viable option. Heat pumps have been commonplace in the industry for more traditional airside HVAC applications. More recently, heat pump technology is being used for hydronic heating applica- tions and domestic hot water heating. Heat pumps have their own challenges, such as higher first costs, lower operating efficiency at higher supply temperatures and ow ambient operating limitations. “The case study in this column involves a university campus considering transitioning from a cogenera- tion plant with steam-to-hot water converters at each, building to local heating hot water (HITW) plants. The 14 ASHAAE JOURMAL ashroeorg FEBRUARY 2029 client aspires to achieve carbon neutral status within the next I5 years, and one key mandate isthe elimina- tion of natural gas for hydronic and domestic hot water heating. For this project, failing steam infrastructure at a particular section of the distribution was the primary motivation for a centralized heating plant to serve a cluster of three buildings, Two of the buildings were constructed circa 1960, and the third building was con- structed within the las five years (Table ). Recommended practice is to gather available trend data from a facility to benchmark its operation, where- upon, providing the data is granular enough, we can dig into the specific systems. For this project, the uni- versity had Btu meters installed on the HHW side of the heat exchangers, which enabled us to analyze the actual operation of the system rather than having to, rely on the existing equipment capacity or develop a detailed load calculation to size the new plant. Table 2 shows that assuming the existing installed equipment ‘anes Del Movaca, PE an asocieprapalia metal egheaing at PS hs in So io, Calto be sized correctly results in a grossly oversized system with higher capital costs, Such a system is also likely to encounter limitations due to the existing building intra- structure, From a performance perspective, there would be challenges with operating a heat pump system sized for 250% of the actual peak demand, ‘The analysis also provided an opportunity to under stand other potential issues with the current system operation. As an example, Building A showed! a peak heating demand of 27 Btu/h-ft? (85 kW/tn”) prior to the plant upgrades. This value was not in line with our expectations and data from similar campus buildings. Evaluation ofthis data allowed the team to be proactive in its approach and to make improvements to correct issues at the load. For example, the design included the replacement of three-way valves with two-way valves, «eliminating other bypass means and temperature resets. ‘The post-construction data shows the peak demand to be 10 Btu/h-ft? (32 kW/m). Beyond looking solely at the peak loads, we needed to dig deeper into the HHW load profile. To develop options for aheat recovery application, the chilled water (CHW) load profile should be overlaid on the IHW load profile to understand the building's simultaneous heating and cooling needs. This campus has a central CHW system available to be used for heat rejection. As such; the proj- ect focused only on the HHIW profile. igure shows a HIW system load profile at Building B in both operat- {ng hours and heating output, compared to the original design value of 4.500 MBH (1.3. GW). A majority of the hours of operation can be seen at 20% 30% of the mea~ sured peak of 2,041 MBH (698 MW). Similar load profiles ‘were observed in all three buildings inthis case study. Heat pumps used forhyronic systems can be applied san air-cooled option or water-cooled option and often come as heat-pump-only or heat recovery units (.e., simultaneous heating and cooling). This project COLUMN ENGINEERS NOTEBOOK aT fisetg a ‘Cassrooms & Labs ie Seer Cons iE ‘alas a) t tnt os Gassrooms & Labs & . evaluated three options (detailed later in this column). ‘The evaluation considered first costs.and carbon emis- sions as the main key performance indicators (KPIs) ‘This isan oversimplified approach and many other con- siderations should be taken into account when deter- mining the appropriate system type. ‘The university is transitioning from a central steam sys: tem; the new baseline system will be a natural gas-fired plant. It will be sized for N+ 1 capacity and will cover al the buildings’ heating needs. The baseline system will use condensing boilers with a peak efficiency of 96%, with an assumed average efficiency of 89%. The existing building distribution and terminal equipment were designed for 180°F (82°C) IHW supply temperature. Analysis of the building's reheat coils was performed to implement the lowersupply water temperature of 135°F (67°0) used in a condensing boiler system. It was deter- ‘mined 100% of loads could be provided at the one-row heating coils at a reduced HHW supply temperature of 135°F (57°C).* The team performed further analysis of, the coils ata 110°F (43°C) supply temperature, the design ‘operating temperature selected for heat pumps in the hybrid plant with a gas-fired boiler for peak loads anda ‘heat pump chiller for primary heating needs (see Option 3 below). The HTTW supply temperature for the heat pump in this hybrid scenario was selected to maximize effi- ‘Gency of the heat pump during low-load operation, co Sure oe ‘LNG WE “HEATING CAPACITY ‘weaTiNG cAPREITY Pea DEMAND Peak DEMAND (aE) Gul per) Blue pert) 1 xhtml ‘a 230 > 3 eCinmemtlis st 4s ow ws cyanide a 18 te Upon camp the sso pyran ponent of trae way vasa peru she measured pak donand was 0 Bu FEBRUARY 2029 ashraeorg ASHRAE JOURNAL 15COLUMN EGiNEERS HOTEBNOK 1008 am % 0% 108 ™ % om matt fore Option Lisa fully electric option with an air-source heat pump operating in heating-only mode to provide 100% of the building's HIMW needs, Although this machine has cooling capabilities, it wll be run only in heating mode. ‘This option will consist of two banks of six modules oper- ating in a two-pipe configuration in heating-only mode and will not be tied into the campus chilled water system toreject the cooling water. This system is relatively sim- ple: itis stand-alone. The HFTW supply temperature was set 1 135°F (57°C) to ensure the existing building cotls ‘can meet the loads at the reduced temperature. Inthis case, the COP at peak heating operation is approximately 2.12 KW/kW (7.5 KW/ton). The COP will increase ifthe system can operate at a lower HIHW sup- ply temperature: however, the one-row coils within the building require a HHW supply temperature of 35°F (67°C) and further reset is not possible without modify- ing the coils ifthe site experiences ambient tempera- tures below 40°F (4.4°C). In this case, supplemental heating would be required due to limits related to the ambient lift capabilites ofthis machine, 1 ASHAAE JOURMAL sshroearg FEBRUARY 2029 he Ae eA a ss es eee &%% pa Pal Option 2 isa fully electric option with a water-cooled. heat pump operating in heating-only mode to provide 100% of the building's HIFTW needs. This option will con- sistofa bank of six modules operating'in a four-pipe configuration in heating-only mode that will tie nto the campus chilled water system to reject cooling water. The HITTW temperature was set to 135°F (57°C) to ensure exis ng building coils can meet loads at the lowest possible supply temp. The equipment COPis approximately 5.0, ‘This option requires pumps on the chilled water sideto ensure chiller modules maintain the required differen- tial pressure drop across the heat exchanger. Option 3a hybrid option, which will include a water- cooled heat recovery chiller (HRC) operating in heating- only mode to provide 80% of the building's HW needs (roughly 25% of peak capacity). This option will consist ofabank of modules operatingin a four-pipe contfigura- tion in heating-only mode that will tie into the campus, chilled water system to reject cooling water: For peak load- ing, supplemental gas-fired boilers will be provided. The HEIW supply temperature was set to at 110°F (43°C) whene TR CTT a xylem brand BUILDING BETTERCOLUMN EGiNEERS HOTEBNOK cara aan amr ~~ a ra ION sy UPA SEC ca mo aise ‘tume same cer fame "rams angry fener RCT pape fio Gaur tere “ty” nan eemer oy) ean an 4 cay cn a CO 2\\ som Shien Ti Wh WA WA mock mask yo Nan sis Che San Ine ek WA WW WAN so nnn her »ta.¥ Onin foe mmo tm mW As sant tet the HRGis operating at low-load conditions (and higher ambient temperatures) and 135°F (57°C) when the gas- fired boilers are operating at peak heating needs. In this| case, the HIRG equipment COP is approximately 20. The HRCrequires pumpson the chilled water side to ensure the chiller modules maintain the required differential pressure drop across the heat exchanger. Gas-fired boil- ersare designed as part ofthe system for condensing tem- peratures and will operate during peak loads, when the HIRG can no longer maintain system loads. Table 3 provides an overview of assumptions for each option compared to the baseline natural gas-boilers. ‘This methodology is used to simplify the calculations i Sus tums: gin 2: Bare Open asf fis mnehamcaP ANCHO Fat vo a u sien Fast: ‘chal 0, isin 4582 B/S ul 00 son 92.1 bs Wtst MW ASHAAE JOURMAL sshroearg FEBRUARY 2029 and evaluate the options at a high level. Figure 2com- pares the annual carbon impacts. For simplicity, a more detailed life-cycle cost analysis (CCA) has not been {included here but should be considered for any project. Table 3 provides a quick overview and comparison of, system options. Option Lisa fully independent heating system but presents significant challenges related to weight, physical size, electrical requirements and first costs. The existing facility that would house the new heat pump equipment (Building B) has an 8004 electri- cal service, which would require Option I to upsize the electrical service to the building. Option 2 presents a similar challenge, These electrical upgrade costs have not been factored into Tuble 3 and would further impact the return on investment (ROD on such a project. Option 3s the only viable option of those presented here, without requiring an upgrade to the electrical infrastructure. To confirm Option 3 was viable, a meter read of the facility was performed, which determined the actual load (plus a 25% safety factor) was 343A of the total available 800A. One of the project's main KPIs was to understand the carbon impacts of the proposed system. Option Lis an improvement from the base case; however, the COP of 2.12 for an air-source heat pump does not give the desired impact compared to a gas-fired boiler with a peak efficiency of 96% at a fraction of the cost for the equipment. Option 2is the most desirable from an oper- ational carbon perspective, but isstill imited based on. first costs and impacts to the existing building's electri- cal infrastructure. Option 3, the hybrid plant, provides aviable option to electrify the existing HHW system with ‘minimal impacts to the existing building infrastructure. Options land 2 could be achievable but would require HHW thermal storage to downsize the heat pumps to avoid an upgrade to the electrical infrastructure or would require an upgrade to the electrical service. Many factors came into consideration to finally determine a hybrid plant was the most viable solu- tion to move toward electrification. This campus has over 110 facilities, and the stakeholders were looking, to introduce heat pump technology as pilot project to determine the feasibility of introducing the technology throughout the campus. The hybrid plant offered them the opportunity to introduce the newer technology to the campus while also providing a back-up gas-fired stem the university was much more accustomed to, ‘maintaining and operating. It also gave some resiliency tothe system, making it not reliant solely on the elec trical grid. The hybrid approach gave the university a satisfactory solution to significantly reduce their carbon emissions by operating the HRC for a majority COLUMN ENGINEERS NOTEBOOK of hours of operation, while significantly improving their ROI compared to an all-electric plant. Moving forward, we will need to evaluate the impact of having decentralized electrified HHW plants in a campus set ting with a central CHW, with a likely outcome being a move to a more centralized electrified plant with HHW and CHW storage. As designers, we need to consider the impact of pursu- ing electrification for heating systems and be equipped to guide owners to make an informed decision on imple- ‘menting these systems on a large scale at their campuses and buildings References 1, Del Manaco,J.2022. “sdopting and implementing 2 Campus Decashonization Plan’ ASHRAE journal) 2, Buthul, ¥. 2022. “Decarbonization Solutions for Existing Hot “Water Systems” Engineered Systems (2). htips:/inyurl com! swnbs222 5. EPA. Undated. “Power Profiler” US, Environmental Protection Agency. hitps:/inyus.comvpbidse “4 Energy Star. 2022, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions” Energy Star Dttpsltinyur.com/4nénx vm The Latest in Product Innovation from Metraflex Introducing the VFD Check Valve, the first Center Guided Silent Check Valve developed for VFDs. Metraflex re engineered a classic hydronic component to improve efficiency and cut costs. More sign ORIGINAL CHECK VALVE DESIGN ay Contact Metraflex or Visit Online to Learn More! selosemetatix.com| 800.621.4947 | waw Morales con/VED. Hydrodynamic On Display At. te, Booth B1261 re New VED CHECK VALVE DESIGN Improves the (v 38% berating at & FPS 4 AHR >> i Peo) FEBRUARY 2029 ashraeorg ASHRAE JOURNAL 18Column Mie caer They’re Phishing for You Be the One That Got Away! CALLER mew ASAE Cybersecurity has been a topic of increasing importance to the building services community for several years. While fully securing large and complex building systems can be complicated, some basic precautions can easily be applied to any system, and some basic precautions can be implemented by the users of any system. This column will briefly explore an important aspect of cybersecurity that can affect both information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks~a type of attack called phishing. What is Phishing? Phishing attacks are a type of social engineering attack ‘where criminals attempt to obtain information from victims, or trick victims into giving the attackers access to their computers or networks. The information may be personal (Le., financial, social security number) or busi- ness (Le., business secrets, plans, data or passwords). If given access the attackers can then install malware on the victims’ systems and use them for further attacks. How Big a Problem is Phishing? Phishing accounts for 90% of data breaches and is considered one of the top eybersecurity risks, Phishing attacks were reported by 83% of organizations. The average cost to an organization to recover from a successful attack is over $4 million.” Who is Targeted by Phishing’? “Anyone can be the target ofa phishing attack, Just as 20 ASHAAE JOURMAL ashroearg FEBRUARY 2029 someone who is actually fishing would rarely target a specific fish when throwing out a line or a net, phishers will catch anyone they can when they are sending. ‘out most attacks, but there is no size limtt for them, ‘Targeted attacks, often called spear phishing or whaling, ‘may be directed at an individual high value target such asa system administrator or C-level executive. Targeted attacks may be customized for the vietim and are more difficult to spot. They are less common due to the additional effort required. How is Phishing Done? Phishing attacks may come in many forms, including e-mail, social media, phone or text message. The mes- sage or caller may claim to be from a bank, credit card or other financial institution. They may claim to urgently need your account number, credit card number, a ie Garis an ens al be tonal sve flan and echo in Gathsbrg, Mapassword or other information. They may claim that you. have won a prize or are due a payment. They could be posing asa charity or political cause, They may say that they need the information to stop an imminent threat such as hacking or a virus, They may claim to be some- one high up in your organization who urgently needs sensitive information oraccess toa network, or they may pose as someone from your IT department or from software vendor and ask for credentials to connect to your computer: Some attacks direct the victim toa web: site to enter information, ‘What the attackers lack in morals they make up for in creativity. I's important to realize that this isan attack against you and your company. If sa targeted attack they may even have some accurate information, such as, an account number, email address ora password. The information is probably out of date. Criminals sell infor- mation from previous data breaches to other criminals tousein their attacks. ‘Types of Phishing Attackers can use multiple methods to contact a victim. Some of the more common types are + Email phishing-the most common type. An email is sent with a dire warning (you've been hacked!) or an extortion attempt where they claim to have com promising pictures or video of you (note: they do not). Business email compromise (BEC) attacks are a type of COLUMN cyBERSECURITY ‘email phishing attack where a company executive or other representative is impersonated. They may claim situation that requires urgency and demand that you take some action (clicking. link, sending them some information) immediately. Their demand probably vio- lates company security policy as well as common sense. The false sense of urgency isto get you to panic and act before thinking. + Smishing-an attack that uses text messaging or short message service (SMS) to execute the attack. A ‘common smishing technique is to deliver a message toa cell phone through SMS that contains clickable link or areturn phone number + Vishing-term forwhen the attacker contacts the victim through a voice cal + Spear phishing-targets a specific group ortype of individual such as a company’s system administrator: + Whaling-an even more targeted type of phishing that goes after large “whales” instead of small fish, typi- cally targeting a C-level executive. + Search engine phishing -hackers become the top result ina search engine, masquerading as a legitimate website. + Pharming—Internet traffic is routed to a fake ‘website, which may have malware or may try to gather information. This may affect one person or large numbers of people. One dangerous aspect of this type of attack is that it can happen without any action being FEBRUARY 2028 ashriearg RSHRAE JOURNAL 21COLUMN oYBERSEOURIY taken by the user since the redirection takes place outside of their network. How to Protect Yourself From Phishing Aswith most aspects of security, protecting yourself from phishing requires alow level of constant vigilance. Methods to recognize phishing attempts should be included in company-provided cybersecurity training. “Many phishing attacks are relatively easy to spot ifyou know what to look for. Clues that a message might bea phishing attack include: + Misspellings, grammar, or punetuation errors. ‘An email that purports to be official correspondence froma legitimate company should have none of these problems. Personal correspondence may not have this expectation. + Uses generic email instead of a company email address. A message from an address such as ‘YourCompanyCEO@gmail.com is very suspicious. + False sense of urgency, possibly through a threat or expiring offer. They are trying to get you to act without thinking. + Requests personal information, such asan account ‘number, password or financial data. This type of tnfor- ‘mation should never be legitimately requested by email + Becareful with attachments, linksand remote content. Attackers may send an infected file or malware as anattachment. The name ofthe file may be designed tomake you thinkit’s safe when it not ("PLEASE OPEN. DOC.exe"). Links may also be designed to deceive. The text of the link may show the URL for one website but take you to another. You can check the actual destina- Top Level Domains he top level domain TLD isthe lst arto he website name, A few ae widely used, such 28.com, og, and. gv. There is ls a TLD fr evry county, such as us forthe USA or a for Canada, There were 1 487° unique ‘TLDs in use when this column was written Its unlkely ‘hat ary company has registered tel name inal of them, Criminals frequently register domain names anonymously and use those domains for phishing, distbuting malware ar other illegal actty. I an emai rom or drt you ta anaes that aks suspicious dort trast it Following links to itp? ASHRAE VACATIONS wil ot a to any relaxation 22 ASHAAE JOURMAL ashroearg FEBRUARY 2029 tion by hovering your mouse cursor over the link. The actual destination will be shown in a pop-up window or at the bottom of the email application window. Some phishing attacks can be launched just by loading remote content, such as pictures in an email. Ifyou don't trust the sender, then don’t download attachments or load remote content. + Uses a misspelled or unusual domain naine, i. AIISRAE.org (note the swapped letters), or from an un- ‘usual Top Level Domain, Ifyou find any ofthese indicatorsin a message, take a ‘minute and look for more, Many phishing attempts will, be obvious if carefully examined. It is also important to check that your outgoing email does not exhibit any of these characteristies, so itis not mislabeled as spam ora phishingattack by the recipients. What to Do if You Are Phished Don't panic! Also, don't click on anything in the mes- sage, dont et your email viewer load remote content or pictures and don't download any attachments. Ifa mes- sage looks suspicious, forward ito your TT department ifyou have one and then delete it. Many companies have established IT procedures that you should follow above all other advice. Ifyou clicked on an attachment or link and think your computer has been infected, you should immediately contain the infection by disconnecting ‘your computer from the network* and informing your IT department or specialist. If possible, put it in hibernation mode. Do not shut down the computer, asa virus or malware may have more opportunities to damage your system when it restarts. Your IT specialists should have the knowledge and tools to inspect and clean your system safely. References 1, CyberTatk.org. 2022. “Top 16 Phishing Attack Statistics (And They Might Sare You)."CyberTalk og, httpsy/Ainyun.conv Dawhyoe6 2 IBM, 2022, “Cost ofa Data Breach 2022: A Milion-Dollar Race to Detect and Respond.” IBM. https//tiyue.comyeSarrum ‘2:IANA Undated. “TLDS Alpha by Domain." IANA. https/data, jana org/TLD/tds alpha by-domain.txt 4. NIST. 2013. “Guide to Malware Incident Prevention and Handling for Desktops and Laptops.” NISTSP800-83 RI. National Institute of Standards and Technology. 5. Cimpanu, C. 2019, “Experts: Don't Reboot Your Computer After You've Been Infected With Ransomvare.” 2DNET.com. Ditpss/Ainyurl.com/2p8byp64employees, a portfolio of more than 650 rasa aries ale USI cs! L Column A Proposed Harm-Based IAQ Procedure for Standard 62.2 Baxama Joes Dallying with DALYs 1 BELA JONES, DRE, The ASHRAE Standing Standard Project Committee on Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Residential Buildings (62.2) has embarked on a ground-breaking endeavor—it put forth a potential addendum to the standard that would add a harm- based indoor air quality procedure as an alternative compliance method. ‘The Standard 62.2 committee has used existing research to determine that its IAQ Procedure needs to consider only three contaminants, and only the sum of the harm from those three contaminants needs to be limited. Details of the proposal can be found in the Advisory Public Review,* but the concept has broad implic: Harm-Based vs. Level-Based Metrics of [AQ An airborne contaminant is a substance not normally present in the air. Some contaminants are emitted internally by building materials and furnishings and by occupants and their activities, Other contaminants are brought inside by ventilation and infiltration. A person, is exposed to airborne contaminants when they occupy the same space as contaminated air, and their exposure isa function of the concentration and the time spent in the space. The dose received is a function of breathing rate, breathe volume and uptake by the lungs. These factors are affected by metabolic rate and physiology that may be a function of age and sex. ‘The response to the dose is considered here to act over alifetime when they are known as chronic responses. ‘The harm may lead to illness, disability and/or prema- ture death. None of these parameters are constants, so the dose received in different spaces and for different ‘occupancy scenarios will also be different. Therefore, an air quality metric should identify when the quality of indoor air is unacceptable and should be based on its effects on human health and comfort, acknowledging that they may not be immediate.' Occupant perception of indoor air isa basis of most ventilation standards and is used to assess indoor odors and air quality in buildings. The human nose is as sensitive to some gaseous contaminants as chemical analyses, and using it indicates occupant preference and ensures that people are the focus of an assessment. Its subjectivity, the inability of the nose to smell some harmful contaminants (carbon monoxide is odorless, for example), its high dependence on temperature and, relative humidity and the propensity of people to adapt to malodors after only a few minutes are fundamental concerns. Many standards further increase ventilation rates to minimize contaminant exposures and, there- fore, protect occupant health, Assecond method used to assess indoor odors and building air quality might be to identify properties of a building that are known to affect IAQ directly, for example using a tick-box approach. Each feature could be weighted according to their hazard and aggregated, to produce a single metric. This method could be used. to develop a third-party rating system, similar tomany ‘The daft of proposed Addendum c to ASHRAE Standard 622-2022 willbe posted for an advisory public review from Jan. 27 t0 March 13 at htps://osrashrae.org/defaultaspx. 24 SHARE JOURMAL ashroeorg FEBRUARY 2029existing energy rating schemes, and might be helpful to those sensitive to specific contaminants. ‘To obtain a comprehensive picture of the JAQin a building it would be necessary to measure a range of contaminants, but their individual concentrations may be incomparable because of different health impacts and time scales, and units; for example, radon (Bq/m®) and particulate matter (ug/m®). One approach is to convert the individual contaminant concentrations {nto sub-indices, which may be a function of their health risks, before they are aggregated into a single index. The sub-indices may be weighted before aggregation, but ifthe weights are determined subjectively, and they are, then the final metric is ‘meaningless. An example is the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) metric, which gives single number as its output, whereas others associate IAQ with traffic light colors or precious metals. They are, however, all unable to show the change in harm when a building transitions from one category to another. Exposure limit values (ELV) are used in occupational environments to prevent or reduce risks to health from hazards, such as vibrations, by settinga ‘maximum quantity experienced over an exposure time, This principle can be applied when measuring the concentrations of a range of contaminants in a building. The ratios of their maximum concentrations, to their respective ELV concentrations give a quick indication of risk, where a ratio of <1 might be acceptable but one approaching or exceeding unity ‘may be problematic. A problems that it isn’t clear how a change in the metric, say by 10%, would affect ‘occupant health. This can only be done with knowledge of the dose-response relationship. ELVs are given by regulatory authorities for criteria contaminants that are known to have a direct effect fon human health, but they don’t agree with each other. For example, the World Health Organization, and the U.S, Environmental Protection Agency give ‘wildly different ELVs for some contaminants, such as PM, g. Ifboth organizations consider the same risk of harm, they should agree. As itis, the selection of ELVs, is generally undocumented and subjective. A further problem is that there are many criteria contaminants. Prescribing lists of ELVs in standards is unwise because a diagnostic procedure is required for each of them, and time and cost constraints make enforcing COLUMN 0 1PL.CIIONS the list impossible. It makes more sense to identify contaminants based on the dual conditions of being. harmful and commonly present in indoor air, Then contaminants can be ranked by the harm they cause, and the most harmful can be targeted for mitigation. Disability-Adjusted Life Years Health-adjusted life years are measures of health over time and give the weighted yearsa person or cohort lives witha disease or disability: One isthe disability- adjusted lfe-year (DALY), a measure of time where a value of unity is one yearot heathy ife fost to some dis- ease or injury. DALYSare calculated asthe sum of years of if lost to premature mortality and morbidity in a Popilation for some negative health effect. Disability is ‘weighted by its effect on a person's life in general and can account for mental iliness. In the case of IAQ, the burden of disease isa measurement of the difference between the current health status of a population of building occupants and an idea situation where they all live into old ag, free of disease and disability. The DALY ‘has been used by the AIVC? to prioritize indoor contami- nants found in houses for mitigation. The DALY was used by the Lawrence Berkeley ‘National Laboratory’ to estimate the chronic harm. from exposure to airborne contaminants in dwellings To quantify harm, they followed two approaches: cone based on epidemiology and another based on toxicology. They reviewed 77 studies reporting indoor aur contaminant concentrations in dwellings inthe U.S. and other countries whose populations have similar lifestyles. They initially considered 267 chemical contaminants in total and calculated the anna health impact ofeach considering the total intake in dwellings and other environments, The number of contaminants was later reduced to 43, and the dose received in dwellings foreach of them was compared relative toa nno-dose scenario and weighted to the US. population. ‘They estimated thatthe most harmful contaminant {s particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns (PM, ,) by an order of magnitude. These particles are small enough to bypass biological defenses and are linked to chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and cancer. They also showed that secondhand tobacco smoke and radon are important, but they ean ‘jain Jems, cag, an asc resin the eprint of achiecte ‘ane bul waar the Uns ofHtngam inthe UX. FEBRUARY 2029 ashraeorg ASHRAE JOURNAL 25COLUMN EU H?PLCATIONS be removed via source control, Formaldehyde was also found to cause significant harm. They concluded that all other contaminants matter to a lesser degree and can be ignored! until better evidence suggests otherwise. The Future is Harm Logue's work has been used by the Air Infiltration and. ‘Ventilation Centre? as a basis for their technical note on Residential Ventilation and Health. But, although casual conversations with fellow academies suggest that Logue’s, work is well known and intellectually interesting, most dont seem to know what to do with it and find exposure limit values easier to work with. Afterall, how does an engineer use a DALY? The University of Nottingham and International Energy Agency Annex 86" has revisited Logue’s analysis to con- sider Energy Efficient Indoor Air Quality Management in Residential Buildings. They have updated the epidemio- logical and toxicological models and created a database of supporting information compiled from new research, carried out over the past decade ‘The first analysis was to identify uncertainty in con- centrations in dwellings for each of Logue's contami nants plusa few others to reflect recent reviews of those that are common, giving a total of 45. Ethanol isthe most common contaminant by mass (around 30%) and PM, 5 ‘was the fourth most common (around 10%), but pres- ence does not indicate harm, ‘The models and its inputs were then used to develop a new metric, called a harm intensity, with units of DALYS per concentration per year. Interestingly, harm intensi ties determined by the epidemiological and toxicological approaches for the same contaminant had remarkable agreement, and breathing rate has a negligible impact, con their value, so they apply equally to identical spaces: with different activities. Finally, the concentrations and harm intensities were combined to identify the harm caused by each of the 45 contarninants in residential dwellings. PM, ; (-66% of all harm), the course fraction of PM, (-13%), formaldehyde (-9%), and nitrogen dioxide (-8%), radon (-2%), and ozone (-1%). These are the most harmful contaminants, SOE UCC CCU Cad A new children’s book from ASHRAE, now available in the ASHRAE Bookstore! Pee Te ci) 26 ASHAAE JOURMAL ashroearg FEBRUARY 2029by around an order of magnitude. From these, the ASTIRAE 62.2 committee has chosen three contaminants of concer that account for more than 83% of all harm: PM, ,, formaldehytle, and nitrogen dioxide. By contral- ling for PM, git s likely that PM, is also controlled. The other parameters were not inchucled because they are principally outdoor contaminants or are otherwise not addressed by the existing ventilation rte procedure, ‘But how should these be included in the standard? Engineers willbe reassured that they won't ever have to consider the DALY metric. The harm intensities provide relative weight of each contaminant that can be used to create harm budget where the total harm caused by exposure to them is below an acceptable threshold. The data continues to be extended and analyzed, but for now, the reference concentrations for PM, ., formalde- hhyde and nitrogen dioxide are 8,20 and 6 micrograms per cubie meter, respectively The definition of acceptable IAQ in 62.2 is constant and has binary outcomes. Abuilding either has acceptable IAQ or it does not. The proposed addendum, COLUMN Eg PLICATIONS to determine acceptability represents a significant change in thinking and in the use of evidence because, for the first time, harm from exposure to IAQ contaminants is used as a basis for regulation, Acknowledgments ‘This work was supported by a University of Nottingham Faculty of Engineering Research Excellence Scholarship and by the Chartered Institution of Building services Engineers ‘The author is grateful to Max Sherman, Constanza Molina and Giobertti Morantes for their comments. References 1. AIVC. 2017 “Ventilation Information Paper 36: Metric of Health Risks from Indoor Aix” Air Inflation and Ventilation Centre. 2. AIVG, 2016. “TN 68: Residential Venlation and Health.” Air Inflation and Ventilation Centre 5. Logue,}M.,PN. Price, MH. Sherman, BC. Singer. 2012." ‘Method to Estimate the Chronic Health Impact ot Air Polutants in US. Residences” Fnnironmental Health Perspectives 120()-216- 222 4.TEA. 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AMCA Certified Dampers ‘Special profile wit high stability blades having Class 1A leakage rating (Curbs and Cur Adapters Customized roofiop curbs and curb adapters for new construction or retrofit a ‘new HVAC unit eliminating mismatch in design. Seismic calculated and wind ‘ated curs are avaiable, Power Exhausts and Hood Constant and modulating motorized fan designed to remove varying volumes of al ofcontly to achieve proper ventiation, (ur Objectives Competitive prices, industry leading best-services, quick tumaround, fist in ‘ur custom mind. FEBRUARY 2029 ashraeorg ASHRAE JOURNAL 27FEATURE THE LONG ROAD TO DECARBONIZATION: PAST, PRESENT AND (POSSIBLE) FUTURE By Thomas Lawrence, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE il Costas Balaras, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE n the buildings sector, we see a trend toward what is now known as “building decarbonization,” which is also a major priority for ASHRAE. In this work, we show how environmental challenges and related regulations have risen ‘to become global issues, what the current standings are regarding building decarbonization and speculate on where this trend may lead us in the future. We also provide a brief history of how environmental awareness grew globally over the past half century and how that has led to the recognition of carbon dioxide (CO,) as a pollutant that needs to be addressed. 54; mental problems first widely noticed in the 1960s, For example, in the United States, oil slicks on tively small fire occurred on July 22, 1969, which “went viral” due to photographs of the event that Sree pbs sk waa Kevimicts inthe ptzage of ty Clean ats tin 170 around is es iin ro i pro esi aoe a el ah plge 0 te Clear A alae anual uescueae ' J the 1970s, there was no scientifie consenists onthe topic of fimate change as to whether Earth ik ‘was headed toward an {e¢ age or a warming elimate caused by human activity, such as greetthouse gas (GHG) emissions. National Geographic published an article in the Tate 1970s that raised this, very question.* but by the turn of the century the likelthood of an ice age occurring was overshad~ 3g ‘owed by rsing QO, leben the atmosptiere and theit impact on warning Fathis climate. cy ie (ae othe en apie arcane ore Caeeag, ‘ {Earceraon, ‘National Ober gion eh po he Greece. z aRecognition of GHG Emissions as a Pollutant Carbon dioxide has long been recognized as the most significant GHG that traps heat in the atmosphere by absorbing the long wavelength infrared radiation from the earth back out to space, thus preventing that natural cooling effect. At the time when this was first recognized in the mid- 1800s, average ambient CO, concentrations were around 290 parts per million (ppm); currently, these concentration levels are nearly 420 ppm. Recognition of the resulting warming effect and climate impacts of rising CO, levels has incentivized the building decarbonization movement, which is working to achieve reduction in GHG emissions associated with the construction and operation of buildings. Over time, a solid consensus has emerged inthe scientific community that climate ‘change toward a warmer Earth is occurring, and that human activity is the primary driver, though acceptance of this science has been ‘irregular, depending on the country and existing political and economic predispositions of politicians and citizens, This has motivated the development of, numerous global agreements and actions. The most recent legally binding international treaty on climate change is the Paris Agreement! that sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming to well below 2°C (3.6°F) and pursuing efforts to further limit it 015°C (2.7°P). Inthe USS, there has been atwo steps forward, one step back approach in addressing CO, emissions. In 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency (EFA) should consider CO, and other GHG as pollutants within the context of the Glean Air Act, which allowed for regulatory changes in increasing fuel efficiency for vehicles and electricity generation. In 2015, President Barack Obama first proposed the Clean Power Program, designed to reduce CO, emissions by requiring existing fossil fuel electric generation facilities to operate more efficiently and to encourage the adoption of more zero- or low-carbon emission energy sources. This program was nullified by the ‘Trump Administration in 2017, and later challenges in the judicial process led to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in July 2022 that the EPA overstepped its 30 ASHAAE JOURMAL ashroearg FEBRUARY 2029 authority regarding regulating emissions from electric power plants, thus leading toa regulatory stalemate, ‘The U.S. Congress addressed this in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed in August 2022. This act amended the Clean Air Act to explicitly define CO, asa “pollutant” as treated by this Act. These legislative developments, though, have not changed the trend in the industry to “decarbonize” the built environment. ‘The European Union (EU) has, over the decades, adopted several energy strategies leading to various energy and environmental policies, legislations and other initiatives setting ambitious short- and near: term targets." In particular, the EU has committed to support the United Nations’ efforts to address the climate crisis and aims to have Europe be the first continent to reach a decarbonized economy by 2050. ‘To support these efforts, energy efficiency remains the priority for reducing energy consumption, along with, increased use of renewable energy sources in order to reduce GHG emissions and dependency on fossil fuels. In particular, energy-related GHG emissions from building operations account for -23% of total EU emissions. As a result, the buildings sector is center stage of current European policies to decarbonize the economy in line with the Paris Agreement. Decarbonizing Buildings First, we must ask what it means to decarbonize a building? Looking at the bigger picture, a building's carbon (and GHG) footprint includes all emissions associated with a building from ‘cradle to grave." The combined GHG emissions include not just CO,, but various other gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and hydrofluorocarbons that contribute to global warming. ‘When measuring their impact on the climate, non-CO, emissions are converted into CO, equivalents (CO,e) based on the individual component's global warming potential (GWP), usually based on the impact expected for a 100-year integration timeline. (See for example ‘Table 4in Chapter 36 of the 2021 ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals for the GWP based on the 100-year timeline for refrigerants.) Activities that result in CO, emissions include the building construction, operation and, finally, the demolition/repurposing phases. Decarbonization does not mean (at least for now) a complete zero-carbon emission rate, but rather the ‘rend toward significantly reducing the emissions of