ABSTRACT
To fulfill the indoor air quality (IAQ) expectations in an investment grade audit, an auditor must recognize significant air quality issues and understand the relationship between IAQ and energy efficiency efforts. Natural air sounds so wholesome, but outside air can be heavily polluted. It is easy to think of a number of places; for example, airports, bus stations, pulp and paper factories, etc., where the air outside can be much worse than the filtered air inside. In such cases, natural ventilation could be a disaster. Numerous surveys have shown that when utility bills started climbing in the 70s, the first place owners and facility managers looked to find money to pay those bills was in the maintenance budget. This was especially true of institutions on rigid budgets, such as public schools and hospitals. As utility bills continued to climb through the years, those institutions progressively cut deeper into maintenance. The result: their deferred maintenance bills are staggering.
