The European Commission recognizes the importance of good indoor air quality in ensuring healthy buildings and calls for this aspect to be taken into account in zero-emission buildings, which are becoming the new standard for new buildings, as well as the level to be achieved by a major renovations, from 2030, according to representatives of the Efficient Romania project.

“Member States require zero-emission buildings to be equipped with measurement and control devices to monitor and regulate indoor air quality. In existing buildings, the installation of such devices is required, where technically and economically feasible, when a building undergoes a major renovation,” reads the text of the proposed revision of the Buildings’ Energy Performance Directive.

Also, “Member States shall address, in relation to buildings subject to major renovations, aspects related to the conditions characterizing a healthy indoor climate, adaptation to climate change, protection against fire and risks related to intense seismic activity, disposal of hazardous substances, including asbestos, and accessibility for people with disabilities,” says the Directive.

According to data published by the European Institute for Building Performance (2019), around 2.2 million Europeans suffer from asthma due to their living conditions and 110 million live in buildings with high concentrations of hazardous pollutants due to inadequate levels of ventilation.

We spend, on average, about 90% of our time inside buildings, so they should provide a quality indoor environment that contributes to the health and well-being of the occupants. In order to increase public awareness regarding the attention we need to pay to the quality of the environment in homes, Efficient Romania explains why this aspect is important and how we can have more energy efficient and, at the same time, healthier buildings.

The quality of the indoor environment (IEQ) in buildings includes four main aspects: indoor air quality, thermal comfort, light and acoustic comfort, things that depend to a large extent on the characteristics of the building’s technical systems (ventilation, heating, cooling, solar shading, etc. ). Thus, the light source of the home, the way it is heated or cooled, or even furnished, can affect both our health and productivity, an important aspect when we work or study at home, claims Efficient Romania.