most efficient to use a variety of plants for air
cleaning purposes. Plants can also be used in
combination with other air cleaning methods,
such as filtration systems and ventilation.
Table 8 shows a list of plants with air purifying
properties and their target pollutants.
Sustainable Buildings
The need for reducing the environmental impact
humans have on nature has resulted in many new
“green” solutions. These include a shift to sustainable materials, and especially in recent years, there
has been a greater focus on green buildings. The
process of constructing new buildings can result in
the loss of green areas, including forest or grass
fields, and the design and choice of materials
changes a building’s environmental impact. Not
least of all, these choices affect building energy
efficiency; buildings use 40% of energy worldwide. In particular, building heating ventilation
and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are one of
the largest energy consumers worldwide [99].
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency
defines green building: Green building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that
are environmentally responsible and resourceefficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from
siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical
building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known
as a sustainable or high performance building.
A number of standards have been created to
define performance and help promote green buildings. This chapter focuses on two of the leading
standards and two different approaches: the certificates given by Energy Star, and Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design. Energy Star
was developed and is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy with the goal of promoting energy
efficiency. Energy Star certifies products (heating
and cooling systems, appliances), devices (home
electronics. lighting), and homes and industrial
facilities [100].
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) is a green building certificate
developed by the nonprofit organization U.S.
Green Building Council. It consists of a pointbased rating system with four different certificates. The lowest possible certification requires
(40–49 points) followed by silver (50–59 points),
gold (60–79 points), and platinum (80+ points).
LEED focus on five different areas: water efficiency, sustainable sites, materials and resources,
indoor environmental quality, and energy. For
example, in order to obtain points, a particle filter
could be implemented in the building to lower the
concentration of a target pollutant under a threshold value set by LEED. These target pollutants
include PM 10 and PM 2.5 , with threshold values of
50 mg/m
3 and 10 mg/m
3 , respectively [101]. There
is a significant difference between the two systems, and if a building meets the requirements for
LEED certification, it would not automatically
fulfill the requirements for Energy Star
[102]. IAQ is not included in Energy Star, and
improving energy efficiency by sealing a building
can lead to poor IAQ if adjustments of the ventilation system are not made, as pollutants will then
accumulate inside the building. On the other hand,
an increase in outdoor-to-indoor air exchange will
result in a less energy-efficient building. IAQ and
energy efficiency are both part of the idea about
green buildings, and both aspects needs to be
considered.
The University of Copenhagen Green
Lighthouse as an Example of Sustainable
Buildings
The Green Lighthouse Building was built on the
campus of the University of Copenhagen in 2009
and is the first public CO 2 -neutral building in
Denmark. It has been designed to be as energy
efficient as possible while also creating a healthy
indoor environment. The tilted roof faces southwards, resulting in maximal sun exposure. The
roof is equipped with photovoltaic cells, solar
thermal panels, and windows. The solar cells
convert solar radiation into electrical current
used by the building for cooling or heating,
depending on the season. In summer, the building is cooled from natural ventilation with air
Indoor Air Quality: Status and Standards
155
cleaning purposes. Plants can also be used in
combination with other air cleaning methods,
such as filtration systems and ventilation.
Table 8 shows a list of plants with air purifying
properties and their target pollutants.
Sustainable Buildings
The need for reducing the environmental impact
humans have on nature has resulted in many new
“green” solutions. These include a shift to sustainable materials, and especially in recent years, there
has been a greater focus on green buildings. The
process of constructing new buildings can result in
the loss of green areas, including forest or grass
fields, and the design and choice of materials
changes a building’s environmental impact. Not
least of all, these choices affect building energy
efficiency; buildings use 40% of energy worldwide. In particular, building heating ventilation
and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are one of
the largest energy consumers worldwide [99].
The U.S. Environment Protection Agency
defines green building: Green building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that
are environmentally responsible and resourceefficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from
siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical
building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known
as a sustainable or high performance building.
A number of standards have been created to
define performance and help promote green buildings. This chapter focuses on two of the leading
standards and two different approaches: the certificates given by Energy Star, and Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design. Energy Star
was developed and is managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy with the goal of promoting energy
efficiency. Energy Star certifies products (heating
and cooling systems, appliances), devices (home
electronics. lighting), and homes and industrial
facilities [100].
Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) is a green building certificate
developed by the nonprofit organization U.S.
Green Building Council. It consists of a pointbased rating system with four different certificates. The lowest possible certification requires
(40–49 points) followed by silver (50–59 points),
gold (60–79 points), and platinum (80+ points).
LEED focus on five different areas: water efficiency, sustainable sites, materials and resources,
indoor environmental quality, and energy. For
example, in order to obtain points, a particle filter
could be implemented in the building to lower the
concentration of a target pollutant under a threshold value set by LEED. These target pollutants
include PM 10 and PM 2.5 , with threshold values of
50 mg/m
3 and 10 mg/m
3 , respectively [101]. There
is a significant difference between the two systems, and if a building meets the requirements for
LEED certification, it would not automatically
fulfill the requirements for Energy Star
[102]. IAQ is not included in Energy Star, and
improving energy efficiency by sealing a building
can lead to poor IAQ if adjustments of the ventilation system are not made, as pollutants will then
accumulate inside the building. On the other hand,
an increase in outdoor-to-indoor air exchange will
result in a less energy-efficient building. IAQ and
energy efficiency are both part of the idea about
green buildings, and both aspects needs to be
considered.
The University of Copenhagen Green
Lighthouse as an Example of Sustainable
Buildings
The Green Lighthouse Building was built on the
campus of the University of Copenhagen in 2009
and is the first public CO 2 -neutral building in
Denmark. It has been designed to be as energy
efficient as possible while also creating a healthy
indoor environment. The tilted roof faces southwards, resulting in maximal sun exposure. The
roof is equipped with photovoltaic cells, solar
thermal panels, and windows. The solar cells
convert solar radiation into electrical current
used by the building for cooling or heating,
depending on the season. In summer, the building is cooled from natural ventilation with air
Indoor Air Quality: Status and Standards
155