Press Release

Eurovent recommends minimum IAQ requirements

9 October 2024

1 min read

Brussels, 10 October 2024. Eurovent has published its recommended requirements to ensure Indoor Air Quality in non-residential buildings for human occupation. The requirements can be applied by HVAC stakeholders and policymakers.

Not least, the pandemic has shown that good Indoor Air Quality is crucial for people’s health, comfort and productivity – and that it should be considered a basic need. This Eurovent document provides a set of hands-on minimum Indoor Air Quality requirements, which can easily be applied by policymakers when drafting harmonised legislation and by HVAC stakeholders when monitoring IAQ values in buildings. To achieve a healthy Indoor Air Quality, the document recommends maximum acceptable CO₂ levels and minimum outdoor airflow rates.

The Eurovent Product Group ‘Air Handling Units’ Chairperson Martin Lenz elaborated: “While extensive and detailed standards already exist for designing air handling systems to achieve optimal indoor environmental conditions, these procedures, though essential for detailed planning, are often too complex for policymakers to incorporate into building regulations and for the public to easily understand. As a result, there are frequently no legislative minimum requirements for Indoor Air Quality. This highlights the necessity for a simplified, easy-to-understand approach. I’m thrilled that we were able to develop such a document within the Eurovent community. Even in its simplified form, it has the potential to significantly impact building environments once integrated into legislation.”

The document was published by participants of the Eurovent Product Group ‘Air Handling Units’ (PG-AHU), which covers air handling units for non-residential applications. It deals with air handling units and their components (e.g. air filters, energy recovery components, fans), often in cooperation with the specialised Eurovent Product Groups that cover specific components.

The document is ready for download on the Eurovent website. For more information and resources about Indoor Air Quality, you can visit www.iaqmatters.org, a joint initiative of HVAC manufacturers in Europe and the Middle East, which provides solutions to ensure a healthy indoor climate.

All related documents and links can be found below.