Ventilation and IAQ

Half of the Make-Up Air Units in QSR Kitchens Are Failing, but the Industry has no Way to Know

Thu, 07 May 2026 09:42:37 -0400

A 251-site test-and-balance field study across forty national and regional quick-service brands found 91% running net-negative pressure, 46% of make-up air units not working, and a median imbalance of nearly 1,900 CFM.

ASHRAE Sets Focus on Healthy Buildings and Announces Leadership Changes

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:46:14 -0400

From tree forts to global standards, new ASHRAE president Bill McQuade is shaking up the HVAC world with a vision that puts human health and comfort front and center.

Why Your Fan Won’t Behave: A Field Tech’s Guide to System Effect

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:09:41 -0400

Exclusive for ES NEWS, a no-nonsense guide for TAB pros and engineers, featuring real-world troubleshooting strategies from Cody Shook of Precision Flow Engineering.

Q-PAC Fan Achieves Seismic Certification for Critical Facilities

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 11:40:35 -0500

Q-PAC’s Multimotor Plenum Fan is now HCAI OSP-0875 certified, delivering a modular, code-compliant HVAC fan option engineered to stay operational during earthquakes.

Unstable Transitions in HVAC Operations: Enabling the Economizer

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:30:57 -0500

When air handlers first enable economizer mode, overlooked control sequences can trigger temperature and humidity spikes that pose real risks to critical environments.

How Airflow Diffusers Revolutionize Meat Chilling: New Study Reveals Faster, Safer Cooling

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 15:36:45 -0500

Faster chilling, fewer hot spots, and a new gold standard for food safety – a new study reveals how airflow design upgrades are changing the way meat is safely cooled.

How Commercial and Institutional Buildings Can Reduce Energy Consumption

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 08:56:57 -0500

Small steps matter, but the key to lower energy consumption lies with the decisions of architects, engineers, and legislators. Guest columnist Dan Reider, P.E., explores what really makes a difference.

Upper-Room UV-C: A Proven Engineering Solution for Indoor Air Quality

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:52:27 -0500

In a guest column for ES NEWS, President and Founder of Aerapy UV Disinfection Technology Annette Uda reveals how upper-room UV-C technology guards against airborne threats, transforming indoor air quality.

Smart Strategies for Meeting the Latest ASHRAE Standards

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:59:07 -0500

New codes are pushing engineers to balance energy, air quality, and cost. Navigate the latest ASHRAE standards with practical strategies for both new buildings and retrofits—while meeting rising demands for verification and transparency.

The Future of HVACR: AI, Data, and the Power of Continuous Improvements

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:40:19 -0500

ES NEWS' Guest columnist Juwanna Anderson of Rheem explains why success in HVACR now means embracing “a fundamental commitment to continuous improvement.”

Boston Brings HVAC Leaders Together: Unified Group’s Construction Forum Fosters Innovation, Connection

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 11:48:45 -0400

HVAC professionals from all across the country assembled in Boston, Mass. for the Unified Group’s 2025 Construction Forum, where they shared practical business operation insights and best practices.

Parting Words of Wisdom from 2024-25 ASHRAE President Dennis Knight on AI Use

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:00:00 -0400

ASHRAE prohibits the entry of content from any ASHRAE publication or related ASHRAE intellectual property into generative AI tools. Former ASHRAE President Dennis Knight shares some reasons why.

How the Right Filter Choice Impacts Indoor Air Quality, System Performance, and Energy Efficiency

hmckew@bss-consultant.com (Howard McKew, P.E., C.P.E.) — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:00:39 -0400

A quick guide to understanding the importance of HVAC air filters, what to look for, and why selecting the proper filter matters for every type of building, from ES NEWS' Tomorrow's Engineering Columnist Howie McKew.

Refresher Course On Designing a Sheet Metal Air System

hmckew@bss-consultant.com (Howard McKew, P.E., C.P.E.) — Wed, 14 May 2025 15:11:04 -0400

Achieving high-performance HVAC systems is, in my view, an “art,” writes ES NEWS Columnist Howard McKew.

5 Ways This Minnesota Senior Living Community is Revolutionizing Indoor Air Safety

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 13:47:28 -0400

With the combined expertise of Light Progress, Noble Electric, and Purdue University researchers, Cardigan Ridge is lighting the way toward a cleaner, safer indoor environment for our most vulnerable.

Decon7 Systems: D7 Combination Cleaner

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 15:14:31 -0500

D7 is proven effective against norovirus, SARS-Co-V2, Staph, Legionella, and several types of molds including Aspergillus Niger.

12 Essential Steps to Reduce Your Building's Carbon Footprint

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:17:13 -0500

Luis Rivera, PE(CA), Director of Design + Engineering at the Harris Design Studio, outlines the key steps building owners should consider.

ASHRAE Announces New Leadership Slate and Honors Industry Excellence at 2025 Winter Conference

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:14:14 -0500

ASHRAE reveals its nominees for the 2025-26 slate of officers and directors, and issues awards and honors at its annual winter meeting.

How to Monitor IAQ for Health

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 12:28:10 -0500

We must monitor indoor metrics broadly and continuously, writes ES NEWS Columnist Stephanie Taylor, M.D., M. Arch, CIC.

New Technology Could Turn Smoke and Flue Gases into Valuable Products

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 13:47:54 -0500

While this won't replace regular chimney maintenance or eliminate the need for proper venting systems, it's an important step toward making chimneys more sustainable.

Inadequate Project Scheduling, Premature Functional Testing, and End-of-Project Chaos

Mon, 20 Jan 2025 10:53:13 -0500

ES NEWS Columnist Miles Ryan writes this article not just for the commissioning providers out there, but for the controls techs and TAB providers who are consistently set up for failure.

Unrepresentative DAT Readings Downstream of VAV Boxes

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 13:47:42 -0500

DAT readings should be representative of the discharge air being supplied to the space, but this is often not the case, writes ES NEWS Columnist Miles Ryan in his commissioning column.

Greenheck: Fan Powered Air Terminal Units

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:52:06 -0500

Both models are AHRI certified and feature low-leakage construction, high-efficiency single-speed and electronically commutated (EC) motors.

Portable Air Purifiers with UV Lights Lack Evidence for Efficacy

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:37:55 -0500

ES NEWS columnist Dan Reider weighs in on the efficacy of UV space air purifiers, and how the technology was deployed for appearances during the COVID-19 era.

AABC to Host Webinar to Improve Air Change Projects

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 13:40:58 -0400

"We are seeing more engineers and owners wanting field verification of leakage and deflection to prove the unit meets the manufactures leakage and deflection rates," said Jeff Keene.

International Training Institute Receives $3.4M Grant for Two Labs

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 12:28:48 -0400

With new equipment and updated technology, Bosket hopes the TAB lab brings in sheet metal journey persons who want to expand their skills in addition to current apprentices.

Duravent Group Expands Market Reach with Acquisition of Builder's Best

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:41:43 -0400

The acquisition strengthens Duravent Group's position in the venting and air control industries by adding Builder's Best to its portfolio of 13 distinct brands.

ASHRAE Unveils New Standards for Energy Efficiency in Homes

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 10:20:31 -0400

The standard is available for purchase on the ASHRAE website.

Engineered Systems Product Excellence Awards

keatinga@bnpmedia.com (Austin Keating) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Engineered Systems Magazine is proud to announce its 2024 Product Excellence Award recipients.

Fellowes Showcases Array Air Quality System for Offices

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 18:04:42 -0400

In a recent survey, oonly 29% of respondents considered their workplace air quality 'very clean,' with common indicators of poor IAQ being stagnant air.