Educational Facilities

A significant amount of research has been done around indoor air quality in our K-12 schools. Many officials agree that poor indoor air quality leads to a reduction in student performance. A recent survey of K-12 schools around the country revealed their most pressing issue is having a proper HVAC system. Furthermore, the study estimates that 41% of the school districts need to update or replace their existing systems in at least half of the schools.

Budgets are tight for public schools and for that reason maintenance is sometimes neglected. We strongly urge our clients to have their HVAC system checked regularly by a certified technician and provide TAB (testing, adjusting, balancing) services. This simple service may improve the performance of the system as well as provide insight into its overall health. We also recommend adding smart building technology when updating or retrofitting a system. Smart building technology can bring overall operating costs down while improving indoor air quality. For K-12 schools we recommend the following practices for improved indoor air quality:

  • Eliminate air recirculation and bring as much outdoor air in as your system can accommodate.
  • Following the OEM guidelines increase total airflow as much as allowed to occupied spaces
  • If thermostats are used adjust the control switch from “Auto” to “On”. This will allow for continuous air filtration and distribution
  • Set system timers to allow for increased outside airflow before spaces are occupied and after everyone leaves providing cleaner indoor air quality.