A Special Workshop: Toward an ASHRAE Standard on IEQ; Indoor Environmental Quality
ASHRAE is exploring the development of a new standard on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) that integrates air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, and acoustics to promote health and productivity.
This Special Workshop is your chance to help shape that vision from the start. Building on the foundational work of the ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee, this session will present the strategic case, health context, and current gaps in existing standards. Your feedback is essential because we want to understand what you think the standard should include, how you think it might be used, and who you think should be involved in its development. Join us to influence what comes next.
Chaired by Max Sherman and Benjamin Jones
Where: ASHRAE AIVC Conference Montreal
When: 5.30-7.00pm Wednesday 24th September 2025
Bill Bahnfleth – The Case for an ASHRAE Indoor Environmental Standard (IEQ)
ASHRAE has long addressed components of IEQ, but a unified standard remains unrealised. This talk traces the Society’s strategic intent, from its governing documents through the creation of the Environmental Health Committee, publication of Guideline 10 and Standard 189.1, to current leadership themes. It explains why now is the time to develop a comprehensive IEQ standard that advances health and productivity and not just comfort. Bill outlines key lessons from work over the past year to define an operational, actionable concept of indoor environmental health and describes what’s needed to move from exploration to execution: defining scope, forming a proposal group, and aligning with broader Society goals.
John McKeon – Health Outcomes and Metrics: A Physician’s Perspective on IEQ
John explores how IAQ and IEQ metrics relate to measurable health outcomes. He examines links between sensor data, biomarker trends, and environmental factors, and evaluates how well existing certifications deliver real health benefits. The talk reviews public health impacts from past strategies and pandemics, and considers how ASHRAE might evolve beyond traditional comfort metrics to include performance and health indicators. The session frames how health-focused evidence could shape future IEQ standards.
Marwa Zaatari – From Definitions to Integration for an Indoor Environmental Standard (IEQ)
As past Chair of the Environmental Health Committee, Marwa led the effort to define indoor environmental health and develop new IEQ metrics. She is a contributor to Standard 241 and the incoming Chair of Standard 62.1. In this talk, she reflects on what ASHRAE standards currently address and where gaps remain. She explores opportunities for integration, performance alignment, and standardisation across domains, drawing on lessons from real-world implementation to outline a path toward a fully integrated IEQ framework.
Reproduced by permission form ASHRAE Blog by Dr John McKeon
Dr. John McKeon, Medical director a iAIR Healthgroup and an expert author on Aerobiology, infectious aerosols and indoor air. Dr McKeon is an Ambassador of the World Filtration Institute, an accredited educator for the American Institute of Architects and a member of the Environmental Health Committee of ASHRAE.
Related Links
https://www.aivc.org/resource/ashrae-241-2023-control-infectious-aerosols
https://events.rdmobile.com/Events/Info/3068842
https://www.ashrae.org/conferences/topical-conferences/ieq-2025-conference
Tags
Virology | Aerobiology Testing Lab | ISO & GLP Services |Infectious Aerosol | Airborne Pathogen | IEQ | AIVC | ASHRAE
