Electrify Your Health! How Electrification Can Improve Human Health in Urban Buildings

We see the clear connection between energy upgrades and health via improvements including better ventilation, quieter HVAC systems, and thermal stability. But we've yet to see the specific health benefits (and challenges) associated with electrification. How can we improve our carbon footprint and hit the 2050 climate goals while simultaneously making tenants happier and healthier? This session will detail factors contributing to optimal human health, both indoors and outdoors in the built environment; study emerging data from Harvard’s Ventilation/IAQ project and its hoped-for effect on affordable housing developers, policymakers, and capital providers; advise on hazardous chemicals and healthier choices of materials specifically related to electrification; and lay out key electrification strategies for protecting health in a socially equitable and cost-effective manner.

Event Date
-
Room / Location
Exchange Hub West

Session Chairs

Session Speakers

Skill Level
2 (some prior experience/knowledge helpful)
Learning Objectives
Assess and identify rationale for broadening definition of high performance buildings to be inclusive of human health as a metric for building operations and success
Specify how indoor air quality and ventilation and the associated equipment and controls are critical in creating healthy buildings and high performing buildings
Define common pollutants in building materials and the strategies for minimizing, reducing and solving the problems associate with building materials, human health and building operations
Explain how public health data are impacting changes to the building industry, codes, policies and programs and how this result will improve human health and building operations.
CEU Information

AIA 1.0 LU/HSW ;
BPI 1.0 hour ;
LEED BD+C,O+M, ID+C, WELL 1.0 hour

NYC 2019 Areas of Focus

Session ID
NYC19-205
Session Documents
205-electrify-your-health.pdf (3.93 MB)