Indoor Air Quality

Improve the health and safety of your facility’s indoor air quality by properly cleaning and servicing your existing systems or upgrading to new clean energy technologies.

How It Works

Did you know that indoor air quality is often poorer than outdoor air quality, even in urban environments? Indoor air quality is closely tied to the age and condition of a building and its systems, as well as the presence of any dusts, exhausts, and chemicals. To properly manage your building’s indoor air quality, preventive maintenance and regular air quality tests should be incorporated into your building operations plan and completed by trained staff or an outside contractor.

If you have challenges controlling temperatures, humidity, or dust in your building, or notice chemical odors or signs of mold growth, consider working with a qualified contractor to upgrade your building envelope and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. There are many qualified commercial HVAC contractors in New York State that can perform services to improve your indoor air quality.

Building Envelope & HVAC Systems

The most effective way to ensure a safe and healthy work environment is to properly maintain or upgrade your building envelope and HVAC systems. The building envelope includes air sealing, insulation, doors, and windows. These systems work together to regulate a building's temperature, humidity, and air quality by removing toxins and allergens.

An HVAC system that is properly designed, installed, and maintained is essential to improving your building’s indoor air quality as well. Depending on your building and business type, your commercial HVAC contractor may recommend specialized ventilation systems to help regulate humidity, dusts, fumes, and other particulate matter within your building.

Programs are available from NYSERDA for businesses, commercial buildings, and multifamily buildings ready to upgrade their building systems and improve their indoor air quality.

• Flexible Technical Assistance (FlexTech) Program: Complete an energy study of your building, with NYSERDA cost-share support, to identify and evaluate opportunities to reduce energy costs and incorporate clean energy into capital planning.
• Multifamily Buildings Low-Carbon Pathways Program: Receive funding to implement a low-carbon energy-saving retrofit at your multifamily building(s) through incentive packages focused on your building envelope (e.g., air sealing and insulation), ventilation, heating and cooling, and domestic hot water.

How You Benefit

• Improve employee health and safety with better humidity control and air quality
• Support your risk management strategy and avoid potential OSHA investigations
• Increase energy efficiency through complementary indoor air quality solutions
• Eliminate the storage and combustion of fossil fuels (like oil, propane, and natural gas) with clean heating and cooling systems, such as heat pumps

When You Should Consider It

Addressing indoor air quality improvements may be good for your business if you are:

• In an industry where chemicals, dusts, and fumes are common 
• Operating your business from an older building 
• Fielding complaints from your staff or customers 
• Experiencing difficulty controlling temperatures, humidity, or dust
• Exploring strategies to improve your building’s COVID responsive indoor air quality 

You Might Be Interested In

Monitoring and improving your business’s indoor air quality can help you create a safe and healthier work environment, especially when you upgrade your building envelope and HVAC systems. Explore complementary financial and technical support opportunities available to businesses, including:

• Air Sealing and Insulation: Improve indoor air quality and energy efficiency by sealing air leaks, upgrading insulation, and installing high-performance windows.
• Energy Programs and Incentives: Explore federal, New York State, and utility programs offering financial and technical support for businesses.
• Strategic Energy Management: Develop a comprehensive approach to aligning energy efficiency with your business practices and goals to further assess and address energy related expenses and increase profitability.