New research from the University of Oregon is examining improvements in building technology to keep people healthy as they return to the office after the pandemic lockdown.
A white paper published in May outlines the potential to revolutionize how we monitor and respond to environmental factors that impact human health in buildings. Three academic leaders from the University of Oregon’s Energy Studies in Building Lab — Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg Phd, Alen Mahic and Paul Ward — authored the paper in partnership with BetterBricks, which is a commercial resource developed by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.
Nearly 100 years ago, society went through a similar problem in the wake of the 1918 pandemic. Architects found a new awareness of humans’ relationships to the indoor environment, and the need for incorporating a sense of the outdoors within buildings. Now, in the COVID era, we have another opportunity to rethink how we approach indoor spaces so that they both keep humans healthy and save energy.
At the core of the white paper is how sensor-based intelligent lighting, called Luminaire Level Lighting Control (LLLC), can balance both health and energy — and help avoid scenarios where these priorities are at odds with each other. Download the white paper here.
