After 40 years and other engineering studies, a large university building still suffered from humidity problems. Our intrepid author dug into the data and the dark corners of the building in pursuit of the culprit — or culprits?

Sure, it was an award-winning first biomass design for the VA. And yes, it’s a big efficiency improvement.

An air handling unit that hasn’t worked since, well, ever. Chillers that have to work more often as a result — and an extra chiller just to attack the affected zone. These were the obvious symptoms, but what was the cause?

The available LEED credits and most obvious energy-saving possibilities are one thing. The potential for a ripple effect of system-wide savings by deploying VFDs as part of better overall monitoring are another.

Combustion air, ventilation, piping, expansion tanks … with these and other factors affecting performance and safety, the boiler swap is not exactly a plug-and-play situation.

Testing it all typically isn’t an option. How to determine what (and how many) to check?

A few are more familiar and worth a reminder, while some are pretty sneaky. Others may have gotten there before the first occupant. In any event, any “sustainable facility” can sustain IAQ damage without attention to these sorts of risks.