Mechanical ventilation's impact on IAQ

Concerns that air sealing for energy efficiency could have detrimental IAQ impacts led the U.S. Department of Energy to require that homes weatherized as part of their low-income Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) have ventilation that complies with ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2010, starting in 2012. However, many questioned the value of this requirement and whether it actually improved IAQ. In response to this concern, the authors undertook a study to measure IAQ metrics in the field in over 80 homes, half of which received no mechanical ventilation (as was common prior to the requirement) and the other half of which received mechanical ventilation complying with Standard 62.2-2010. About two-thirds of the homes were in the greater Chicago area, and the other one-third were in Indiana.