Indoor Environmental Quality, (IEQ) Work Performance, and Health A peer reviewed paper on quantitative relations between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and work performance or health from the Helsinki University of Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory presents relationships between ventilation rates, temperature, and perceived air quality to short term sick leave, work performance, and

Sick Building Syndrome and Building Related Illness What Is The Difference? Sick Building Syndrome and Building Related Illness are two distinct diagnoses. People often use the term “sick building” when referring to a property, but buildings don’t get sick – people do. I believe if there are numerous people suffering from Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) it’s okay to

EMF Meters and GPS Mapping Syncing Capabilities   RF Radiation Power Density Meter Example As described in an earlier blog, I love testing new technologies and to further developing the capabilities of our company. After the apparently much appreciated blog showing our capabilities of tying a Gaussmeter in with a GPS and dropping the data

5 Ways Property Managers Limit Risk From Environmental Claims A Property Manager is often stuck between a knife (tenants), a gun (owners), a judge and jury, and a hard place. Environmental claims are common pitfalls that cause even the best Property Managers to stumble into a dark alley, or wind up on the wrong side of the bench in

Is California’s Drought Affecting Bay Area Water Quality? Throughout 2015, bay area water quality has been getting worse in some areas. Along with the numerous other issues associated with the California drought, low water levels in our reservoirs and aquifers can be causing a noticeable decline in the quality and safety of our tap water.

“Stealth” Power Meters: Analog Meters with Hidden Transmitters A client had recently shared their experiences recently regarding a Stealth Power Meter that had been installed on their home. The following has been anonymized: We had opted out of the smart meter program about a year ago.  The Electric Company had come out and swapped in

EMF and GPS Syncing Capabilities – Magnetic Field Example Quite honestly, one of the aspects of my job that I love is to test new technologies or to further develop the capabilities of our company. One of the skill sets that we have better developed lately has been to sync our various EMF meters with GPS

How effective is your Bathroom Exhaust Fan? For obvious reasons, bathrooms can be major sources of moisture in homes. And where there is moisture, there is the possibility of growing mold in the bathroom. A bathroom exhaust fan can be essential in removing excess moisture and keeping bathrooms ventilated, but how do we know if our

Spring – The Perfect Season for an Environmental Building Inspection Since I have relocated back to the Bay Area, I have to say that I miss the full Four Seasons of Oregon. Maybe I don’t really miss the hard deep freeze of winters, nor the asphalt-bubbling heat waves of late July, but I do miss

Natural Ventilation of Buildings and Spaces Many times when clients desire a “green” space or building that connects its occupants to the outdoors, they envision incorporating lots of daylighting and natural ventilation in the architectural design. Certainly, there can be many benefits to be had including lower energy bills, a connection to the outdoors, improved