Across the United States, the HVAC industry is entering a new chapter. Increasingly municipalities and states have adopted mechanical codes that align with the latest ASHRAE standards. Furthermore, design engineers and owners are choosing to build in resiliency and follow the most current guidance. These updates raise the bar for filtration, fan efficiency and documentation of indoor air quality. For engineers, that means every project now comes with tighter parameters and higher expectations.

I view this as an important step forward. The new codes merge the lessons of the pandemic with the push for energy efficiency. They require systems to deliver verifiable air-quality results while managing costs and conserving energy. 

That balance is at the heart of what we focus on at GPS Air. My team works with building owners and engineers to meet today’s standards through practical technology and solutions that improve air quality and reduce operational strain without exceeding budgets.

From dilution to air cleaning

For decades, dilution was the default strategy for maintaining acceptable indoor air. Engineers brought in large amounts of outdoor air to dilute contaminants, then conditioned that air to maintain comfort. The concept worked, though it carried a high equipment and energy cost. The industry accepted those tradeoffs because we lacked viable alternatives that were both validated and code-approved.

The ASHRAE 62.1-2022 standard has changed that equation. Through the Indoor Air Quality Procedure, or IAQP, we now have a framework that allows designers to focus directly on the contaminants that matter most. By measuring actual indoor conditions through closed-loop monitoring and applying third-party-verified air-cleaning technologies, systems can achieve equal or better results with less outdoor air.

This shift refines how we use ventilation. Instead of assuming every space must be ventilated to maximum capacity, the IAQP recognizes that targeted air cleaning can address many indoor pollutants more effectively. The result is cleaner, verified air with less equipment and lower energy demand.

Why codes are changing

The latest code adoptions are geared towards improving health, safety, and efficiency in buildings. The new standards incorporate current science on air quality, including the lessons learned from the pandemic about how pathogens and particulates move indoors.

Building owners also need to manage rising equipment and energy costs, which have made constant outdoor-air conditioning increasingly difficult to sustain. The IAQP offers an evidence-based path to reduce energy use without compromising air quality. Engineers can design around specific contaminants, reference defined concentration limits, and rely on validated performance data rather than rules of thumb.

This approach makes compliance more predictable. It gives engineers clearer guidance and helps code officials verify results through documentation. The emphasis on third-party ratings also builds trust, ensuring that technology claims are supported by independent data.

The benefits of smarter standards

The latest ASHRAE 62.1 revisions create opportunities for healthier, more efficient, and more reliable buildings:

Health and indoor air quality: The IAQP focuses on the pollutants that actually affect people in a space. By removing those specific contaminants rather than relying only on dilution, we can deliver cleaner and more comfortable air. This targeted approach produces better air quality at lower costs, helping buildings reach and maintain optimal air quality and comfort levels.

Efficiency and cost: Reduced reliance on high outdoor-air volumes means smaller heating and cooling loads, simpler system designs, and lower energy consumption. Many projects can reduce or avoid expensive energy-recovery or complex custom air handling systems while still achieving compliance. For existing buildings, this flexibility can make modernization possible without like-for-like complete equipment replacement or costly structural changes.

Compliance and confidence: Documented, third-party-validated technology provides engineers, owners, and inspectors with a shared standard of proof. Monitoring through closed-loop reporting or building automation systems verifies that the air quality targets are met continuously. This transparency transforms compliance into confidence, which is a mindset shift that benefits every stakeholder.

Designing for real-world conditions

In my experience, engineers want solutions that solve problems, not create new ones. Every project has constraints of space, time and cost. The goal is to design systems that meet the intent of the new codes without overwhelming budgets or facility teams.

At GPS Air, our technology was built with those realities in mind. We develop clean-air systems that integrate seamlessly with existing HVAC equipment and building-management platforms. Our Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization technology and smartIAQ platform work within conventional mechanical designs to deliver verified contaminant reduction.

In our smartIAQ solutions, real-time sensors track air quality parameters and feed that data back into the control network providing air cleaning on demand based on real time conditions and extending filter life. The system automatically adjusts to maintain compliance, documenting results as it operates. This closed-loop feedback gives engineers and building owners the evidence they need to demonstrate performance and the flexibility to ramp air cleaning up or down depending on occupancy and use. 

Maintenance is another area where practical design matters. We emphasize long-life filters, accessible service points, and built-in indicators that signal when maintenance is required. These details reduce the burden on facilities teams and extend equipment life. For many clients, those operational advantages are as valuable as the initial compliance benefits.

Retrofitting existing buildings 

A major challenge lies in the sheer number of existing buildings that must now meet modern standards. Across the country, older facilities are being evaluated under the same codes as new construction. Full system replacements are often impractical.

The IAQP provides an alternative. By verifying contaminant reduction through approved air-cleaning methods, existing buildings can comply without major reconstruction. My team works with engineers to apply this method to offices, schools, and other commercial buildings. We model performance to show how enhanced filtration and ionization can meet the required benchmarks while lowering energy use.

In many projects, the results speak for themselves. By combining targeted air cleaning with optimized airflow, facilities have reduced their energy loads by as much as 20 to 30 percent while achieving better indoor air quality. These outcomes demonstrate how smart design aligns financial responsibility with clean indoor air.

Designing with energy and health in mind

The relationship between energy management and wellness is now inseparable. Codes increasingly reflect this connection, requiring systems that protect people while conserving resources. Compliance means designing for both.

The new ASHRAE standards are reshaping how we think about building performance. They signal a broader commitment to transparency, health and energy responsibility. For engineers and owners, they also present an opportunity to modernize systems in ways that deliver measurable value.

Success will depend on collaboration. Engineers must engage with manufacturers who design products around verification, not speculation. Owners must invest in technology that aligns with both code intent and operational reality. Manufacturers like GPS Air must continue developing systems that simplify compliance while proving performance, delivering real ROI.

The air we breathe has always mattered to comfort and productivity. Today, it also defines how we evaluate the integrity of the spaces where we live and work. As codes evolve, so does our responsibility to meet them in practical, sustainable ways.

My advice to industry professionals is to embrace the data, use the tools and demand transparency from every partner involved. When systems are measured, maintained, and validated, everyone benefits, from the occupants who breathe cleaner air to the owners who see lower equipment and operating costs.

Clean air and efficiency are no longer competing priorities. They are two measures of the same goal to create a healthier, more resilient built environment. By working together, we can meet the new ASHRAE standards without breaking the bank and create buildings that reflect the progress our industry has worked so hard to achieve. 

Audwin Cash is the CEO of GPS Air (gpsair.com) where he leads the company’s strategy and innovation in indoor air quality for commercial buildings. He brings more than 20 years of experience in energy-efficient building technologies, having previously served as president of climate systems at Regal Rexnord and senior vice president of control at Acuity Brands Lighting.