What is the primary purpose of a Building Airflow Standard (BAS)?

The primary purpose of a Building Airflow Standard (BAS) is to ensure adequate ventilation. This standard helps determine the necessary airflow rates to maintain indoor air quality while supporting occupant comfort and safety. Proper ventilation is crucial for diluting indoor pollutants, controlling humidity, and providing fresh air, thus directly impacting the health and well-being of building occupants.

By establishing specific airflow measurements and guidelines, the BAS assists in designing and evaluating HVAC systems to ensure they meet the required ventilation needs. This focus on adequate ventilation is vital for preventing issues like mold growth, excessive indoor air contaminants, and odors, all of which can arise from insufficient air exchange.

The other options serve different objectives; for instance, while improving energy efficiency is an important aspect of HVAC design, it is not the primary focus of the BAS. Reducing humidity and measuring air leaks also are part of a broader range of building performance considerations but do not define the core purpose of the Building Airflow Standard, which remains centered on ensuring that sufficient and appropriate ventilation is achieved.