![]() But it had to deal with massive dehumidification loads. So in the 1990s, we had cooling equipment optimized for sensible cooling. Few designers realized that the dehumidification load also had nearly tripled because of that ventilation air. Then came the ventilation debates of the 1980s, which began by starving buildings of outdoor air and ended by flooding them. So we didn’t get it-especially in the low-cost, high-efficiency constant-volume cooling equipment we like to put on rooftops. Measuring dehumidification efficiency and effectiveness has never been required. But we had been so accustomed to getting humidity control along with our cooling that neither regulators nor designers noticed that in pursuit of sensible cooling efficiency, we gave up latent efficiency. Then we got concerned about energy and started measuring (and regulating) efficiency. With plenty of cheap energy, the industry could afford to wallop the air with heavy-duty cooling to dry it, then fry it with reheat to keep it from freezing the occupants. Not so long ago, HVAC designers did not have to be especially concerned with humidity. ![]() A perfect storm of ignorance and good intentions Dew point control has solved some very thorny contemporary problems in a simple, reliable way. A little history is important to understanding why this method, pioneered by Willis Carrier in 1902, has become such a popular modern practice. ![]() Why are buildings today so frequently damp, uncomfortable, and smelling a bit, shall we say “earthy”? The reasons are complicated, even if the solution is fairly simple: dew point control. View the full story, including all images and figures in our monthly digital edition
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