Dr. Iyad Al-Attar
Strategic Director, WFI, Canada
Dr. Al-Attar is a mechanical engineer and an independent air filtration consultant. He is also a Visiting Academic Fellow in the School of Aerospace, Transport, and Manufacturing at Cranfield University, consulting for air quality and filter performance relevant to land-based gas turbines. Dr. Al-Attar is the strategic director, instructor, and advisory board member of the Waterloo Filtration Institute. In 2020, Eurovent Middle East appointed Dr. Al-Attar as the first associated consultant for air filtration. Recently, he became the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) patron for EUROVENT. Dr. Al-Attar received his engineering degrees (BSc, MSc, Ph.D.) from the University of Toronto (Canada), Kuwait University, and Loughborough University (UK), respectively. Dr. Al-Attar is reading for an MSc in sustainable urban development for air quality inclusion at the University of Oxford.
Dr. Al-Attar’s area of expertise focuses on the design and performance of high-efficiency filters for HVAC and land-based gas turbine applications, emphasizing the chemical and physical characterization of airborne pollutants. Dr. Al-Attar is a columnist in the Filtration News, Filtration + Separation, EUROVENT Middle East newsletter, Climate Control Middle East Magazine, ES Engineering, USA, and Caloryfrio Magazine, Spain. He has authored many articles on air quality, filter design, performance, particle characterization, and climate change, which were translated into Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish. Dr. Al-Attar is an editorial member/referee in the Filtration Society (UK) and the Journal of Cleaner Production.
Dec 6, 2023, 9:25AM–9:40AM EST
Innovative policies and practices to embrace a Sustainable built environment for Air Quality inclusion
Initiatives to embrace sustainable urban development for air quality inclusion remain modest even after the recent pandemic. Innovative policies, approaches, and practices are needed to challenge and change the air quality status quo to avoid future pandemic risks. However, to shift gears toward sustainable living standards for air quality inclusion, better governance is required to raise the bar of outdoor and indoor air quality. Putting in place incentive programs to enhance air quality through tax credits, interest-free loans, and rebates on retrofitting works is a game-changer for the industry.
Sustainable urban development is a core undertaking towards combating climate change. Ultimately, that would require establishing new living standards for sustainability inclusion that recognize environmental limits and harness the opportunity for a new decarbonized economy. Therefore, to orchestrate clean air delivery and thermal comfort to human occupants, continuous air quality monitoring is essential prior to crafting any mitigation plans.
This presentation addresses sustainable air filter performance metrics for the built environment. It will also highlight the importance of data-driven approaches for occupants' IAQ performance appraisal and prospective HVAC control based on thermal comfort and air quality duality. The presentation will also propose how policies and practices should embrace the "Living Labs" methodologies for better air quality outcomes.