The Invisible Climate Job Inside Every Building

Building ventilation eats 10% of all US energy — just for temperature. Most systems are on autopilot. Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala (Clarkson University, sensors on the International Space Station) explains how sensor-driven ventilation cuts energy 30-40% while improving the air we breathe. If your work touches buildings, facilities, or public health, your job can be a climate job.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why CO2, humidity, and particulates matter more than temperature alone
• The 10% stat: what's really consuming building energy, and where the savings hide
• How smart ventilation delivers better air quality AND lower energy use
• The 30-40% energy savings that's already been validated
• Who can start now: facilities managers, VPs of operations, building engineers
• Three sensors that matter: particulate matter, VOCs, CO2
• How NASA monitors air on the International Space Station
• Practical first steps: EPA AQI, indoor sensors, raising the question with your team

Who this episode is for:

• Facilities managers, VPs of Operations, building engineers
• HVAC and public health professionals
• Parents concerned about indoor air quality in schools
• Anyone whose work touches buildings

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Chapters

0:00 A daughter's asthma attack

0:24 Why buildings matter for climate

1:20 What fills your days?

2:49 Particles you can't see, sensors that can

3:11 Growing up in polluted southern India

4:27 How air moves through buildings

5:20 Relative humidity and why it matters

6:08 What's missing from current air monitoring

7:28 CO2 as an occupancy and infection indicator

9:38 The 10% stat: US energy for building HVAC

12:11 How better measurement reduces climate impact

13:33 Smart ventilation: better air AND lower energy

14:46 Classrooms and offices: variable occupancy

17:04 30-40% energy savings, validated

19:35 Who can start: facilities managers and VPs of operations

21:50 Seeing pollution from above: New Delhi from a plane

25:15 A daughter's asthmatic episode

28:27 Practical tools: EPA AQI, indoor sensors to buy

31:27 Three sensors that matter: PM, VOCs, CO2

31:53 Air quality on the International Space Station

34:10 ISS air: extremely clean and dirty at the same time

36:43 We all have responsibility

38:26 The invisible climate lever

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About Dr. Suresh Dhaniyala

Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Clarkson University. Founder of an air quality sensor startup with sensors in commercial buildings and on the International Space Station. Research focuses on airborne particulate matter and affordable sensing technologies.

Resources mentioned

• EPA Air Quality Index (AQI): https://www.airnow.gov/
• South Coast Air Quality Management District (sensor performance reviews) https://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations/summary-table
• Three sensor types to look for: particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and CO2

Disclaimer: Views are the guest's own and shared for informational purposes.

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🎧 Listen to the podcast

• Always posted here on Spotify, or:
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anyjobcanbeaclimatejob

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/any-job-can-be-a-climate-job/id1780900570
• Substack: https://anyjobcanbeaclimatejob.substack.com/

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🎙 Credits

Produced and hosted by Louisa Henry

Edited by ⁠Alex Leff⁠

Music by ⁠Run Riot Run

Logo by Cassidy Frost

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Sponsor or partner with the show: partnerships@anyjobcanbeaclimatejob.com

Work with Louisa - coaching and advising for founders and leaders: kidoki.com

Know someone who thinks their job has nothing to do with climate? Send them this episode.