Not necessarily. You can achieve both energy efficiency and healthy indoor air quality through (1) properly designed building construction and technologies, and (2) proper home maintenance practices.

Building structures have become tighter, which means there are less air exchanges between indoor and outdoor spaces. In Florida, conditioned air provided by heating or cooling equipment should be kept inside the building while unconditioned outdoor air intrusions should largely be kept from entering the building.

While energy savings have been a major concern for decades, it wasn't until the 1990s when many researchers started paying attention to its impact on human health, and only in the past several years have builders and homeowners followed suit. Because of that, some people still incorrectly assume that energy-conserving or "energy-tight" homes are more susceptible to indoor air pollution than less energy efficient homes. These people may be surprised to learn that, when properly designed and maintained, energy efficient homes may have better indoor air quality than leaky, drafty homes.

Simply put, new, energy efficient homes, and older homes that have had energy conservation features correctly installed, do not allow as many pollutants to permeate the home in the first place.

Effective, properly designed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans, and a tight building shell not only remove excessive moisture and cooking odors in the building, but also such measures can ensure that most outdoor pollutants do not enter the home in the first place. Pollutants that do enter can be removed with controlled ventilation.

Source: Energy Efficient Homes: Indoor Air Quality and Energy1Hyun-Jeong Lee, Kathleen Ruppert, Wendell Porter, UF IFAS FCS3275, 2008

Additional Resources

UF IFAS Energy Efficient Homes: Indoor Air Quality and Energy http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FY1044