Changing paradigm for ventilation tactics and air technologies

Distinguished experts engaging in productive panel discussion shared perspective that clean air and human wellness is of great concern now, as the pandemic pushed opportunity for ventilation necessity, enhanced air quality strategy and technologies.

In the ongoing scenario of gradual unlocking during the receding pandemic, prime concerns of health and safety is increasing demand of ventilation equipment at residential, commercial, industrial locations, hospitals, clinics and hospitality sectors. It is also necessary to innovate and deploy technology in meeting the emerging need to cope up with better indoor outdoor air exchange.

For an effective air exchange, ventilation in buildings provides healthy air for breathing by diluting, filtering and removing the pollutants from it. Indoor air quality is maintained to ensure proper infection control and patient safety. The global ventilation system market size that was US$ 21.40 billion in 2019, is projected to reach US$ 33.17 billion by 2027, at CAGR of 5.7 percent.

Thermal Control Business Update (TCBU) conducted an engaging interactive Panel discussion on ‘Ventilation and Air handling technologies. The participants: Vishal Kapur, Managing Director, Meho-HCP Air Systems Pvt Ltd, Vaibhav Goel, Head of projects, Chief Operating Officer, BreatheEasy Consultants., Dr. Yash Shukla, Executive Director at Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy (CARBSE) and Gaurav Vasudev, Managing Director, GAPS Engineering discussed the crunching issue of clear air and ventilation strategies.

During the panel discussion participants elaborated upon the query raised as the session moved on. The panellists talked about raising awareness and stressed upon need of innovative technologies and strategies to keep our environment clean.

The panel discussion initiated that for effective air exchange, ventilation in built environments provides healthy air to breathe. So, what views could be ascribed about AC solutions strategies to ensure infection control and healthier environment with sustainability in changing scenario of pandemic?

On this note, Vishal Kapur sharing his perspective remarked, I think one thing is very important for each one to understand that HVAC or HVAC based interventional technologies – is the second resort of limiting infection spread inside any space. The first always will have to be based on control, thermal screening, vaccination, hygiene, social distancing, etc. It cannot and never should be taken as a replacement of those basic levels. Because, whatever you might do with your HVAC system with your ventilation and filtration, if you are not following the other norms, there is a limit to what these technologies can achieve. Now, coming to a specific question as to what technologies are there and how can we ensure the right air changes or methods to control infection control! It’s actually fairly simple; besides the Covid guideline document that we had brought out through ISHRAE last year, we are right in the midst of having the second version coming out. We talk about very simple levels – ensuring the right thermal conditions inside the space for temperature and humidity. That means you can still go beyond 24-degree C. You do not have to be in 21-22 deg. C and for shivering to be comfortable, you can be comfortable at 26-27 deg. C and show your humidity levels are very well maintained that means you should be in the range of 65-70 percent, hence, do not try and go below that because that becomes a problem.

And, the most important thing is ensuring the correct amount of outdoor air ventilation. Data centres are a totally different application altogether. Data Centres are more about equipment and less about people. But yes, in call centres, BPOs etc., the occupancy levels are going to start going up at this point, as over the last year half the occupancy levels have been low with work from home etc. But, slowly and slowly, they will start coming back. We need to ensure that whatever is the design occupancy level; ventilation rates are kept matched with that.

There is a new term that is now coming into being in our industry, called equivalent air changes. That means air changes is not just about bringing an outdoor air ventilation to achieve one or two wave changes, we can achieve up to four air changes, five air changes with a combination of outdoor air bringing into the space and the right level of air cleaning that’s happening inside. Many a times people say that how can I add an advanced or a higher-grade filter like a MERV13 or MERV14 in my existing system because my existing system will not be able to take the pressure drop. Yes, possibly, if a system cannot take the additional pressure drop, what we recommend is at least try and take it to a MERV8 filter. The right manufacturer can give you the best reach, then try and do possibly some localised air cleanings with the combination of UVGI. Again, UVGI is a subject which you need to understand UVGI is not blue light, a lot of people think I have UVGI inside my coil. And that’s taking care of Mission Control. No, it is not. If you want to do in air treatment of infection or of any of these viruses and bacteria, then the way of letting UVGI, the way of installing UVGI is very different and needs to be installed mostly in duct. You can do that with a mix of localised air cooling and ensure that outdoor air ventilation needs to come into the space at all times.

We recommend that if the office closes at whatever time at least ensure that you have ventilated the space. Till last year, mostly ventilation was being taught from a CO2 control perspective. Today we’re talking about CO2 from ventilation and also from infection-controlled perspective, which is much riskier for health than possibly increased levels of CO2. So, these are the basic levels. And it’s not difficult to implement, whether it’s a new design, whether it’s retrofit – there are technologies, there are engineering solutions. There are engineers, who can tell you what you can and how to manage it in an existing or a new system.

Seeking views about how natural ventilation and air movement can sustain healthy air exchange and infection control beyond pandemic in future, before taking cognizance of rampant increase in construction activities and buildings environment, what market potential are observed for air handling equipment to provide comfort at residential, industrial locations including hospitals in a big way.

Dr. Yash Shukla remarked candidly – I think – as we look at the way our grid requirements are increasing, the need for comfort systems is increasing, it is essential for us to utilise outdoor air whenever it is comfortable. Of course, we have to have a way of filtering the data. So, now filtering the air before it comes in, especially when the outdoor air quality is bad. You can use a mechanical ventilation and use filtration along with it. Or, you can use a natural ventilation. And there are some ways of even providing a filtering solution with natural ventilation so that the particulate level can go the level of incoming air reduces. So, I think it’s essential in the context of India, where we are seeing exponential increase in energy use, and expecting five to seven times more increase by 2050. So, we use natural ventilation as an integral part of our design.

Now, in terms of the technology and potential, I think, historically we have always used this as a technology as a solution. So as a culture, we have imbibed Now, very simple example is – when my parents or grandparents were sleeping at night, and when outside is comfortable, they turn off the AC, and they will wake up and open the windows. Now, when I see my kids in the night, once they start their conditioning systems, no matter how good the conditions are outside, they will not wake up till the morning and open the windows. It’s a cultural change, it’s a habit change, it’s an occupancy change.

So, behaviour changes are what we need to integrate. And, we need to adapt to these changes in expectation by having a more sophisticated way of controlling the air. So, we can have a sensor that automatically open the windows while maintaining the conditions, we can incorporate a way that the air conditioning systems can work with the envelope systems such as the air ventilation components, so that, it becomes easier for integration. I do see that technology exists right now. But there is a need for an integrator, who would look at error handling unit not as a technology, but as a complete solution.

Managing Indoor air quality is a universal necessity during and post pandemic – now in unlocking phase. To counter air pollution and virus affected environment, whether existing IAQ technologies and ventilation standards are impacting built environment for improving healthy air exchange. What are the next steps for moving forward?

Vaibhav Goel responded saying, the technologies on IAQ. Indian context, in very nascent stages and people adoption is not very clear. What needs to be adopted at the people’s level, the occupant’s level, it is not very clearly defined. May be, because of the lack of knowledge at the administrator side or may be, because of lack of knowledge at the occupant side, or may be lack of vision in terms of how I am going to vision my company, my employees that I should have low absenteeism, low medical problems, low signs of diseases in my employees. Does it make sense to me or not, that becomes a very, very healthy and important topic today. And that will drive the technologies towards the final maybe stages. And, if I talk about the technologies in front of us, from starting with very simple adoptions, maybe having the combination of filter heavy grade, G4, that is MERV8 and the UVGI at the coils, we can have a good result in terms of my filtration levels, if we are able to do that without changing the motor capacity and the fan capacity, I should do that immediately; so that, I am having a first level of production in my office.

There are plenty of technologies, but I want to reiterate one thing more clearly that people should adopt technologies and they should look for proven technologies. And, they should look at the technology which is not producing any by-product which is harmful in nature, because we are here addressing the larger problem, the larger problem of air pollution, the larger problem of the diseases, the larger problem of indoor environment, if we are adding small amount of harmful, any kind of pollutant, then I’m adding a problem to the existing problem, I am not going to have a solution and the perfect solution will come, when you are actually by-product lessening the burden on the earth as well as creating the healthy spaces.

So, the nascent stage has started. The adoption has started in India. Most of the new buildings have started adopting the technologies on IAQ and they are listening to the designers and engineers like us and people are now asking for more and more betterment in their offices and the spaces, especially, when it comes to hospitals and hotels and hospitality sector. Still, I would say we should wait for some more time for hospitals to recover from Covid and the post Covid scenario, because there, economic scenarios have changed and their adoption levels have changed, if I compare it to the situation of 2019. So, they will also address these things and they will also make their occupants happy and they are guest happy in coming years.

But, when it comes to hospitals, it is very important to understand from the point of knowledge and from the point of technologies available, which needs to be adopted today. And, if they have not adopted then we are going to have more and more disastrous situation in front of us in case, we have Covid longer. So, we have to know, we need to make our hospitals to be capable of having the control on aerosol transmission especially, in the ICUs and isolation rooms or in the critical areas like emergency wards of the patient waiting rooms, and at all such kind of rooms, where gatherings are happening.

Continuing further, the discussion explored to find out if optimising IAQ and occupant safety begins with a common set of questions, what probable suggestions could be advocated for – safety and health concerns of occupants in workspaces environment and in terms of HVAC quality solutions – to combat worsening environment in future too, as pandemic virus with multiplying variants is not willing to leave us all.

Gaurav Vasudev deliberated on this issue and observed that the retrofit is going to be the most challenging for the new projects or new technologies which we are going to implement on retrofit conditions. When we have to dilute to make – let’s say our natural ventilation or we have to add a lot of fresh air and we don’t have a space within our air handling unit’ then we need to add a smaller another fresher unit, which is again having a thermal break on the air handling unit system where the best possible filtration class, which can be MERV14 in that case.

So, we are not adding more polluting types, as my fellow panellists have already said that. If we are adding something to the system, which is going to create more problems, we are not solving the problem, yet we are adding more challenges to those problems. So, we don’t want to bring fresh air inside without treating it properly. So that we are not adding more to problems to it, that is number one which can be take down at.

Secondly, when we are using UVGI system it needs to be used in the return ducting and not on the coils. The UVGI System which works on the coil, it is only taking care of microbes and bacteria, but they do not work on virus control. So, we really need to choose our proper proven certified UVGI supplier, who can give a better intensity, for if I go into little more detail on virus control, we need about 3000 microwatts per centimetre square per second to disinfect the Coronavirus as per all medical agencies which have been already writing the articles on UVGI System application.

So, we need to be very careful when we are designing the UVGI system then it has to be one pass clearance. So, once passed, clearance means the air which is coming from the environment from the return ducting, it should be moving through the system once, and it has been deactivating all viruses added for the indoor air quality. So, these are the main two or three parameters we need to look at, we do not have to overdo the things, we all don’t have to rush towards H13 or H14 filters in our commercial spaces. That is not required at all. By doing it we are going to kill our existing system. So, we need to add a lot into our design while working on the retrofit, whereas the new project still has a breathing space and a kind of new technology which can be easily settling.

Vishal added further, we need to ensure and we understand that no one technology or no one solution is a replacement of the other. It’s not that you can install UVGI, you’ll forget filters. No filter does its own job, ventilation does its own job. It’s not that I put the UVGI, I can do with a bad filter, no, it does not replace each other, they can complement each other, but they cannot replace each other number one. And, number two, again, for people who are doing retrofit, you can pick up filters from multiple manufacturers, people will just by from who are established a technologically advanced with the manufacturers and you’ll be surprised to see the pressure drop changes between same level of filters from a manufacturer to manufacturer. So, when you’re buying your filter, please don’t take a chance. So, look at what a system can handle and then try and go for that.

In nutshell

You cannot mistake to not have outdoor ventilation in your home or bed room. A lot of us do not have any outdoor ventilation, we just put the AC on. And then, we at times get up feeling a little heavy in the head despite the six- or seven-hours sleep, remarked Vishal. So, whether it’s a home or an office, ensure that the outdoor air is flowing in your room and flowing out. It will not flow in if it does not have a path out, ensure the right kind of filter and rightly maintain the filter and be sure your filters and coils always get clean. And, as I said that most of do not understand HVAC interventional technologies, the airborne virus Yes, this virus is dangerous. But let’s not misinterpret airborne to be a conditioned, controlled or a condition spread.

There are two different aspects to it. You have to first control who and how many people enter how they behave, how they use the space, only then will any other aspects have a control. And finally, monitor for example, CO2 monitoring be mandatory in public spaces, you cannot open your restaurant, if you’re not monitoring and displaying to your walk-in guests, the CO2 level inside the space. We look forward to that day in our country, because that will ensure that the public space owner or operator will have to bring in the right level of ventilation which is after required six- or seven-hours in Covid times. This is requirement all through for your health, for your productivity; please remember, we always say a building is about people. A building is not about the city structure. A building is about people: their comfort, productivity, health and safety are of prime importance. After that you can look at all other aspects, we wish to look at. But first address these four points. Once you are consciously doing that, whether you are a designer or an owner or an operator, you will mostly have no problems.

Vaibhav wraps up saying: The air is invisible. So, be very careful while choosing anything that is invisible around you. And you have to be very, very cautious and productive in choosing anything. Remember one thing, healthy lifestyle is important. But make sure that from now onwards, you move towards airy lifestyle also, that becomes important for all of us, as we have understood that how much ventilation is important in our lives, airy lifestyle. So healthy lifestyle plus airy lifestyle is the mantra from today’s presentations. And last but not the least, monitoring energy meters are important. I am not against them. And, I am in favour of monitoring energy meters everywhere, even the sub meters are very, very important. But air quality monitors are as important as they are. And that’s because we care about you. We care about our health and we need to care about our health and more importantly, after the Covid.

The key points are ventilation is essential and vital. Secondly, you can get different ways of ventilation; you have to choose what’s most optimum and what leads to the most comfortable and healthy conditions. And final third point is making sure that all the systems are in sync, says Dr. Yash. You cannot have just relied on either natural ventilation or equal ventilation so; they work in sync for you to deliver the final product. It’s like – if your one machine goes on off or damaged just make sure that all components fit together.

Gaurav mentioned, I will just add two lines. We breathe what is next to our nose so there is no choice we can choose anything else. So, you have to be very, very sure what you are breathing has to be appropriate. Second thing, there is one product, which is not a replacement of others, all in series works best.

We cannot choose one and throw away another. It has to be a couple of things in place to have a better air quality; overdoing is not necessity. We should look at what my system can handle and provide the best at that point. In short, it’s correct to say that no one technology or no one solution is a replacement for the other.