New monitoring technologies, periodic HVAC testing for improving air quality and ventilation, and AI and IoT integration help achieve a healthy environment for future sustainability, share industry experts.
Before Covid, IAQ management was concerned with dust and air pollution from outdoor or indoor sources. With a changed perspective, companies are now concerned about airborne pathogens and are integrating IAQ monitoring technologies into HVAC systems to track them. According to Harvard research, we spend 90 per cent of the day indoors and, hence, become vulnerable to air contaminants, impacting our productivity and wellbeing.
A building has IAQ monitoring, energy efficient HVAC systems, and occupant safety enhancements. Integrating them with systems and leveraging data to drive outcomes may help achieve healthy environments.The amount of time we spend indoors, whether it is at home or at work, has a significant impact on every aspect of our lives. In public spaces such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, airports, shopping malls, and metro trains, it is particularly imperative to have optimum thermal comfort and indoor climate. It is essential to maintain indoor air quality through air-conditioning and ventilation, says Mr. Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss Industries Pvt. Ltd. This is done by preventing recirculation of air within confined spaces, since these act as carriers of airborne contaminants brought in by human movement. This harms people and products. Hence it becomes increasingly vital to have a reliable HVAC system especially during this time, when health & safety considerations are paramount across the globe.
A more cost-efficient approach may be source control to protect IAQ rather than ventilation. Further, wireless sensors can track levels of VOCs, dust, temperature, and humidity. HEPA filters dilute indoor concentrations of airborne particles. IoT and Artificial Intelligence functions help to find the source and to monitor air pollution in real-time.
The IAQ strategy involves air cleaning. The evolving technologies can be integrated with systems to facilitate monitoring of temperature, humidity, and ventilation to manage IAQ environments. Air quality is a prime issue everywhere. Closed premises are at risk due to the increasing re-circulation of air indoors and airborne particles. Mr. Prashant Jain, Head of retail Business, Fluke India, cited a quote from Peter Drucker, “We can’t improve what we can’t manage or what we can’t see.” The first line implies the current status and what needs to be done. To understand the current status, HVAC testing, diagnosis, monitoring, and analytics are required to achieve the intended result.
The diagnosis is a critical issue. If the diagnosis is incorrect, then the treatment can never be proper. For good diagnosis, a reliable and trusted source of product and skilled people are needed for consistency in results and to understand the current scenario. While working with the relevant standards, vendors should be well versed in AQI. Maintaining AQI is a complex issue. It encompasses the electrical part, the mechanical part, and the air part. Further, every component within the entire ecosystem, such as the air conditioning and filtration systems, must be tested to turn up for data analytics. The right set of products and technology with the right set of tools and people must be considered with sensors and the proper monitoring instruments to detect pollutants and contaminants like CO2 and VOCs.
Parking spaces are one of the finest examples of the same. And CO2 are more pronounced as fumes, and car exhaust accumulates in the parking space. Primarily, there are exhaust maintenance systems with sensors installed. If there is a build-up of CO or CO2 above a safe level, the ventilation is designed so that the fan starts and the fresh air can come in. That’s when the system is normal. There is a need to check if the sensor is working right. So, for that purpose, a spot testing machine or a spot testing tool sensor is a recommended installation. CO and CO2 level monitors act as safeguards against sensor failure. If the sensor is not working and there is a build-up of exhaust gases, the fan does not switch on because the sensor is wrong. So, spot testing of tools must be done once every seven days or every 15 days based on maintenance practices and maintenance schedules to see if the sensor or the system is working right. And maintenance and spot testing must also be done for filters and other products.
Mr. Ravi Kaushik, CEO of AiRTH, thinks that the physical properties of filters are: It can be a pre-filter, a fine filter, or a HEPA filter. Can test all HEPA filters without changing filtration, efficiency, or pressure. It’s mostly always mechanical filtration that helps because of the polyketide like polymers being used. The fibres are electro-statically charged, due to which filtration efficiency slightly increases. Mainly, mechanical filtration involves electrostatic attraction, which increases filtration efficiency. Various products and technologies measure and control the IAQ at residential and commercial properties. Mr. Barun Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of Breathe Easy Consultants Pvt. Ltd., said there are many measuring products. For example, if 500 sensors are placed in one building, typically B-grade sensors, so standard A-grade sensors, or two A-grade sensors for that facility, ensure that all those 500 sensors perform within a specific standard or range of efficiency.
Implementing a B-grade sensor in terms of multiple sensors in a facility is needed. Depending on the size of the facility, one or two A-Grade, research-grade, or labgrade sensors should be deployed. Regarding B grade, some companies manufacture monitors for measuring air quality. Premium standard sensors are available in terms of A or research grade. There are a whole bunch of other indoor air quality-specific measurement companies. In terms of filtration, there is a slew of products and technologies people can use.
Implementing a B-grade sensor in terms of multiple sensors in a facility is needed. Depending on the size of the facility, one or two A-Grade, research-grade, or labgrade sensors should be deployed. Regarding B grade, some companies manufacture monitors for measuring air quality. Premium standard sensors are available in terms of A or research grade. There are a whole bunch of other indoor air quality-specific measurement companies. In terms of filtration, there is a slew of products and technologies people can use.are removed. Hence, sticking with passive filtration technologies, media filters, particulate filters at different grades, and active carbon filters is suitable for removing gases. But there is a slew of other technologies for removing pollutants on the active side. So, researching helps before deciding to buy anything that is needed.
Integrate IoT devices with the BMS system
IAQ devices have BMS integration capability nowadays. It is done in multiple facilities. IAQs are being used to integrate with the Schneider BMS, Johnson Control BMS, and Honeywell BMS. Essentially, the goal is to be in control of other components of HVAC and optimise them depending on certain logic, says Mr. Barun. The logic for HVAC and IAQ regarding CO2 and particulate matter regarding pre-VOCs has to be created. So, if VoC goes up, flushing out becomes essential. The fresh air dampers open up, and a flush out of VoC happens if the particulate matter goes up a little bit more; recirculation and proper filtration start to happen. If the CO2 level goes up, a little more fresh air dampers will improve airflow. So that logic is built into the BMS, which can control multiple components for chillers, dampers, TFS, air conditioning systems, fresh air systems, and filtration systems.All of them can be controlled by the BMS system. The monitoring system is the intelligence telling it how to optimise and use that logic up to the most optimal level. If integration is not done, achieving the level of possible optimisation becomes impossible.
Monitoring and control features in air conditioners
Generally, companies sell air filtration devices during August, September, and October. These devices also come with a particle count. It indicates good measuring. Mr. Prashant categorically states that the in-market particle counter comes at a considerable price with a complete air filtration unit, including a laser unit, which can count the number of particles. The question worth pondering is whether these are reliable indicators of internal pollution.
The calibration of machines is the right way to use measuring facilities. These monitor the sensors on air purifiers. They start to drift very quickly and provide false positive readings. Avoid being lulled into a sense of security and safety with lowcost sensors that go into air purifiers. Over some time, they will drift.
Another thing is that the air around an air purifier is typically cleaner than the air next to the bedside. A sensor close to the sleeping place is necessary rather than the air purifiers kept in the other corner of the room. Another big challenge is that air conditioners must be integrated with air quality monitors and filtration devices. Voltas recently announced an air conditioner with a HEPA filter in it. It’s the first air conditioner with a genuine HEPA filter, and it works. It can remove particulate matter. However, the challenge is that all air purifiers and systems only re-circulate the air within a room. In a bedroom, breathing involves the same oxygen and carbon dioxide all night long, typically. The air purifier and HEPA filter on the Voltas air conditioner in the bedroom re-circulates the air and removes some particulate matter if it incorporates a carbon filter. It might remove some gases and odours because, In the morning, the CO2 levels in a bedroom can go as high as 3000 parts per million. A Harvard study mentions that anything over 800 ppm is not healthy.
The air purifier brings in air from outside while filtering all the outdoor contaminants, positively pressuring the room within the space. It is possible to get to zero particulate matter, zero gases, and perfect air quality with that solution. Is it possible for a normal air conditioner? Bringing outdoor air into one of the split air conditioners is not an easy task. The filters are not designed to take that level of pollution from outside. It can re-circulate, but it cannot take a heavy load of pollution from outside, which constitutes a big challenge. All the air purifiers remove one problem in particulate matter, but they don’t fix the second issue of carbon dioxide and VOCs. Hence, an innovative version is needed that fixes all three problems PM 2.5, carbon dioxide and volatile organic compounds/gases. This can lead to achieving perfect air quality.
Freon filters, designed for split air conditioners, were put on the normal mash filter, but it reduced air delivery by at least 30 to 40 per cent. Another issue is that the inside of our cars is dirtier than our homes because of many carpet seats. The AC is also not big. New technology should be developed to help get better air quality in cars. Expensive solutions are available to get the correct answer. But at the end of the day, what is more valuable? Is health more useful, or is the money spent more valuable? Many car manufacturers claim that they have created a filtration unit inside the car. Is it reliable?
Mr. Barun speaks about putting sensors into the vehicle. But again, the same challenge of getting a good-quality sensor emerges. Regular testing is required to get an accurate car reading and determine whether the manufacturer is actually implementing the correct systems.
Enough of the manipulation is happening in the back end. People are trying, from a consumer perspective, to lure a consumer into buying a particular product because air quality has become a niche thing. Everybody’s talking about it. The media is covering it, and all are worried about its health. It is suggested to do research and get to know companies that claim accurate testing with good quality equipment and the right. From a consumer perspective, education and awareness are required for consumers.
Decay of particulate matter
The fans can force the decay to some extent but can’t be efficient from a purification point of view. As Mr. Barun also said, focusing on things like PM is good, but CO2 increases must be handled. It’s all about health as a priority. By increasing energy, CO2 in the atmosphere is increased. As a consumer, understand what is plausibly best. Mr. Ravi adds that low-cost sensors are available on the market. Some studies suggest these sensors have an error rate of more than 400 per cent.
Mr. Barun opines that most people think adding fresh air to a facility reduces energy costs. But today’s technology has reached a point where energy can be saved by simply putting in the fresh air. All the gases should be measured on a bi-weekly basis. The fresh air does not necessarily add up to the cost if the system is designed with the right technology and innovations. Today, all are aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision of a lower carbon or carbon-free India by 2070. By reducing energy bills, the risk of transmission of diseases may be much lower. However, it cannot become zero. The risk of transmission of disease to zero cannot be attained. Moreover, reducing risk tremendously leads to sustainability. The right solutions can only give rise to sustainable technology.
Future is Awareness
New people are becoming aware of the need for air quality because there is no visibility of quality readings in front of corporations, hotels, or even public spaces. The air quality reading instruments, like reading temperatures and handheld instruments, must be brought into practice for people to see what kind of air quality is prevailing in a particular area.
Absolutely, from the awareness perspective, it is growing. It has overgrown in the last three or four years, especially in northern India. According to Mr. Prashant, people are becoming increasingly conscious of fresh air and realise the benefits of integrating modern technologies to monitor IAQ. Consequently, there is a long queue of people buying air purifiers. But, do they know about it? They may not know about it but are concerned about it. And, from the consumer’s perspective, people don’t require engineering to understand this principle of awareness.
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