Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) News & Trends

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems are used to maintain indoor air temperature, humidity and, most importantly now, air quality at healthy and comfortable levels. Employers are required by law to ensure an adequate supply of fresh air and a minimum working temperature in order to provide a healthy working environment. This has not changed. A well maintained and operated system providing good ventilation can help reduce the spread of coronavirus. The Health and Safety Execu...

As the Northern hemisphere heads into winter and people spend more time indoors, the risk of transmission of COVID-19 and other diseases will increase. The World Health Organisation states that COVID-19 is primarily spread through airborne droplets expelled when people who have the virus cough, sneeze and talk. Enclosed spaces can therefore become hotbeds for transmission. Recent research from the University of Colorado reveals that effective ventilation is one of the most e...

ASHRAE, a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment, announced a move to its new global headquarters, located at 180 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, Georgia. The Society began renovations in January 2020 on an existing 66,700 ft building, originally built in 1978, on 11 acres of land. Located 10 miles north of its previous headquarters building, ASHRAE joins other innovation and sustainability-focused organizations based in the pop...

Spirit of Adventure offers travelers a boutique luxury experience at sea, with its world-class speciality restaurants and spacious cabins. The new-build Spirit of Adventure is equipped with Halton Marine’s HVAC solutions, including a range of energy-efficient galley hoods and reliable fire safety equipment. Spirit of Adventure, the second new-build cruise ship for Saga Cruises, was delivered on September 29, 2020. Spirit of Adventure is described as a boutique luxury cruise ship that incl...

As children are going back to school and employees return to the workplace, indoor air quality has become a top priority. In order to prevent economic collapse, businesses must be able to safely reopen. Unfortunately, most building HVAC systems are not equipped to circulate clean air into occupied spaces fast enough to prevent the spread of viruses like COVID-19. Additional air purification systems and environmental upgrades are necessary to create safe working spaces as most Americans spend 90...

The YORK brand of Johnson Controls, the globally renowned company for smart and sustainable building solutions, and the architect of OpenBlue connected solutions, unveiled a new complete home comfort system with state-of-the-art zoning technology, offering improved, high-efficiency comfort with simplified installation and setup. Hx3 Communicating Zoning System The Hx3 Communicating Zoning System gives consumers ultimate control of individual room temperatures, in up to eight zones that they ca...

CoolSys, the parent of pioneering refrigeration and HVAC services companies nationwide, announced that it has appointed Chris Schulken as chief operating officer (COO). As COO, Chris oversees day-to-day administrative and operational functions at CoolSys and serves as a member of the executive management team, steering the company on its rapid growth trajectory. “I’m thrilled to have Chris join the CoolSys team and we are fortunate to have someone of his caliber in the role of COO,&...

The European HVACR industry association, Eurovent has announced extending its scope of representation with the addition of J2 Innovations to its Associate Members list. Following a formal approval of the Eurovent Board of Directors, J2 Innovations, globally renowned provider of control and management software for HVACR equipment, has joined Eurovent (Association for Indoor Climate, Process Cooling and Food Cold Chain Technologies) as its newest Associate Member. FIN Framework software platform...

A total of 14 associations from the field of technical building equipment (TGA) have presented an updated version of the position paper on Building Information Modeling (BIM). In the paper, last published in January 2018, with the title, ‘Electronic product data exchange in technical building equipment (TGA) and its integration in Building Information Modeling (BIM)’, the authors formulate two key requirements: Electronic product data are used worldwide. Therefore, the German sta...

Phillips County Health Systems (PCHS) is committed to providing safe, high-quality patient care and to further enhance this commitment, PCHS has invested in an innovative Clorox Healthcare® UVDI-360® System to bring advanced, ultraviolet (UV) technology to the hospital and medical clinic’s existing patient safety and infection-fighting protocols. These innovative Clorox Healthcare® UVDI-360® Systems now complement PCHS’ comprehensive infection control plan, which co...

Everyone wants a clean home. That’s why it feels so nice to have the carpet vacuumed and the floors swept! But what about the dust and dander hiding out in the ductwork? Ignoring that debris means the indoor chores are only part-way done. When managed correctly, professional duct cleaning can be a great way to ensure everything is in tip-top shape. Indoor air quality makes a big difference in how the user lives both day and night. Bad odors, humidity levels, and allergens all play a part....

Daikin has announced the launch of its completely redesigned Rooftop Series for operation with R-32. The new line-up, due to be launched in January, has been redesigned as part of Daikin’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2050 and coincides with the new Lot 21 Tier 2 legislation which comes into force next year. The expansion of Daikin’s commercial portfolio for use with R-32 is an integral part of the company’s strategy to minimize its environmental footprint. The new R-32 ro...

Airxchange, a globally renowned manufacturer of innovative, segmented and washable energy recovery wheels is joining Madison Industries.  Airxchange produces energy recovery solutions that perform reliably and effectively for the life of the HVAC system, while reducing energy consumption and improving indoor air quality. Airxchange joins Madison Industries “Madison Industries’ mission aligns perfectly with that of Airxchange – specifically, to make the world safer, heal...

Savanna, a vertically-integrated real estate investment manager, owner/operator, and developer, has, through an affiliate, awarded Carrier heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) modernization project for the One Court Square building in Long Island City, a property managed by Cushman & Wakefield. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a foremost global provider of healthy, safe, and sustainable building and cold chain solutions. Systems To Install   Carrier will...

Johnson Controls, a globally renowned solutions provider for smart and sustainable buildings, is offering a high efficiency pleated air filter that provides an affordable solution instead of costly HEPA filtration upgrades. Its MERV 13 performance rating make the filter an excellent upgrade in existing equipment for applications such as hospitals, laboratories and pharmaceutical plants, commercial office buildings, industrial plants, or any HVAC system in which a higher degree of clean air is d...

NSK customers around the world, including those in Europe, are set to benefit from the construction of a new heat treatment facility at the organization’s NSK Toyama plant, in Japan. The move comes as part of a continuous effort to strengthen the structural resilience of the NSK Group, while simultaneously providing a productivity and efficiency boost. NSK Toyama heat treatment facility Following the completion of the ¥3 billion (approximately 23.78 million euros) heat treatment plan...

Year after year, air pollution caused by haze, smog, and exhaust gas continues to worsen in Malaysia. In order to avoid polluted air, people go about their lives keeping the windows closed. In light of the challenging situation, Panasonic Corporation has introduced the Quality Air for Life (QAFL) Solution, which creates a comfortable environment with clean air even while the windows remain shut. An average person breathes in 18 kg of air each day. This is 60% of the substances that one consumes...

The first thing users will want to know is that there are different types of air filters. There are different types because several factors are present for high performance. An air filter has two goals to accomplish. The primary goal is to prevent particles from entering the system and causing damage. The secondary goal is to improve indoor air quality. These two factors alone are significant contributors to the fact that there are different types of filters. Keep in mind, HVAC systems aren&rsq...

Hubbell Lighting, a front-runner in lighting innovation, announced the launch of a series of ultraviolet (UVC) germicidal lighting solutions for the commercial lighting marketplace. SpectraClean™ 254 is an expansion of Hubbell Lighting's award-winning SpectraClean portfolio, which launched in 2019 with 405 nanometers (nm) solutions. The portfolio features a series of luminaires that leverage developments in the disciplines of lighting science and microbiology to combine white and ultravi...

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has announced that the company's new EcoAdviser data-analysis and diagnostic software (MES3-EAP1-AI) for increased energy savings at manufacturing facilities will be released on October 26, 2020. Maisart AI technology The innovative new software uses Mitsubishi Electric's Maisart Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for highly effective energy-saving functions, such as identifying energy losses, diagnosing potential energy-loss factors and quantifying the exp...

Trane® – by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator – and Austin Independent School District (ISD) are teaming up to assess and improve the quality of indoor air in the school district. Indoor air quality has long been a critical part of healthy, effective learning environments, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) play a critical role in creating proper indoor air quality. ASHRAE® guidelines to address COVID-19 in the reopening of schools ind...

The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) is offering stark warnings to both the Government and house holders on the National Burn Awareness Day, as the number of contact burns from heating appliances skyrocketed by 25% and scalding incidents from taps rise by 9%. The NHS Digital Hospital Episode Statistics for England 2019-2020 shows: Admissions for burn injuries caused via contact with heating appliances, radiators and pipes rose by 25%, from 797 (2018-2019) to 99...

The heating season has barely even gotten started. And everyone is already talking about the things that could go wrong. Well, it may not be the most fun topic in the world, but it’s one of the most important. After all, thinking about these warning signs now will help people get out ahead of any heating problems, during the coldest time of the year. And it is a given that home owners will run into heating problems eventually. Even the best heaters, and even those that are properly mainta...

Airedale International (Airedale) is proud to announce that they have upgraded and extended their water-cooled chiller range, with the launch of the high capacity TurboChill Hydro. TurboChill Hydro TurboChill Hydro is a highly efficient water cooled chiller that offers extensive cooling capacity. Ranging from 200kW to 3000kW, TurboChill Hydro offers flexibility at a competitive price, without compromising on performance. Building on the success of the original TurboChill design and Airedale&r...

As the school year progresses in various formats, Trane® – by Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator – introduces expanded services to help schools evaluate, implement and fund indoor air quality improvements in their buildings. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) play a critical role in creating proper indoor air quality. ASHRAE® guidelines to address COVID-19 in the reopening of schools indicate that making changes to the operation of HVAC syst...

Danfoss has announced updating and enhancing its service offering to create a more sustainable, scalable and secure cloud-based portal for managing food retail operations. Alsense IoT Food Retail Services Previously known as Danfoss Enterprise Services (DES), Alsense is optimized to provide new levels of efficiency. Supermarkets and food retail stores can reduce their net energy consumption by up to 30% with Alsense, saving money and reducing food waste. ”We’re excited to introduc...

DENSO Corporation and DENSO WAVE Incorporated announced that the QR Code, which DENSO invented, has received the prestigious IEEE Milestone award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). IEEE recognized the QR Code for helping to improve the manufacturing and management of companies around the world and for gaining ubiquity worldwide as a critical information-sharing tool in a variety of applications, such as electronic payments. IEEE Milestone IEEE Milestone is an a...

During its meeting on 29 September 2020, the Eurovent Product Group ‘Air Filters’ (PG-FIL) elected Dr. Marc Schmidt (Vice President Technologies Europe, AAF International) as its new Chairman. He is joined by Dr. Thomas Caesar, who was re-elected for his second term as PG-FIL Vice-Chairman. Eurovent Product Group ‘Air Filters' The Eurovent Product Group ‘Air Filters’ (PG-FIL) met in a full-day online session on Tuesday, 29 September 2020, with a focus on regulator...

Recommendations from CDC and ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Regarding Ventilation: Increase the percentage of outdoor air, (e.g using economizer modes of HVAC operations) potentially as high as 100%, increasing the total airflow supply to occupied spaces. Continue operation of the ERV component appropriate to climate conditions. Dilution of contaminants, including infectious aerosols, by outdoor air ventilati,on is an integral IAQ strategy in ASHRAE Standard 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indo...

A family’s first home brings excitement and emotions, opening up possibilities and providing a foundation for stability and growth. Becoming a new homeowner also brings new challenges and responsibilities of maintenance and repairs to keep the home safe and comfortable. That’s the reason that Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, and Habitat for Humanity International, the foremost housing nonprofit, are teaming up on a national initiative called Indoor Climate and Mainten...