Everyone involved with IAQ knows about the 1970s, when excess energy use became Public Enemy No. 1 for commercial building designers. Saving energy was the critical goal: Air leaks were being hunted like wild animals, and windows and doors were sealed so tightly that not a breath of conditioned air could seep out.
Judging by the emphasis in the AHR booth, Panasonic is working to differentiate itself by putting considerable emphasis on health and IAQ. Even though it is not scheduled to reach the U.S. market until early 2020, the offering getting the most attention this year was nanoe™X.
It wasn’t too long ago that the only time people thought about the air they were breathing was when they wanted to light up their next cigarette, which they could do anywhere — in hospitals, on planes, at the grocery store. IAQ wasn’t even a thing. But that was then, and this is now.
With the building not being in constant use, the church wanted a solution that could keep the parishioners comfortable during peak capacity without having to oversize the system. The HVAC system also needed to deliver superior heating and cooling performance throughout any season, important in the northeast region of the country.
The key for contractors is choosing a market. For some contractors, schools are the way to go, while others cringe at the thought. There is money to be made, though, and for contractors considering the school market, here are three tips to navigate the new territory.
From homes and apartments to office buildings, hospitals, and schools, the average American spends 87 percent of their life indoors — and another 6 percent in enclosed vehicles. That means for the overwhelming majority of Americans, the air entering their bodies every day is directly impacted by the buildings that make up the environment.
Manufacturers in the realm of IAQ are seeing an uptick in interest due to increased awareness among consumers as well, as the air quality concerns that come as a byproduct of efforts to tighten up buildings to increase energy efficiency. In response, they’ve been updating IAQ products for the age of the smartphone and the “smart” HVAC system.
Following are four examples — a kosher wine shipping center, a chiller plant in a marine research lab, a community pool, and a 10th-floor medical office retrofit — that illustrate just how creative high-efficiency products can be when it comes to unique solutions for everyday issues.
Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of lung infection caused by exposure to bacteria known as Legionella. Found naturally in freshwater environments like lakes and streams, Legionella becomes a health hazard when it grows unabated in water that is not properly treated. While this can include shower heads, hot tubs, and hot water heaters, cooling towers are often found to be the source of outbreaks.
Several months ago, I wrote a Duct Dynasty article titled “Four Steps to Optimize a Duct System.” Since then, I’ve received numerous requests to expand on the simple calculations I mentioned that can help you estimate room airflow with a customer’s input.