Pandemic Accelerates IAQ Technology Development

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INDUSTRY NEWS This article was published in ASHRAE Journal, June 2021. Copyright 2021 ASHRAE. Posted at www.ashrae.org. This article may not be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE. For more information about ASHRAE Journal, visit www.ashrae.org. Pandemic Accelerates IAQ Technology Development

Contributed by BSRIA Worldwide Market Intelligence AHUs with Chilled Water vs. DX Coil, by Volume in 2020 BRACKNELL, BERKSHIRE, U.K.—The COVID-19 pandemic has increased awareness of the importance of ventilation and maintaining good indoor air quality, especially in commercial spaces. HVAC manufacturers and controls companies have actively been looking to adopt products, solutions and services to tackle the spread of the coronavirus and help people have confidence returning to commercial and public buildings. The latest BSRIA World Air Conditioning and Building Automation Controls (BACS) studies pub- U.S. Compound Annual Growth Rate for Commercial MERV 13+ lished in March 2021 revealed a significant number Ventilation Filters by Vertical Market in Millions of U.S. Dollars of new product launches, especially with the split Between 2020 and 2025 air-conditioning market and direct expansion (DX) coil air-handling units (AHUs). The common theme among the products was integration of ventilation with DX systems, air purification, smart sensors, controls, the adoption of enabling Internet of Things and artificial intelligence prediction control. The pandemic has created the opportunity for manufacturers to launch or accelerate the development of these technologies. While it takes years to develop a new product or solution, some of these technologies adopted by different verticals. were already in process. BSRIA has been recording BSRIA is undertaking a study looking at IAQ in com- the sales of these for many years, and the technolo- mercial buildings in North America. The market gies’ adoption has been steadily growing. During the analysis will provide a full understanding of the solu- pandemic, there has been a surge of these units to tions available in the market and where the demand meet demand for immediate ventilation needs, espe- and supply are heading. The study will be based on cially in the health-care sector. The top chart above, interviews with a panel of respondents from selected as an example, shows the ratio of AHUs with a DX coil verticals and forecast the next five years. vs. a chilled water system. Changes are expected in The study will focus on how filtration, air purifica- the ratio going forward. tion, ventilation with dedicated outdoor air systems, HVAC and controls manufacturers will market the controls and air conditioning connect with IAQ. combination of existing technologies with the new BSRIA expects to see significant growth rates in the adaptations and new technologies, with emphasis on demand for filtration filters in key commercial appli- ventilation and IAQ. Building owners and operators cations such as education, hospitality and offices over need to review the best solutions for their buildings. the next few years (bottom chart). The study will be It is too early to say which technologies or solutions available in June. are here to stay and which are fads that would be To learn more about BSRIA, visit www.bsria.com

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Industry Trend What You Need to Know About Smart Grids There is a lot to know about smart implications in design and upgrade can help, but grids, and the technology is rapidly decisions that are being made now today it is not Steven Bushby, Fellow ASHRAE changing. To help people better because the building owner will live economically feasible to have stor- understand smart grids, Steven with the consequences of those deci- age on a large enough scale to solve Bushby, Fellow ASHRAE, discusses sions for many years. the problems without additional what engineers need to know about What do ASHRAE members need assistance. this industry trend. Bushby is to know about smart grids? • With the trend toward low-en- leader of the Mechanical Systems • The United States established a ergy and net zero energy buildings, and Controls Group of the Building policy to develop and deploy a smart the buildings become generators Energy and Environment Division electric grid with the 2007 passage of electricity as well as consumers. of the Engineering Laboratory at the of the Energy Independence and Low-energy and net zero energy National Institute of Standards and Security Act, which became effective homes and buildings still need Technology. in December 2010. Substantial in- the grid. The historic grid was not Why is it important to talk about vestments in transforming the grid designed to manage two-way flow smart grids now? have already been made, and they or the changes in load patterns that Building owners make invest- will be continuing for many years. result from these types of buildings. ments that are intended to serve the • One of the drivers for a smart Collaboration between buildings occupants for time scales of decades. grid is to be able to greatly increase and the grid is needed to manage Even though the transformation the percentage of electricity gener- these issues. to a smart grid is still in progress ated from renewable energy, much • Applying smart grid concepts to and will take additional time to be of which is intermittent in nature building operation can be part of a completed, building owners can (wind and photovoltaics). Achieving strategy to maintain resilience dur- do many things now to begin to high levels of intermittent renew- ing storms and other kinds of events reap the benefits and prepare for able generation requires coordi- that impact reliability. additional benefits in the future. It nation and collaboration with the Read the full Q&A: https://tinyurl. is prudent to consider smart grid loads in buildings. Energy storage com/22wafba8 Advertisement formerly in this space. Industry Roundup DOE Issues Preliminary Determination For Standard 90.1-2019 Phasedown of HFCs Moves Forward WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Department of Energy an- WASHINGTON, D.C.—In early May, the U.S. Environmental nounced in late April its preliminary determination Protection Agency proposed a phasedown of the of energy savings for Standard 90.1-2019. The DOE production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons estimates national savings in commercial buildings of (HFCs), which are commonly used in refrigerators, air about 4.3% in source energy savings; 4.7% in site energy conditioners and other applications. This phasedown savings; 4.3% in energy cost savings and 4.2% in carbon could decrease the production and import of HFCs in emissions. The DOE conducted a technical analysis that the U.S. by 85% over the next 15 years. This is the first assesses Standard 90.1-2019 compared to the previous proposed rule under the American Innovation and edition and estimates the anticipated energy consump- Manufacturing (AIM) Act of 2020. For more information of buildings required to meet the updated stan- tion, see Page 26.Source: EPA dard. Source: U.S. DOE

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