Post COVID Impact for the Built Environment

Presented by: Dan Diehl, CEO Aircuity

So What Now?

An ‘Airside’ view of post COVID 19 Impact

Viruses and other concerns…

• Recall: Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by legionella bacteria.

Legionnaires' disease doesn't spread from person to person. Instead, the bacteria spreads through mist, such as from air-conditioning units for large buildings. Adults over the age of 50 and people with weak immune systems, chronic lung disease, or heavy tobacco use are most at risk.

Sound Familiar?

9 Pandemics since 1900

This +…all our age-old challenges

• Relative Humidity Measurement & Control• Economizer Control• Ventilation• Filtration • Fresh Air • Balancing• Fault Detection

But we have 72 and sunny down…

NO - This is NOT a Doom & Gloom Story….

Quit the opposite …We will be

We have a head start…

We know we can & we will return to better buildings This will drive us ‘collectively’ to deliver improved & comprehensive

strategies to the ‘commercial’ built environment…Considering Design, Operations & Intelligence13 years ago, Aircuity worked with UCI on the ‘Smart Labs’ program.

Since then, 1,000’s of research spaces have implemented and are now:

more efficient, safer, smarter

No one technology is a silver bulletNeed a comprehensive strategy built from a solid foundation

Path Forward• Consider all environments as ‘Critical Environments’

What is the real cost of:oGetting back to workoGetting back to schooloGetting back to sporting events, music and art showsoGetting back the feeling of well being and safety

Healthy Buildings are achievable!

Existing movements are already leading the way

IWBI’s “WELL” RESETPublic Awareness from leaders in the field, like Dr. Joseph Allen

Building Health in the News

Building Health in the News

Building Health in the News

Post Corona Strategy – Comprehensive ConsiderationsI. Particle Measurement & ControlII. Filtration III. Demand Control Ventilation IV. HumidityV. Virus MitigationVI. Cleaning VII. HVAC Design ConsiderationsVIII. Feedback & Insight

Our knowledge in OR, Lab & Vivarium management is invaluable

A Deeper Look at Healthy & Productive Spaces

Strategy Reviews I. Particle Measurement & ControlII. Filtration III. Demand Control Ventilation IV. HumidityV. Virus MitigationVI. Cleaning VII. HVAC Design considerationsVIII. Feedback & Insight

I. Particle Mitigation • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNBHuu755E

Particulate Measurement & Response

Dewpoint

Air Data Router

Sensor Suite

ServerTVOCs Particles

• Measure the actual particle levels before & after the filter bank

• Control Sequences when OA particulate levels are very high (Fires, diesel fumes)

• Schedule filter changes based on actual performance

• Improve Filtration effectiveness (next)

• Room mpDCV for high particle areas

• Intelligent feedback loop w/ Alerts

II. Improved FiltrationSeveral Aircuity clients have increased filtration levelsGoing from Commercial Grade to MERV 11 or 13 can make huge effectiveness difference in the highest concern area – i.e. smaller respiratory grade particles

These very small particles it is particulates (< 2.5 µ) that are the most harmful and which are inhaled and transmitted through respiratory passages, and have the ability to settle deep within

the distal pulmonary alveoli (1)

It is widely believed that viruses attach (hitchhike) to small particles. Science on the transmission rates is still ‘weak’ but looking at healthcare settings where more research has been done tells us:Airborne transmission is likely responsible for nearly half of all hospital-acquired infections (1)

II. Filtration Effectiveness

Recall Video shown earlier

III. Ventilation • We can’t clean the air with filtration if we do not have good

ventilation & air movemento Our history in lab ventilation shows us that ventilation effectiveness is a very important design and operating consideration

o Validate ongoing performance via diagnostics & FDDs

• Measuring flow feedback, proper balancing and increasing ventilation based on multi parameter measurement is key:o CO2: Higher density areas require more airflow

o TVOC’s: Increased cleaning will demand higher ventilation rates

o Particles: As discussed…

IV. Humidity

• One aspect of IAQ that is clearly associated with increased RNA virus infectivity, transmission and disease severity in low relative humidity (RH) (2)

• Look to achieve higher humidity levels during peak viral seasons. RH of 40 – 60 %

• Reliably Measure Relative Humidity

Dr. Taylor will be presenting a webinar on 5/1 discussing this in more detail

V. Virus & Bacteria Mitigation

• Viral and bacterial microbes account for 60-80% of indoor air quality problems.

• UV Light, specially UV-C is the frequency that is the most germicidal. Optimum damage to microorganisms occurs at 254 nanometers.

• Dosage = Intensity X Time• Uses

• OR’s in Room

• In AHU (Coils and Airstream)

• Technology also helps with efficiency of system by keeping coils clean

VI. Cleaning Protocols • Employers and buildings operators will undoubtedly be:

• Increasing their cleaning frequency

• Using stronger cleaning products

• Cleaning much larger footprints

• This will require DCV via TVOC measurement (Total Volatile Organic Compounds) • Aircuity’s lab and healthcare experience is critical to bring to the larger built environment, cost effectively adding TVOC and particulate DCV to base level ASHRAE recommended CO2 based DCV

VII. HVAC Design ConsiderationDOAS o 100% Outside Fresh Air systems,

• Already code requirement is some major cities and a favorite of many engineering firms

Density ConsiderationsIncrease Air Change Rates (typically a lab metric) for commercial

buildingso Utilize Demand Based solution and respond to actual conditions…by space / location

Ventilation Effectivenesso Deeper view of effective air mixing in spaces – supply and returns

VIII. Feedback & Insight

Aircuity Continues to Invest and Improve IEQ & Energy Tool Sets

New IEQ Dashboard (April 2020 Release)Features:• Campus View• Top 5 IEQ Issues• Overview of

Events and Air Quality Score

• Graphing by Event count.

• Mini-trend graphs and arrows.

• Filter by Parameter• Improved

information icon descriptions.

• Download to Excel

New IEQ Dashboard (April 2020 Release)Features:• Room by room

comparison • For a building or

across your campus.

• Easily identify rooms with most issues.

New IEQ Dashboard (April 2020 Release)Features:• How are events

trending?

Roadmap• May Release

• Updated IEQ Dashboards (just shown)• WELL Building API (Beta).

• Aug Release• New Energy Dashboard• WELL Phone App and Monitor (shown to right)• Improved Equipment Calculator and Pricing Tools• Expanded Features Graphing & Exporting

• Nov Release• New Fumehood Dashboard• Improved Monitoring and Remote Diagnostics

We Can Have Both – These don’t have to be a choice

Efficiency:- Closed OA 1970s- Sustainable Design- Decarbonization

Healthy:- WELL- 100% OA- Clean Air- No TVOC / Particles- Low CO2 lvls

“WELL” Buildings • A fitting description well ahead of its time • WELL is leading the way and has formed a TASK force to improve

V2 to address some of the many concerns discussed here • Likely need to advance /ranking requirements of some of the above solutions

• Will ASHRAE and others follow suit?

• WELL requires ongoing measurement and validation• Solutions must be life cycle tested and sustained

• Bad measurement and unreliable data is useless

Celebrating 20 Years!

Aircuity has been leading the world in measurement & control of IEQ, delivering

Airside Efficiency in the built environment for 20 years!

This is WHO We Are & WHAT We Do.

WEBINAR SPEAKER DATEDesigning with Aircuity: Mechanical and Layout Considerations

Mike Leach, Applications Engineer - Aircuity

4/14

The WELL Building Standard & Buildings as a Response to the Pandemic

IWBI: Dr. Gray and Angela Spangler

4/16

Wellness Meets Airside Efficiency Dan Diehl, CEO of Aircuity 4/20Using the Indoor Air to Contain Coronavirus Dr. Stephanie Taylor 5/1

Register at: https://www.aircuity.com/company/news/

Scroll down to Featured Events

Thank You!

Questions

* Aircuity will be collecting and disseminating thought leadership around IEQ specifically, please send us thoughts, ideas and insights

*Visit www.Aircuity.com (Our Brand New Web Site) to learn more

Footnotes / References (1) American Journal of Infectious Control, Particle control reduces fine and ultrafine particles greater than HEPA filtration in live operating rooms and kills biologic warfare surrogate

Mark H. Ereth MD, Donald H. Hess MSME, Abigail Driscoll BS, Mark Hernandez PhD, Frank Stamatatos BEE

(2) Engineered Systems Magazine, Using the Indoor Environment to Contain the Coronavirus -An engineering lesson gone viral. Dr. Stephanie Taylor M.D., M. Arch, CIC