VENTILATION
design for increased ventilation rates. He says ventilation design could also contain a consideration of external air quality factors and an allowance for indoor air quality monitoring and control of the system as well as an examination of new technologies. So, what can we do to defend ourselves against airborne transmission of the virus in buildings?
The first line of defence must be effective maintenance of HVAC equipment including air handling units. My own company has published a free guide to this (https://
bit.ly/3kNKqX3) which includes advice on drawing up a maintenance policy and strategy.
Meanwhile, there are essentially two ‘engineering’ methods of guarding against the dangers of pathogens in the air – disinfection and filtration.
Both are typified by chemical-free ultra-violet (UV) cleaning systems for airflow disinfection, powerful automated disinfectants that harness UV light can prevent bacteria, viruses and organic growth from taking-hold on cooling coils. This type of solution can be retrofitted into existing
ventilation units to instantly start fighting the bacteria that builds up on cooling coil faces.
As air is cooled by passing it across the coil, condensation can produce a biofilm on the coil face. This creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and reduces the efficiency of the coil itself.
By dramatically reducing airborne organic growth throughout the entire HVAC system, indoor air quality (IAQ) is improved, resulting in a wide range of associated occupational health benefits.
The thermal efficiency of the coil is also restored, enhancing the energy efficiency of the whole system. Once installed, UV cleaning systems are inexpensive to run and virtually maintenance free.
Filtration, the second line of defence against harmful pathogens, includes physical measures such as pre-flitration media. Although they do not operate at the bacterial level, protective screens are a good way to protect the ventilation system from airborne debris such as pollen, leaves and other detritus which may carry harmful pathogens.
Rebooting a building
The lockdown that has stemmed from the COVID-19 outbreak has shut down many commercial buildings. This has enormous implications for building services equipment.
After all, owners, landlords and tenants will still need to maintain their buildings for security purposes, to achieve statutory compliance and to protect the fabric and critical systems as well as satisfying insurance implications. Building services contractors’ group BESA has released detailed guidance on how buildings can be managed and maintained effectively in the face of coronavirus. ‘SFG30 Mothballing and Reactivation’ takes users through a step- by-step process for maintaining critical services during a low occupancy period ready for rapid and full reactivation when business returns to normal.
Munters
www.acr-news.com
October 2020 25
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