Filters & air cleaning


indoor air quality U


Turning our attention to


Hern Yau, product manager at Mitsubishi Electric explains why ventilation is now one of the biggest challenges facing building and facilities managers and reviews the technology available to tackle it


ntil now, less consideration has been given to the quality of indoor air in comparison to outdoor air and pollution. According to SAGE member, Professor Cath Noakes, an estimated 15% of all Covid-19 deaths can be attributed to poor air quality, so attention is rightly turning to indoor air as well. Alongside reducing the transmission of airborne viruses like Covid-19,


good ventilation has also been linked to a number of health benefits, including improved productivity, better sleep and a reduction in respiratory health conditions such as asthma. However, many buildings are still under-ventilated, despite guidelines that have been in place for a number of years. The renewed focus on indoor air quality (IAQ) brought about by the pandemic


offers an important opportunity to invest in long-term, sustainable solutions for achieving and maintaining good IAQ in our offices, schools and public buildings. In order to do so, it’s important to measure and understand the levels of air quality, both inside and outside a building. This will allow for a clear plan for improvement to made, while also helping to inform the right technology choices to support ventilation and the provision of clean, healthy air.


Understanding current air quality levels


The first step towards improving air quality and ventilation is to understand what the current air quality levels are, both inside and outside a building. This can help identify whether any necessary improvements need to be made, and where. To do so, it can be helpful to invest in technology like air quality measurement equipment, which supports the collection, storage and analysis of pollution both in and around a building. Hand-held devices, for example, are useful for tracking down the root sources of any ongoing issues. Continuously monitoring indoor and outdoor air quality levels is also important for understanding how


“The first step towards improving air quality and ventilation is to understand what the current air quality levels are, both inside and outside a building.”


18 July 2022


the quality of air changes over a longer time period, and which external factors are having the biggest impact. This can be achieved by having monitors installed both inside and outside a building. Having a benchmark for comparison will also be important for identifying whether improvements to air quality are required. For both commercial and residential spaces, this can be found in the latest Part F of the Building Regulations. Part F reflects the growing understanding of the impact of IAQ on occupant


health. This includes new standards for commercial spaces around minimising the intake of external air pollutants if they exceed limits set out in the legislation, or if the building is located close to sources of pollution. This might include buildings located near busy roads or near combustion plants such as heating systems. For existing non-dwellings, Part F also states that any work carried out must


not result in the degradation of building’s ventilation standards, and when work in an existing building includes the ventilation system, it must meet the relevant standards in the updated Part F 2021.


Conducting a building review


Secondly, conducting a building review with an IAQ expert can help to provide a better understanding of whether any system or design components are affecting the quality of air inside a building – and how to combat this going forwards. An effective approach can be to review different areas of a building as ‘zones’,


as they will likely differ in use and level of occupancy. A school, for example, will include classrooms which may be occupied by more than 30 students and a teacher at any one time, as well as an assembly hall or gym for sports which is occupied by larger groups less frequently. In an office building, there will also likely be several open plan areas, alongside meeting rooms, a staff kitchen and an atrium.


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