IAQ Goes Mainstream Throughout Industrial Purposes

Because of the rising focus the world has on indoor air high quality (IAQ), there was a requirement for higher air flow and filtration — how efficient merchandise are at ridding of dangerous contaminants whereas bringing in clear, recent air — and higher decarbonization and electrification efforts which are necessitated by evolving vitality and constructing code necessities. All which means that producers need to adapt merchandise to fulfill these requirements or eliminate merchandise that don’t.

On the commerce present flooring on the AHR Expo in Chicago, producers mentioned these tendencies and showcased some product choices that meet the present wants (and requirements and laws) of IAQ within the HVAC business and real-world purposes.

Code Necessities

No matter what’s going on within the IAQ market, there may be at all times a necessity for IAQ options — more healthy air is at all times higher, and at all times the aim. On the similar time, vitality codes and requirements are affecting the way in which these IAQ options may be delivered.

As of 2024, direct-expansion devoted out of doors air methods (DX-DOAS) with a capability lower than 324 lb/hr of moisture removing capability should be rated for effectivity and meet the minimums outlined in ASHRAE 90.1-2019 as required by DOE rulemaking.

“The associated fee to certify the efficiency of a DOAS unit is considerably totally different than the prices to do air-con,” stated Paul Stewart, vice chairman of gross sales for Desert Aire.

Because the compliance date approaches, Stewart says the price of testing or certification could in the end result in some producers contemplating the breadth of choices.

“Desert Aire was one of many first producers of DX-DOAS for break up methods and WSHP and have expanded the road to lots of the totally different classes together with air-cooled, water-cooled, and water-source warmth pumps, all with and with out vitality restoration,” Stewart stated. “As a result of we’ve very environment friendly methods and excellent refrigeration know-how, assembly the minimal effectivity will not be a problem, however we might want to always weigh the prices to finish the testing of every of the numerous totally different configurations we provide.”

Desert Aire at the moment has an enthalpy wheel vitality restoration possibility for his or her DX-DOAS methods. One of many merchandise Desert Aire showcased on the AHR present movement this yr was a plate warmth exchanger vitality restoration ventilators (ERV) that can be utilized as a pretreatment to a DOAS system.

ENERGY RECOVERY: The AuraGreen ERV can be utilized as a pretreatment to DOAS methods – pictured with out the facet panel on the middle part in order that the crossplate warmth exchanger is uncovered and simply seen. (Courtesy of Desert Aire)

“I feel we will see extra plate warmth exchanger vitality restoration,” Stewart stated. “The plate warmth exchangers are much less upkeep, fewer issues to go fallacious, and that know-how goes to develop into much more frequent over the following few years, particularly with the push for vitality conservation.”

Electrification and Decarbonization

It’s no secret that decarbonization and electrification have been amplified within the business — the transfer in direction of warmth pumps, and being extra vitality environment friendly and sustainable, has led to the aforementioned code necessities.

“It results in consciousness of the standard of air that occupies an area,” stated Gus Olivera, director of engineering at Addison.

Consequently, producers have to alter their method and guarantee their merchandise are energy-conscious the place they’ll and need to be.

Addison just lately launched the MX Sequence modular air handler, or HybridAir — an all-in-one air dealing with answer that merges air, water, and refrigeration.

HybridAir makes use of a wrap-around DX system to make sure that incoming air undergoes preprocessing earlier than ever reaching the hydronic coil, with subsequent reheat from the post-hydronic condenser coil, performing in even impartial circumstances. The know-how tackles the challenges of managing reheat with out having to depend on conventional vitality sources, Olivera stated, leading to much less vitality use.

HYBRID AIR: HybridAir makes use of a wrap-around DX system to make sure that incoming air undergoes preprocessing earlier than ever reaching the hydronic coil, with subsequent reheat from the post-hydronic condenser coil. (Courtesy of Addison)

As well as, HybridAir can accommodate numerous wants when particular areas demand totally different circumstances from its prevailing constructing mode. The system can be paired with different warmth pump applied sciences, and the water-source variations of the product may even recapture a number of the vitality spent in hydronic cooling and put it to use for reheat. The recovered vitality is captured per ASHRAE 90.1 for reheat, without having for hydronic loops or extra methods.

“The chillers which are put in within the constructing need to work much less, so that you save vitality,” Olivera stated.

The product can be designed kind of like Legos, Olivera stated. Every part is split into separate elements and it ships that means, however it ships with cost already in it, making it straightforward to configure.

The electrification of the business has introduced on extra of a requirement for warmth pumps, stated Tom Maskel, AprilAire vice chairman of product administration. With that comes implications for whole-home humidification.

What AprilAire has finished is designed a unit to extend the capability of the humidification unit. As well as, the corporate designed a totally new valve system that not solely improves the efficiency and the output of the unit however truly reduces wastewater by 60%.

“In standard humidifiers, water that is still unevaporated or unabsorbed is usually expelled by way of the drain,” defined Maskel. “In distinction, our progressive development captures the water, recirculates it with recent water, and, on the conclusion of the humidification cycle, a valve opens to facilitate drainage.”

The good information about decarbonization and electrification, together with air high quality options, in line with TJ Wheeler, senior vice chairman of gross sales and advertising at Friedrich, is that these tendencies can work and combine collectively. Friedrich combines applied sciences like low ambient warmth pump operation, with built-in IAQ options into a number of of their product choices, together with their FreshAire Packaged Terminal Air Conditioners (PTACs) and the Vert-I-Pak.

“Ver-I-Pak is the primary and solely full line of M1-compliant single bundle vertical warmth pumps (out there in 9K, 12K, 18K, and 24K Btu), supporting decarbonization efforts with warmth pump operation right down to 10°F,” Wheeler stated.

MAKE-UP: The FreshAire PTAC on the 2024 AHR Expo present flooring. (Employees picture)

The FreshAire PTAC includes a precision inverter compressor, plus a built-in FreshAire make-up air system that permits for enhanced indoor setting management.

“When Friedrich develops a product, we not solely take into account the product and specs it wants to fulfill — we additionally take into account the installers, servicers, distributors, and customers of the merchandise all through the method,” Wheeler stated.

Air flow

Bettering air flow stays a spotlight for the business, as code necessities additionally play a job in how it may be supplied.

“In gentle of evolving requirements and laws, such because the Worldwide Power Conservation Code (IECC) 2021, it’s crucial for us to align with these benchmarks for air flow,” said Maskel.

The vitality code impacts air flow as a result of as houses are tightened as much as meet new vitality requirements, there are fewer passive warmth exchangers.

New building (one other development AprilAire is seeing) solely heightens the necessity for air flow itself, and to fulfill the tighter hauls round it, mechanical air flow has come increasingly more into play.

“The efficacy of that’s the development that we’re actually seeing beginning to rise on provide air flow — as much as 4.4 cfm per watt — and it is also driving balanced air flow fairly a bit now,” stated Joseph Hillenmeyer, AprilAire product supervisor, air flow.

CODE: The ERV Mannequin V22BEC meets each the IECC 2021 necessities and ASHRAE 62.2. (Employees picture)

AprilAire has launched an ERV particularly for the high-volume builder market, with the aim of offering a cheaper answer.

“Historically, larger quantity builders have been hesitant to embrace such merchandise as a consequence of their price implications,” stated Hillenmeyer. “Nonetheless, the present panorama, marked by elevated vitality necessities, necessitates a shift in direction of merchandise like our ERV that strike a stability between efficiency and price.”

Bringing in recent air from outdoors with a view to construct a more healthy indoor air setting, with out including extra gear that may enhance vitality utilization, is lots simpler stated than finished.

“Each constructing is totally different, and every wants its personal consolation plan,” stated Jim Flickinger, chief industrial officer at Huge Ass Followers. “We be certain that they’re getting the correct options for his or her wants with merchandise that transfer the air the place it’s wanted: to the folks.”

Huge Ass Followers does this by shifting outdoors air all through the constructing with a view to obtain pure air flow.

“We’ve developed HVLS (excessive quantity, low velocity) followers to distribute air precisely the place it must be by way of the usage of patented foil and winglet designs and may measure/substantiate efficiency,” Flickinger stated.

HVLS: A high-volume, low-speed fan, just like the PFX 4, distributes air precisely the place it must be by way of the usage of patented foil & winglet designs. (Courtesy of Huge Ass Followers)

Huge Ass Followers merchandise function a complement to the world of HVAC. They provide merchandise that stratify the nice and cozy air that rises to the ceiling and produce it again to the indoor space with a view to assist HVAC methods stability the constructing temperature with much less vitality utilization.

“The place we differ from different corporations comes from our means to ship options from begin to end,” Flickinger stated. “We go in and do an entire facility structure utilizing our propriety SpecLab software program. This enables the shopper to see all of the temperature extremes within the constructing, how we’ll lay out our merchandise, after which produce outcomes for our options. The shopper is aware of precisely what they’re getting.”

Filtration

Dr. Nasim Rahman, Lennox indoor air high quality product supervisor, stated the corporate is seeing a rise in each air flow and filtration wants. On the air flow facet (considered one of Lennox’s quickest rising classes), they’ve additionally seen a rise in demand for ERVs and warmth restoration ventilators (HRVs). On the filtration facet, customers need a higher-grade filter and extra purification. The corporate presents Wholesome Local weather branded Carbon Clear 16 filters which are the final word providing in clear filtration and cut back ozone. In truth, it removes 99% of the viruses, micro organism, and fungal spores.

“Lennox supplies a complete house answer for all of our prospects,” Rahman stated. “Our options embrace a Sensible Air High quality Monitor to offer a full image of the air high quality circumstances within the house and to activate your HVAC/IAQ system on demand when there may be an IAQ situation in the home.”

Now to take filtration a step additional, Lennox additionally presents air purification merchandise such because the In duct Air Air purifier and PureAir air purification system. The Wholesome Local weather In-Duct Air Air purifier is an ozone-free, duct-mounted, air air purifier that successfully reduces VOCs and formaldehyde. PureAir options Lennox’s photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) know-how and a hospital-grade filtration that removes 99% of viruses from the air in addition to dangerous VOCs and odors.

HEALTHY CLIMATE: A Lennox Wholesome Local weather MERV 16 filter. (Courtesy of Lennox)

FILTRATION: Lennox’s PureAir and PureAir S rid of 99.9% of micro organism and viruses. (Courtesy of Lennox)

“In Lennox, we imagine in having know-how that’s not doing any hurt to our prospects,” Dr. Rahman stated.

So, moreover, not solely do these merchandise not produce any ozone, but when there may be any present ozone in the home, it’s going to take away that, too.

“At Lennox, we are saying, ‘Air is life, make it excellent.’ We imagine we’ve the correct indoor air high quality merchandise that may maintain that promise of unpolluted air to our prospects, and we do this with PureAir, a complete house purification product,” Rahman stated.