Modern Building Services

22 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES AUGUST 2022 AndrewHamshere , Managing Director at Sensing Precision, states: The pandemic has set new requirements on building services to ensure the safety of building users not only from the current pandemic but future COVID variants and new viruses. These new requirements not only include higher levels of airflow and ventilation to reduce infection rates, but also the ability to demonstrate these so staff and visitors can feel secure that they are protected as best they can be. S ome systems, especially older ones, have found it difficult to meet the new requirements. Ducting leakage, dead spots and a lack of accurate airflow measurement have all been issues. Office and retail applications have never needed to have these higher specifications usually reserved for clean rooms, health applications and data centres. The push for energy efficiency has improved performance and specification to a degree in recent years, but it has been the reviewing of airborne risk following the pandemic which has led facilities managers to look at existing and future building services to see what can be done to provide the required ventilation rates to mitigate future infection risks. Ducting leakage Ducted air conditioning systems are used inmany buildings, most with no opening windows. Improving ventilation rates increases pressure and fan energy consumption across the systemwhich, in itself, exacerbates any faults or failings in the system. Leakages will impact the delivery of ventilation, the accuracy of measurement, the key to knowing what is being delivered and where, and the efficiency of the system. Measurement is the key FEATURE INDOOR AIR QUALITY