Modern Building Services

MODERN BUILDING SERVICES JULY 2022 21 FEATURE INDOOR AIR QUALITY Once a building review has been conducted, it can also be useful to categorise actions by their level of urgency. This will make it possible to prioritise any areas requiring urgent attention, starting with spaces that don’t have a ventilation system with modern filtration. This will also allow for any less-urgent actions to be identified, helping to inform the development of medium and long- term plans for improvement-as well as the maintenance of areas with good air quality. 3. Selecting the right technology Every building is different, which means that no single piece of technology or solution will guarantee the best level of indoor air quality across themall. Luckily, there aremultiple types of ventilation and air filtration systems available, all designed for different requirements. The first is simply natural ventilation – which supplies and removes air from a building without any mechanical equipment, and could be as straightforward as opening the window. For spaceswhere there is no access to natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) canmake use of fans and other equipment tomove air into and out of a building, and use the energy fromwarm, extracted air to pre-heat air entering the building. Another option is air conditioning, which has the primary role of improving comfort conditions for occupants. While ventilationmust be at the heart of indoor air quality, air conditioning can help to ensure that indoor temperatures are comfortable throughout the year, as well as remove humidity from the air and reduce the potential for mold contamination. Filtration and air conditioning should be a consideration, as it is one of the most important factors in achieving good indoor air quality. Filters in a ventilation system remove unwanted contaminants from the air as it enters the building, with its importance having been widely recognised over the past few years - reflected in the emergence of standards and guidelines which help to identify the best filters for a building’s requirements. While the pandemic has taught us a tremendous amount about the importance of better ventilation to make buildings more infection resilient, the link between good ventilation and better sleep, productivity, and a reduction in respiratory health conditions has been known for decades. We know that far too many buildings are simply under-ventilated despite clear guidelines and regulatory requirements that have been in place for many years. Going forwards, it is essential that building owners and managers take the steps necessary for putting a strong strategy for indoor air quality in place, and prioritise maintaining good indoor air quality for the long term. For more information on achieving good indoor air quality, you can find BESA’s ‘Building’s as Safe Havens’ guide, developed with support fromMitsubishi Electric: www.thebesa.com/media/1410048/bash-guide-final-1pp-final.pdf www.les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk