By Bud Hammer, Atlantic Westchester
As many facilities are having to reduce operating hours or temporarily cease operations, it is important to still maintain your building’s environment as well as your bottom line. Building owners and operators are actually in a position to take precautions to help prevent spread of infections. When you return to full capacity at your building, the reassurance of improved air quality and facility safety is a must.
There are things that can be done with your HVAC systems to support a healthy indoor environment and help protect against the spread of flu viruses like COVID-19. Here are some recommended procedures to follow while buildings are closed or minimally staffed:
1. Keep HVAC systems running. Even if buildings are unoccupied, insufficient temperature and humidity control can lead to mold growth.
2. Reprogram standalone programable thermostats and adjust BAS/DDC temperature setpoints and occupancy schedules to avoid unnecessary spend.
3. Maintain a temperature between 55⁰F and 80⁰F and a proper indoor relative humidity (50% RH) maximum humidity of 60%– Viral transmission occurs at higher rates when indoor humidity levels are either very low or very high. Studies have shown higher person-to-person transmission levels occur when indoor humidity is lower than 40% RH than occur at 50% RH. This has to do with the evaporation process. Increasing the reliance on outside air can help increase the humidity in commercial buildings to an optimum level to help inhibit airborne transmission of viruses.
4. Use high-efficiency filters, preferably HEPA (MERV 13). Upgrade filters. High-performance filters (MERV 14-16) can remove particulates down to the size of the COVID-19 virus. Filters come in a variety of ratings. As their rating increases, so does the price. Standard pleated air filters entrap larger particles and are sufficient for most purposes, but they cannot scrub the air of bacteria and viruses. Improved filtration may be worth the investment given the great concerns about viral transmission. Supplies of these filters are limited.
5. Clean air ducts and coils.
6. Perform any preventive maintenance now (HVAC, power, and lighting assets) while buildings are unoccupied.
7. Exercise your emergency backup power systems to ensure uptime when needed.
8. Augment staff for increased connectivity to suppliers and reduction of potential downtime.
9. Increase the volume of outside air (OSA) to achieve more air changes – HVAC systems are the source of fresh outside air for occupants. Increasing the amount of OSA reduces the amount of recirculated air through the HVAC system. “Ventilation represents a primary infectious disease control strategy through dilution of room air around a source and removal of infectious agents” (CDC 2005). Replacing contaminated indoor air with fresh OSA is an important step in improving occupant health. ASHRAE is the organization that sets the standards for the HVAC industry. Its most recent advisory guidelines states that now is not the time for energy-saving techniques like demand control ventilation (DCV) that reduces the amount of OSA. We recommend increasing outside air levels to 20% – 40% of the air handling capacity of the HVAC unit. The mild temperatures of spring reduce the energy penalty that this action would otherwise create under more extreme summer or winter outdoor temperatures. Units equipped with variable speed fans can cost-effectively accommodate an increase in ventilation rates.
10. Ensure equipment is in proper working conditions. All of the above recommendations assume equipment is in proper working condition and supply fans run continuously whenever the building is occupied. Commercial buildings should never run in the “auto” mode unless steps are taken to periodically “over-ventilate” the building. It is common for retail and small offices to run fans improperly. Make sure to educate your tenants and facility teams on the importance of running fans continuously. It is established in the building codes and national standards.
Atlantic Westchester (AW) is a commercial Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) company dedicated to making buildings smarter while providing the highest quality service in the industry. Since 1961, AW has catered to clients across the NY metro area with proactive maintenance, remediation and installation services based on their unique facility needs. Our professional, well-trained team works as a trusted partner to provide our clients with intelligent, energy-efficient solutions that optimize building performance, lower operating costs, and improve comfort. For more information, AW’s website is: https://www.atlanticwestchester.com/ or contact Ms. Cathy Hoffman at choffman@atlanticwestchester.com or at 914.666.2268.