News & Events

There is an overwhelming amount of technical information being published on safe strategies for reopening schools and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Making sense of these recommendations, determining which apply to your facility, prioritizing, and implementing them can feel like a herculean undertaking. Our experts are working diligently to help our clients distill, classify, and prioritize these recommendations and turn them into actions, tailored to fit the needs of each facility. A three-tiered approach is one way to move forward when considering the effectiveness of your HVAC system.

One of the key concerns associated with the risk of COVID-19 infection is indoor air quality (IAQ), for which HVAC system improvements should be evaluated and prioritized on a case-by-case basis.  Our engineers address a multi-step approach to prioritizing these HVAC improvements, depicted in the graphic below.  Drawing on guidance and recommendations from ASHRAE, AIA, EPA, and CDC, among others, we first review a building’s existing ventilation and air filtration systems as a primary means to reduce virus transmission concerns.  Depending on the feasibility of implementing ventilation optimization and/or air filtration improvements, we then also review the compatibility of additional indoor air quality improvement measures (depicted as “secondary” in the graphic), such as air cleaning technologies and humidity control improvements. By methodically reviewing and prioritizing HVAC system modifications, building-specific solutions are established, and indoor air quality conditions and occupant health and safety can be improved.

For more information on engineering solutions to improve indoor air quality, stop back to our News area and follow us on social to read more in our series “Turning Recommendations into Actions” or contact a member of our Building Services engineering team.