Page 24 - Climate Control News May 2021

Indoor Air Quality
Healthier
indoor
spaces
TRANE TECHNOLOGIES HAS introduced Wellsphere a holistic approach to building wellness that cultivates healthier indoor spac- es by enhancing air quality, lighting and acoustics.
Wellsphere brings Trane’s unmatched experi- ence and expertise to take a holistic approach to optimizing a building’s indoor environmental quality (IEQ).
Trane’s president of commercial HVAC Ameri- cas, Donny Simmons, said people are more keen- ly aware of the environment around them, and building owners must look out for the well-being of occupants like never before.
“As building owners rethink the needs of their occupants, they face a daunting challenge of how to enhance indoor spaces without negatively im-
pacting energy efficiency, the environment and operating costs,” he said.
“Trane has always led with the philosophy that every building is unique and deserves an in- dividualized approach; there is no one solution that meets the needs of every space.”
By taking an occupant-focused, science- based approach, Trane helps building owners cultivate healthier indoor spaces while balanc- ing energy efficiency and sustainability with business realities.
Trane engineers and technicians design custom solutions based on a building’s unique needs so building owners and operators can invest in the improvements that deliver the best outcome for occupants and the biggest returns for operators.
Visit www.trane.com/wellsphere.
“THERE NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE BETWEEN HEALTH AND BUSINESS REALITIES.”
LEFT: Trane America’s president of commercial HVAC, Donny Simmons.
ABOVE: Building owners must look out for the well-being of occupants like never before.
ASHRAE acts on airborne transmission
THE ASHRAE EPIDEMIC Task Force has re- leased an updated, unequivocal statement on the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in buildings.
It replaces the previous statement issued in April 2020 that said airborne transmission was “sufficiently likely” and that airborne precau- tions should be taken.
“Airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is sig- nificant and should be controlled,” the state- ment said. “Changes to building operations, in- cluding the operation of heating, ventilating,
and air conditioning systems, can reduce air- borne exposures.”
Epidemic Task Force chair William P. Bahn- fleth, said this may seem like a small step “but we feel it is important to leave no doubt about our position, given the muted support for ventilation and filtration as important tools in the effort to stop the pandemic, from some organisations that should be leading more strongly.
“ASHRAE volunteers have played a huge role in evaluating evidence and developing detailed guidance to improve indoor environmental quality,” Bahnfleth said.
“The public, globally, is benefitting from the volun- teer efforts of some of the most knowledgeable scien- tists and engineers in our field and this updated guid- ance is proof of it.”
To view the complete air- borne transmission state- ment and other COVID-19 resources, visit ashrae.org/ COVID-19.
LEFT: The Epidemic Task Force said airborne exposure can be reduced.
The statement comes as the US continues to struggle with the pandemic, despite the roll-out of vaccines. According to the Reuters COVID-19 tracker, 167,187,795 doses of COVID vaccines have been administered – enough to have vacci- nated more than 25 per cent of the country’s pop- ulation. But infections are also on the rise, with more than 65,000 still being reported each day.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centres for Diseases Control (CDC), have con- tended that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was mostly by droplet and fomite modes, not air- borne. More recently, both have acknowledged the risk of airborne transmission indoors.
Meanwhile the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a roadmap to improve and ensure good indoor ventilation in the context of COVID-19.
It aims to define the key questions users should consider to assess indoor ventilation and the major steps needed to reach recommended ventilation levels or simply improve indoor air quality to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
It also includes recommendations on how to assess and measure the different parameters, specifically in health care, non-residential and residential settings whenever a person is under home care or home quarantine.
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