Advanced HVAC technologies are redefining commercial building sustainability by improving indoor air quality, reducing energy consumption, and driving the global push for decarbonization.
Sustainability of commercial buildings has become a non-negotiable requirement in recent years. With the issue of climate change soaring high, over the years, there has been a conscious shift towards reducing the environmental impact of buildings. Owing to this, abiding by the building codes and environmental regulations has become mandatory for commercial facilities. The guidelines are framed by regulatory bodies, such as BEE, ECBC, among others, with the sole purpose of driving the safety and efficiency of buildings that adhere to sustainability at the same time.
“Coming with proficiency to monitor the ventilation, filtration, and humidity within the space”
In a commercial building, indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the key factors in determining the sustainability and certification of the facility. Therefore, deploying HVAC systems can go a long way in achieving a healthy and comfortable environment indoors for efficiently meeting the sustainability standards. Coming with proficiency to monitor the ventilation, filtration, and humidity within the space, these systems also play a critical role in curbing the energy consumption and carbon emissions of the building. Thereby, supporting eco-friendly and energy-efficient operations, HVAC systems lead the frontier in decarbonizing the commercial buildings.
HVAC systems are vested with advanced technologies such as VFDs, ERVs, building automation systems, etc., which play a vital role in contributing to the energy efficiency of the buildings. Taking the instance of variable frequency drives (VFDs), they reside well for controlling the system with precision and are responsible for modulating the energy consumption at the same time. Likewise, energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) drive optimal ventilation of the entire space by promoting heat and humidity exchange between the incoming and outgoing air. Integrating smart technologies into the building management system enables seamless execution of energy management strategies focusing on regulating the HVAC systems according to occupancy patterns. Saving a huge amount of energy in the process, the system refrains from unnecessary wastage of resources and also reduces the operational cost of the building significantly.
“To achieve the purpose, installing Treated Fresh Air Handling (TFA) systems plays a crucial role”
Delving deep into the benefits, the new age HVAC systems come with the ability to enhance the IAQ of the commercial buildings efficiently. It aims at ventilating the facility properly while ensuring effective filtration and exercising thorough control over humidity in order to achieve a healthy and comfortable IAQ for the occupants of the space. To achieve the purpose, installing Treated Fresh Air Handling (TFA) systems plays a crucial role in removing the pollutants, allergens, and contaminants by simply supplying fresh air into the building.
TFA comes in handy for meeting the ventilation standards where it preconditions the outdoor air for introducing fresh air into the room. Prior to introducing the air into the room, the system performs its filtration and treatment to ensure only clean and healthy air circulates within the facility. Along with this, TFA is proficient at recovering both sensible and latent energy. This, in turn, translates to reducing the energy consumption of the building significantly and even aids in controlling the humidity at the same time.
“The advanced technology ventilates the space adequately, aimed at achieving the twofold task of replenishing the fresh”
Considering the IAQ is a crucial factor in deciding the sustainability of the commercial building, equal attention should be given to humidity as well. Humidity promotes proliferation of mould, bacteria, and fungi, resulting in a range of respiratory issues such as asthma, bronchitis, and allergic reactions, due to which it becomes essential to monitor humidity level for maintaining a healthy indoor environment. Deploying Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) serves the purpose by facilitating optimal humidity levels, achieved with the help of unique passive dehumidification wheels. The advanced technology ventilates the space adequately, aimed at achieving the twofold task of replenishing the fresh air and minimizing the pollution in the air. Altogether, humidity level within safe limits comes to the rescue in soothing the discomfort caused by excess moisture.
In the entire process, HVAC systems emerge as catalysts of eco-friendly practices that promote energy efficiency and curb the greenhouse gas emissions of the large building. It goes a long way in abiding by the sustainability requirements of the building, boosting the prospects of alignment with LEED, ASHRAE, ASSOCHAM, Indian Green Building Council codes, and other energy certifications.
“The innovative technologies and software promote smart sensors, support regular system updates, and Building Management Systems (BMS) further optimize the performance of HVAC systems”
To further maximize the output of the systems, agility should be shown towards integrating predictive maintenance tools into the framework for driving the longevity of the HVAC systems. Here, the innovative technologies and software promote smart sensors, support regular system updates, and Building Management Systems (BMS) further optimize the performance of HVAC systems by indicating any error or defect beforehand.
Moreover, advanced technologies such as AI or IoT-powered systems monitor the heating and cooling of facilities based on the occupancy pattern, which aids the HVAC systems in decarbonizing the building efficiently.
AUTHOR
Varun Pahwa, President, Desiccant Rotors International