Indoor Air Quality
Creating and maintaining effective indoor air quality (IAQ) in today’s high-performance buildings can be challenging. Airborne contaminants found within buildings come from a number of sources, including people, processes, and materials used in building construction, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The long-term effects of poor indoor air quality on a building environment can range from loss of equipment efficiency and performance, to acute health issues for its occupants. Indoor air quality (IAQ) solutions require accurate airflow measurement devices to maintain a safe and healthy indoor environment while minimizing maintenance and energy costs.
Air Monitor Solutions Can Help Improve Indoor Air Quality
Direct Outdoor Airflow Measurement
The OAM II Outdoor airflow measurement system provides outside airflow measurements needed to ensure ventilation and proper turnover of indoor air.Controlling Air Flow and Temperature in the Space
ELECTRA-flo/SD with VAV boxes can measure flow at lower rates than Differential Pressure, ensuring adequate airflow while reducing energy consumption. Lower airflow also increases exposure to cooling coils, improving moisture condensation and air dehumidification.Maintaining Proper Ventilation Rates
Maintaining a safe and healthy indoor environment requires optimal ventilation—enough to ensure good air quality, but not so much that it introduces excess air pollution or strains the HVAC system, leading to higher maintenance and energy costs. This balance can be achieved with the precision of Air Monitor's highly accurate airflow measurement systems.Direct Outside Air Measurement
Measuring outside air can pose a challenge due to low airflow velocities and high moisture content in certain climates. Air Monitor’s OAM II Outdoor Airflow Measurement System has been designed to measure the actual outdoor airflow rate to within ±5% by measuring the differential pressure across a fixed inlet such as a louver, screen, or layer of expanded metal. The OAM station has no straight run requirements and is unimpacted by wind, moisture, or debris.
Maintaining Minimum Outside Air
Makeup air units bring conditioned air into the building or room to compensate for exhaust ventilation and prevent negative building pressure. With the help of Air Monitor’s accurate airflow measurement devices, air pressure can be regulated and indoor air quality maintained with a minimum of outside air intake.Efficiency and Cost Savings
Effective management of indoor air quality is essential not only for the health and comfort of building occupants but also for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing maintenance needs, leading to significant savings in operational costs.
News & Innovation
The Need for Accurate Outside Airflow Measurement in HVAC Systems
Measuring outside air entering the building is a key factor in maintaining proper indoor air quality for occupant health and safety. It is also essential for meeting energy-saving goals and ASHRAE air quality standards required by today’s high-performance buildings.Ensuring Healthy Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – The New Standard
ASHRAE has identified several core, interrelated functionalities that are needed to operate buildings in a way that reduces occupant exposure to infectious aerosols. The most effective way to ensure delivery of the required amount of outside air is by measuring it directly.Why Accurate Outdoor Airflow Measurement Can Be Difficult
HVAC systems use limited amounts of outside air to refresh the air inside commercial high-performance buildings. However, accurate measurement of HVAC outdoor airflow can be difficult due to outdoor air quality, weather and local climate conditions, and air inlet design.Applications
Laboratory & Hood Exhaust
Clean rooms and laboratories require accurate ventilation rates to remove contaminated air and replace it with fresh outside air, maintaining good air quality as well as the correct room pressurization level.