Research suggests that consumers seek to support UK manufacturers and buy British products however it is sometimes unclear as to the origin of the products they buy. The recently re-launched ‘Made in Britain’ campaign is a verification marque that UK manufacturers can achieve and use to substantiate their commitment to manufacturing products in the UK.

The campaign is a member-funded initiative which supports the Great British manufacturing sector in the UK and overseas.

The ‘Made in Britain’ marque will provide our customers with the confidence that our products have been British Manufactured which also demonstrates the Camfil’s contribution to supporting Britain’s position as the design centre of the world.

The initiative is run by a committee of Directors from UK-based manufacturers and leaders of other groups supporting British trade and industry. To find out more about the campaign, click here.

Camfil is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of air filtration solutions, supplying products to users of AHUs in commercial and industrial buildings including hospitals, retail and offices, schools, universities and museums.

www.camfil.co.uk

www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

www.keepthecityout.co.uk

Download the White Paper here.

The Building and Engineering Services Association (B&ES) is due to publish the latest updated version of TR19 Good Practice Guide to Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems over the next month or two.  This comprehensive guide to the internal cleanliness of ventilation systems is vital for specifiers, consultants and facilities managers who need to ensure ventilation systems are properly maintained.

TR19 provides the highest standards of best practice and provides a method of verification for insurance purposes that the ventilation system in a building is clean and well maintained.  Download the White Paper here . To learn more, www.camfil.co.uk  please email us here or give Camfil a call on 01706 238000 to organise an air conditioning inspection. 

Camfil (www.camfil.co.uk) is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of air filtration solutions, supplying products to users of AHUs in commercial and industrial buildings including hospitals, retail and offices, schools, universities and museums.

For more information about AC Inspections, filter technology, clean air solutions, improving air quality, low energy air filters, CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment), AHUs (Air Handling Units) and the EPBD, visit the www.ac-inspections.co.uk blog and subscribe to the RSS feed here.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to AC Inspections by Email and follow us on Twitter @Camfil_UK

Under UK energy efficiency regulations, all air conditioning systems in buildings with a cooling capacity of over 12kW should have been inspected – but fewer than 5% actually have been, according to Mr Towse. This means that the vast majority of such systems have been in breach of the law for at least two years.

“Apart from the potential legal penalties, building owners and managers are missing out on the energy efficiency benefits that are flagged up by the inspections,” said Mr Towse.

All air conditioning systems put in place on or after 1January 2008 should have been inspected within five years of installation, with older systems over 250kW output inspected by January 2009, and other systems above 12kW inspected by January 2011.

“Very few building owners are even aware of their legal responsibility, while local authorities – who are charged with enforcing this law – are not doing a great job of it,” Mr Towse pointed out.

Many industry observers fear that the inspections will go the same way as other measures, such as the Code for Sustainable Homes, as the Coalition Government looks to cut what it regards as “business red tape”.

Mandatory air conditioning inspections were brought in under the implementation of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), with “compulsory lodgement” of the reports through the Government’s non-domestic energy performance certificate register being introduced two years ago. However, the Government has since doubled the cost of lodgement, and there have been problems with the software imposed on certification bodies by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

“It is complex, time-consuming and not at all user-friendly,” said Mr Towse. “The assessors are contractors trying to make a living in a tough economic environment, so they will not be encouraged by being forced to use ‘glitchy’ software and to pay more for the privilege.”

B&ES has also pointed to other anomalies in the system, including the fact that fines for non-compliance can be less than the amount paid for an inspection – the maximum penalty is just £300. Insurance companies are also reported to be offering policies to cover building owners and operators who might be caught out by the scheme.

“Under compulsory lodgement, it should be easier to trace buildings that are failing to comply with their legal obligations, but there is little evidence that this is being done – and local authorities do not appear to have the expertise, resources and/or inclination
properly to take on the challenge,” Mr Towse insisted.

“However, if the regime is allowed to die, so will a central pillar of the country’s strategy to reduce energy waste in buildings – and to help businesses cut their running costs.”

The Camfil Farr team are here to help with any AC Inspection enquiries you may have. Complete our request for information_form and you will be contacted shortly.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality -all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil customers reduce carbon emissions without ever sacrificing performance. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.co.uk or call 01706 238000.

Camfil Farr UK is pleased to announce that it has joined ESTA’s prestigious list of members which includes a range of companies that have committed to promoting energy efficient systems and practices.

ESTA, (Energy Services and Technology Association), is the UK’s leading Energy Management industry association and is open to organisations such as Camfil whose products and services support the management of energy and carbon in the UK.

Camfil Farr is world leader in the development and production of air filters and clean air solutions.

Camfil aim to educate Property & Estates Managers and Energy Assessors about the substantial energy saving opportunities (25-50%) that can be made by replacing existing filter assets with low energy air filters.

By joining the ranks of ESTA, Camfil have demonstrated their commitment to assist building designers and managers to improve working environments and reduce operational costs.

ESTA provides businesses connections with the Carbon Trust together with organisations such as DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), CLG (Communities and Local Government) and is also a member of the PGES (Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies).

For more information about Camfil Farr, visit www.camfilfarr.co.uk or email filtersales@camfil.co.uk

For more information on ESTA please refer to their website on www.esta.org.uk

www.camfilfarr.co.uk

www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

www.ac-inspections.co.uk

CAMFIL FARR TRAINING ACADEMY – WEBINAR PROGRAMME 2012

Camfil Farr has developed a wide range of live interactive Webinars that are CIBSE CPD accredited and last for an hour. These webinars are free to attend and will be available for viewing on-demand after the event with registration if you cannot attend.

The objective is to share Camfil Farr’s expertise on the best available technology for air filtration and the options for ensuring that indoor air quality (IAQ) and public health are not compromised. Another purpose is to encourage debates and build awareness of how low-energy air filtration solutions can play a key role in reducing the energy consumption of buildings while also improving IAQ and impacting both sustainability and human health positively.

Camfil Farr is a global manufacturer of air filtration equipment and associated services. Camfil’s challenge is to educate Property & Estates Managers and Energy Assessors about the substantial energy saving opportunities (25-50%) that can be made by replacing existing filter assets with low energy air filters. Air Filters consume about 30% of the energy used in such systems. A badly selected filter can cost over £500 per year.

Find out how you can minimise energy use, make energy savings and reduce carbon emissions from your buildings by registering for these useful Webinars.

The webinar programme is suitable for:

• Property & Estates Professionals
• Facilities Management & Maintenance Professionals
• Building Services Engineers
• Sustainability Professionals
• Energy Managers
• Low Carbon Consultants
• Energy Assessors
• Air Conditioning Inspectors

Camfil Farr Training Academy 2012 Q3 – Webinar Programme:

Fri 12th Oct 2012 at 11.00am – EN779:2012 ~ The New European Standard For Filters ~A Step Towards Better Indoor Environments!

This webinar introduces the new European standard for air filters (EN779:2012) Its purpose is to classify air filters based on their lowest filtration efficiency, also referred to as minimum efficiency (ME). The standard is an initiative that we welcome and a step towards better indoor environments.

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Fri 19th Oct 2012 at 11.00am – Eurovent Energy Classification Facilitates Filter Comparisons

Register for this thought provoking webinar…. European purchasers of air filters are finding it much easier to select the right air filter for energy efficiency and indoor air quality (IAQ), thanks to a new energy efficiency classification system introduced by Eurovent Certification.

Filters are now graded from A to G, with “A” standing for the lowest energy consumption and “G” for the highest. The new classification, based on EN779:2012 gives customers a clearer understanding of a filter’s annual energy consumption, initial efficiency and minimum efficiency.

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Fri 26th Oct 2012 at 11.00am – The Cost of Clean Air ~ Camfil Delivering Clean Air With Healthy Savings

This webinar covers the complete package… Quite simply, we want you to see the positive impact of our low energy air filter products on your bottom line # Certified Filters # Frames # Coils # Ducts # New Duct Cleaning Standard. Helping our clients to cut operating costs while maintaining high IAQ in their buildings and critical processes.

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Fri 2nd Nov 2012 at 11am – Air Handling Unit Optimization ~ Energy Conservation

In this webinar we discuss ideal solutions for improved energy performance of your AHU system.

Air Handling Units rely on a complex set of mechanisms to perform their function satisfactorily. In many cases, more than one of these mechanisms can easily be improved., with soaring power prices and new energy directives, it will always pay to save energy in ventilation systems.. register now for more energy saving initiatives.

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Energy Management for Engineering Students

Series of webinars for building services & mechanical + electrical engineering students whowish to develop their skills and knowledge of sustainable buildings. Another purpose is toencourage debates and build awareness of how low-energy air filtration solutions can play a keyrole in reducing the energy consumption of buildings while also improving Indoor Air Quality.

Friday 9th Nov at 11am – Energy Management A Catalyst For Growth: Bill Wilkinson

Part One: Energy Management A Catalyst For Growth…

A Series of webinars for building services & mechanical + electrical engineering students who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of sustainable buildings.. Another purpose is to encourage debates and build awareness of how low-energy air filtration solutions can play a key role in reducing the energy consumption of buildings while also improving Indoor Air Quality.

Friday 16th Nov at 11am – An Effective Energy Management System : Brian Haslam

An Effective Energy Management System – Part Two of a series of webinars for building services & mechanical + electrical engineering students who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of sustainable buildings.. Another purpose is to encourage debates and build awareness of how low-energy air filtration solutions can play a key role in reducing the energy consumption of buildings while also improving Indoor Air Quality.

Friday 23rd Nov at 11am – Delivering Energy Management & Lean Methodology : Mike Hill

Delivering Energy Management & Lean Methodology… Part Three of a series of webinars for building services & mechanical + electrical engineering students who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of sustainable buildings.. Another purpose is to encourage debates and build awareness of how low-energy air filtration solutions can play a key role in reducing the energy consumption of buildings while also improving Indoor Air Quality.

Friday 30th Nov at 11am Energy Technology & Easy Wins : Peter Dyment

Energy Technology & Easy Wins .. Final Session of a series of webinars for building services & mechanical + electrical engineering students who wish to develop their skills and knowledge of sustainable buildings.. Another purpose is to encourage debates and build awareness of how low-energy air filtration solutions can play a key role in reducing the energy consumption of buildings while also improving Indoor Air Quality.

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Friday 7th Dec 2012 at 11am – New Clean Room Energy Optimization (CREO) DesignSoftware Released Globally by Camfil Farr

Another industry first — The CREO manual outlines the basic theories andcalculations for the new software while also providing valuable historic andcurrent information on clean room standards and guidelines commonly utilizedin the Life Science & Microelectronic industries.

Remember: These webinars are free to attend and will be available for viewing on-demand after the event with registration if you cannot attend.

Please forward to colleagues that you think might be interested.

Camfil has the ambition to be the greenest and cleanest air filtration company in the world. In practice that implies supplying the most energy-efficient air filtration solutions on the market and helping customers save energy and reduce their environmental footprint.

The 2011 Sustainability Report covers initiatives and activities taken during the year to realise that goal.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a major health issue – most decision makers agree on that today. But cleaning air requires energy and contributes to carbon emissions related to energy production.

The amount of power used by heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in commercial, industrial and public buildings is being reduced today when Camfil Farr filters are installed. This is because Camfil Farr’s products are low-energy filters with low pressure drop. The key lies in finding the most energy-efficient filtration solution for the task at hand, notes Alan O’Connell, President and CEO of the Camfil Farr Group, in the newly released report. “Today’s era of climate change poses a dilemma for decision-makers, who must choose between protecting people’s health or reducing carbon emissions. Camfil Farr’s energy-efficient solutions, can help balance both needs,” says O’Connell.

In 2011, Camfil Farr’s most energy-efficient filter solutions for ventilation accounted for 67 per cent of global sales in the Comfort Air products segment. Since 2007, this share has grown 8 per cent. The company not only helps customers save energy: on a Group-wide basis, Camfil Farr has reduced its own energy consumption by 21 per cent and improved the energy efficiency of its manufacturing plants by 38 per cent in 2011, compared to the benchmark year of 2007. Camfil Farr was the first company to develop energy and air quality rating systems for air filters.

The new Energy Efficiency Classification system that came into force in January 2012 is good news from a sustainability point of view, says Myriam Tryjefaczka, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Camfil Farr. “Customers will now get a clearer understanding of a filter’s annual energy consumption, initial efficiency and minimum efficiency. The classification will basically serve as a useful tool for our customers for selecting the most energy-efficient filter,” she says.

During 2011 Camfil Farr achieved several ISO certifications. Several subsidiaries also received awards for minimising their environmental impact and caring for the environment. Major progress was also made globally in the Group to develop a sustainable mindset from a human resource perspective.

“We are pleased to see that our sustainability efforts are being recognised in different areas. Several of our units were first in their country to be granted ISO 50001 certification for energy management and our eco-efficent products and solutions received awards around the world.

Going forward, we will continue our sustainability efforts and dialogue with stakeholders, customers and policy makers, as well as internally with employees, so we can maintain our position as an industry leader in sustainability,” says Tryjefaczka.

The entire report can be downloaded on Camfil Farr’s corporate website: http://www.camfilfarr.com/About-Camfil-Farr/Sustainability/

For more information, contact kirstie@simplymarcomms.co.uk or call 0870 199 4044

The survey can be taken here:

The Camfil UK – Energy Management Survey 2012

Thank you for your time.

Camfil UK – www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

]]> http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/2012/04/how-much-do-you-know-about-energy-use-in-your-buildings-2-minute-survey/feed/ 0 http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/2012/04/register-for-a-free-cpd-webinar-keep-the-city-out-%e2%80%93-indoor-air-quality/ http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/2012/04/register-for-a-free-cpd-webinar-keep-the-city-out-%e2%80%93-indoor-air-quality/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:50:14 +0000 http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/?p=832 Camfil Farr have developed a wide range of live interactive Webinars that are CIBSE CPD accredited and last for an hour. These webinars are free to attend and will be available for viewing on-demand after the event with registration if you cannot attend.

At Camfil Farr we believe that Clean Air is a human right and so we design high quality filtration solutions that meet the needs of sustainable ventilation by creating the right balance between healthy indoor air and energy savings. Register now for a thought provoking webinar..

www.camfilfarr.co.uk

www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

www.keepthecityout.co.uk

]]> http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/2012/04/register-for-a-free-cpd-webinar-keep-the-city-out-%e2%80%93-indoor-air-quality/feed/ 0 http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/2011/09/camfil-commended-for-air-conditioning-product-of-the-year-at-the-2011-rac-cooling-awards/ http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/2011/09/camfil-commended-for-air-conditioning-product-of-the-year-at-the-2011-rac-cooling-awards/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:54:57 +0000 http://www.ac-inspections.co.uk/?p=821 Camfil Farr is a global manufacturer of air filtration equipment and associated services and the world leader in the production and development of air filters.  They recently became the first manufacturing company in the UK to be awarded international Energy Management Standard ISO 50001 and the Energy Reduction Verification (ERV) Kitemark.

Camfil Farr were highly commended for the Air Conditioning Product of the Year Award at Emap’s RAC Cooling Awards 2011.

Camfil Farr were commended for the Air Conditioning Product of the Year for their AHU Low Energy Air Filter at the 8th annual RAC Cooling Industry Awards organised by RAC, the leading source of news, information and analysis for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

The RAC Cooling Industry awards highlighted the leading technical innovations and environmental successes driving the sector.  The refrigeration and air conditioning industry faces major challenges.  As a huge user of power – 20% of the national grid – the cooling industry is under increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions and tackle climate change. As well as the need for improved energy performance, other environmental issues – such as noise, refrigerants, containment, recyclability and materials – are driving change throughout the industry. The awards recognise the innovation used to tackle many of these issues.

Bill Wilkinson Camfil Farr Managing Director said:

“Camfil continue to educate Property & Estates Managers and Energy Assessors about the substantial energy saving opportunities (25-50%) that can be made by replacing existing filter assets with low energy air filters. Air Filters consume about 30% of the energy used in such systems.  A badly selected filter can cost over £500 per year. The RAC Cooling Awards are an independent stamp of approval for our low energy air filters and excellence across the HVAC industry”.

Contact Camfil today to find out how low energy air filters can reduce energy bills by between 25- 50% – ideal for CRC compliance and energy reduction targets.

www.camfilfarr.co.uk

www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

www.ac-inspections.co.uk

Myriam TRYJEFACZKA Camfil Farr Corporate Sustainability Manager myriam.tryjefaczka@camfil.fr

Energy conservation is closely linked to sustainability. In today’s energy debate, governments are leaning heavily on commercial and industrial building owners to shrink energy consumptions.

Building ventilation systems are energy-intensive and we have calculated – in the case of Sweden, for example – that as much as 1.4TWh of energy is needed to move air through filters in all the country’s air handling systems. A projection over the entire European market evaluates fan energy consumption at 31.5 TWh for building ventilation.

Using the correct filters with the required particulate efficiency and lowest possible pressure drop will reduce the energy consumption of HVAC systems sharply while maintaining a healthy indoor climate for occupants and enhancing the building performance in terms of sustainability.

Experience shows that selection, according to EN 13779, of the right filters with the right pressure drop can have a significant impact on energy consumption and carbon footprint of buildings in the European Union.

Quality low-energy air filters may cost a little more, but their longer term benefits pay off every time, usually several times over – in terms of

• reduced energy consumption,
• higher Indoor Air Quality (IAQ),
• fewer filter changes,
• less waste.

PART 1 – Air conditioning inspections: a quick win for a better indoor environment and energy savings

The EU EPBD legislation, Article 9 ( article 15 in the Recast EPBD, 2010) makes inspections of air conditioning (AC) systems mandatory for compliance.

AC inspections performed by Camfil Ltd in the UK have confirmed the potential of quick wins that inspection of filters could provide to building tenants and maintenance companies. They deliver the required indoor air quality with optimum energy efficiency.

Land Security case study

Land Securities, the largest commercial property company in the UK, now own and manage more than 2.7 million square metres of commercial property, from London offices and high street shops to major shopping centres and out-of-town retail parks.

The initial evaluation of air filters on a pilot site in London involved collecting performance details on the standard air filters in use at the time, and comparing them to an alternative selection of improved performance air filters.

The power use of a filter or any other component in air handling system can be calculated from the equation below

Where P is the required power for the component expressed in Watts with a pressure drop Δp [in Pascals] when the air flow through the component is q in m3/s and the over all efficiency of fan is η

This pre-study identified the following savings:

• Replacement air filters, 15%
• Reduction of labour to change filters, 64%
• Reduction of energy to move air through the filters, 16%
• Reduction in tonnes of CO2, 16%

These savings were available by fitting new filters into the existing filter holding frames as part of the normal maintenance regime. No further investment was required and the new filters were fitted in September 2009.

Prior to this implementation, the air filters were routinely replaced as part of an established Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) regime. During this trial project Camfil demonstrated that using low-energy air filters not only reduced the energy consumed, but also doubled the service life of the filters. Consequently, the annual air filter cost was reduced, together with a reduction in labour and waste cost. Crucially, because the low-energy air filters are better engineered, the air being supplied into the buildings is now much cleaner (four-fold decrease in the amount of particulate in the air).

This project has now been rolled out with estimated total savings in the London portfolio alone of 290 350 euros and 650 tonnes of CO2 in the coming year.

Table 1 – Actual and predicted yearly cost savings in Building n°4, AHU n°1 installed week 37(2009). Evaluation performed 24 weeks after installation (1/2y). Simulation used the Camfil Farr Life Cycle Costing software

Visual inspection of AHU and filters: a low hanging fruit

Before suggesting fan motor changes, new electrical equipment and dampers, a simple visual inspection needs be performed to help improvement in cleanliness and efficiency of air filtration.

This makes common sense because our inspectors have found dirty or damaged filters; filters sized so they do not fit the AHU mountings, permitting air to bypass; and worn-out gaskets that create leaks, allowing airborne dust to foul the heat exchangers and re-contaminate air flow.

The following pictures illustrate these common situations, which were discovered during the AC inspection of an office building in London.

Figure 1 – Pre-filter pads need to be changed with a frequency that prevents them from becoming clogged with dust. The pre filter pad in this photo has clearly not been changed recently an as a result there is not clear route for the air to penetrate through this filter. A filter of this type may put considerable extra load on the fan and motor system when it gets into this condition. It may also create a health of fire hazard.

Figure 2 – The upstream face of this filter pad is clearly heavily face loaded. Compare with the downstream face shown below. If this pre-filter additionally becomes wet then the sudden resistance spike can cause motor overheating or dangerous destruction of the filter bank.

Fitting pressure drop gauges and regular monitoring can stop this problem at an early stage.

Figure 3 – This picture shows two problems. Firstly the gap at the end of each row shows an easy route by which the air flow can bypass the filter bank. Secondly nearly all the large sized filters are fitted with the pockets presented horizontally making them choke off the pockets below as gravity pulls them down. Every time two pockets touch there is no air flow through the media in contact. This increases air resistance and energy consumption as a result.

AC inspectors should be aware of the potential energy savings of air filters in order to give added value to their reports. The inspection of the AHU air filtration configuration could be as important as changing to a high-efficiency fan motor. Inspection checklists should always integrate criteria for visual inspection of filters.

Why pay more for higher quality air filters?

Camfil Farr in Denmark conducted a trial at a large pharmaceutical facility with its newest low-energy bag filter, which was installed to replace a standard bag filter delivering the same performance. Pressure drop was continuously monitored over a six-month period. As a result, pressure drop decreased 20% and remained stable until the end of the filter’s life.

The filter uses the latest in glass-fibre media and the bag filter is made with a newly developed seaming technique for optimum air distribution. The filter’s stable plastic frame is also aerodynamically designed for this purpose. The plastic can be recycled.

Clean coils for major energy savings

Camfil Farr in the UK was commissioned by a major London hospital to perform a study aimed at improving the hospital’s energy efficiency. The study demonstrated that the facility could reap major energy savings in its air handling systems by simply cleaning the coils of the AHU.

Camfil Farr performed two coil-cleaning tests in two selected AHUs to determine how this would impact energy consumption. Firstly, pressure readings were taken across the coil sections and then the coil surfaces were inspected for contamination. The coils were then cleaned with a high-pressure steam cleaner to remove heavy deposits of general dirt on the upstream side of the coils, after which new pressure readings were taken in the upstream and downstream sections.

The readings indicated that the initial resistance across one coil, 680 Pa, was reduced to 78 Pa, equal to an estimated energy saving of 872 EUR per year for each m³/s of air flow. The initial resistance on the second AHU coil, 664 Pa, was lowered to 22 Pa, corresponding to energy savings of 930 EUR per year for each m³/s of air flow.

The results of the two coil cleans proved that AHU plants benefit from cleaning and provide far better air flow and reduce energy consumption for the hospital.

These four illustrations of the cost/benefit of paying attention to the filters in an HVAC installation prove that air filters, still often considered as commodities, should be considered as “energy using products” or at least “energy-related products”, according to the legislation’s terminology.

Filters are often purchased only on price as the unique buyer’s consideration. Selecting filters with lower energy consumption can reduce bills and operating costs. It is important to integrate the “service value” provided by filters. The financial benefits of energy savings and maintenance costs are much greater than the initial buying cost.

More case studies from Camfil Ltd are available on :

www.ac-inspections.co.uk and www.lowenergyairfilter.co.uk

Information on Camfil Farr LCC (Life Cycle Costing) software, Product and Corporate information can be retrieved from www.camfilfarr.com

PART 2 – Could European regulations on Energy performance compromise Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?

Today, the negative impacts of air pollution on human health, and the focus on Climate Change, requires that we go back to basics, if we want to avoid contradictory decisions from European policy makers.

Why do we use filters?

Air filters are needed to protect people from the harmful effects of air pollution. People exposure to both indoor air pollution and outdoor air pollution that infiltrates buildings can be controlled and dramatically reduced by well designed and well maintained HVAC systems, using the right selection of air filters.

Up to now, the EPBD and other energy-related policies have focussed mainly on energy savings without linking and integrating indoor air quality (IAQ) targets. The required particulate efficiency with minimum energy use is needed for optimised filtration that could effectively protect people. This is valid for commercial, office and residential buildings.

This involves great responsibility and could have consequences for public health: the risk is that professionals could forget that the primary role of ventilation is to create a good indoor environment and especially good IAQ. The narrow focus on energy aspects could only encourage building users and advisors to think that opening windows is good enough to ventilate indoor areas.

New buildings are better insulated and create a hermetical envelope. Specialists and academics agree that the “tighter” a building is, the more important the ventilation becomes to prevent adverse effects from mould, excessive humidity and above all, the accumulation of harmful pollutants inside the buildings

The reality is simple: we spend 90% of our time indoors.

Indoor environments can be 50 times more polluted than outdoor environments, because outdoor air pollution infiltrates buildings and the interior environment generates indoor air pollution in the form of combustion particles, chemicals substances and VOCs in addition to pollutants produced by human activity.

It is therefore important that the air we breathe is of good quality with regard to particulate matter (recent studies have shown the indisputable involvement of fine and ultrafine particles in cardiovascular disease), chemical pollutants and microbiological contamination (the hygiene of ventilation systems is determinative).

According to the EU Envie report published in 2009, around two million healthy days are lost every year because of the negative effects of indoor air pollution.

Amongst air pollutants, the Envie report identified ultrafine combustion particles as the main cause of air pollution-related diseases (cardiovascular and respiratory disease). Some experts estimate the health cost of indoor air pollution at 110 billion euros in terms of lost work days, visits to doctors, admissions to hospitals and deaths.

The CAFE Project Clean Air for Europe in the 1990s estimated that more than 300,000 deaths could be directly related to air pollution each year.

In December 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its second report on IAQ. The first report focussed on the effects of mould and dampness and prevention measures. The latest is about the most common air pollutants found indoors, in homes, schools, day care centres and offices.

Carbon monoxide, formaldehydes, phthalates, ozone and ultrafine particles have all been identified as harmful. They are susceptible to becoming very reactive and create unpredictable molecular cocktails such as the irritating products of ozone and formaldehyde reaction.

The WHO report on IAQ recommends measures to implement ventilation and filtration strategies that eliminate air pollutants.

The second set of mitigation is related to source-emission reduction of construction material regulations that will be extended to furniture, deodorizers, air fresheners, candles and cleaning products, for example.

As we continuously generate indoor air pollutants, good ventilation remains important even if we can control indoor pollutant emissions.

In March 2010, the ministers and representatives of member states in the European region of WHO have stipulated the following goal in the Parma Declaration: “Regional Priority Goal 3: Preventing disease through improved outdoor and indoor air quality”.

Sustainable policies should always aim to deliver benefits from an economical, environmental and social aspect. Therefore, energy policies for buildings, such as EPBD or the Eco-design of Energy using/related Products Directive, as applied to ventilation devices, should be developed with the careful intention to improve energy efficiency without compromising IAQ.

This approach would definitely consider air filtration as a critical component of building energy performance. If this is not  taken into consideration, we still might be able to meet the 20/20/20 target set by the European Commission, but it could be at high human cost and it would obviously not be a “sustainable” achievement.

Health and energy policy makers still live in two separate worlds. The principle of sustainability requires that they increase and improve their collaboration and develop common transverse approaches to the regulation development process, whenever human health and the environment are both at stake. The scientific knowledge and technical expertise are available to accomplish this. We need a stronger political will.

Medical research provides new evidences of health benefits of air filtration.

Early January 2011, new findings were published online ahead of the print edition of the merican Thoracic Society, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine showing that HEPA Filters Reduce Cardiovascular Health Risks Associated With Air Pollution, study finds. Using inexpensive air filters may help reduce cardiovascular disease risk that results from exposure to air pollution. Researchers from Canada, have studied healthy adults living in a small community in British Columbia, where wood burning stoves are the main sources of pollution.

They found that high efficiency particle air (HEPA) filters reduced the amount of airborne particulate matter, resulting in improved blood vessel health and reductions in blood markers that are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

“Our results support the hypothesis that systemic inflammation and impaired endothelial function, both predictors of cardiovascular morbidity, can be favorably influenced by a reduction of particle concentration and add to a growing body of evidence linking short-term exposure to particulate matter with a systemic inflammatory response,” Dr. Allen said. “Reducing air pollution appears to provide health benefits even if the pollution levels are already relatively low.”

HEPA filters offer an accessible option to help reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease that may be associated with inhaling wood smoke, especially as consumers turn more frequently to woodstoves as a source of heat, he added.

“HEPA filters are a potentially useful intervention since they are relatively inexpensive to purchase and operate and can effectively remove tiny particles that can be inhaled, to improve air quality inside homes where the majority of time is spent,” Dr. Allen noted. “The importance of residential wood smoke as a source of air pollution is likely to increase due to the rising costs of other fuels.”

From  ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 25, 2011 from http://www.sciencedaly.com

Filters are the only component in an HVAC system that can be changed at reasonable cost, so why not choose the right filter to save energy without compromising IAQ and health?

Air filtration is definitely a part of the Clean Tech sector.

References

[1] EnVIE

Co-ordination Action on Indoor Air Quality and Health Effects – deliverable final report Feb. 2009, Project no. SSPE-CT-2004-502671 Source: http://www.envie-iaq.eu/index.html

[1] CAFE CBA Baseline Analysis 2000 to 2020

[1] WHO : health aspects of air pollution: results from the WHO project “Systematic review of health aspects of air pollution in Europe” – June 2004

WHO: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines: selected pollutants 2010

WHO: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines on dampness and mould 2009

[1] WHO : Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health : Parma Declaration on Environment and Health, Parma, Italy 11 March 2010.

[1] Ryan W Allen, Chris Carlsten, Barb Karlen, Sara Leckie, Stephan van Eeden, Sverre Vedal, Imelda Wong, and Michael Brauer. An Air Filter Intervention Study of Endothelial Function Among Healthy Adults in a Woodsmoke-Impacted Community. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2011; DOI: 10.1164/rccm.201010-1572OC

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