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.
Shouldn’t we be more agressive in our pursuit of the same demand on listings by our manufacturers here?
Researchers have released a report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine that notes long-term exposure to ozone increases the risk of death from lung disease. Ozone is a form of air pollution, a common component in cities with smog, that is produced by the interaction of vehicle, factory emissions and sunlight.
The researchers looked at the health impacts of ground level ozone on almost 450,000 people living in 96 large and small cities in the United States between 1977 and 2000. They found approximately 10,000 people died of some form of respiratory illness, with the greatest number of deaths occurring in large urban areas where smog levels are highest. Ozone is also related to increased asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia.
This research, as well as other supporting materials, should lead code officials and standard writing bodies to adopt ozone air cleaning as a methodology to protect people through air filtration in the building’s HVAC systems.
Reference: Long-Term Ozone Exposure and Mortality, the New England Journal of Medicine.
The ASHRAE 62.1 Committee, Ventilation Standard for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, has set in motion a redux of the Indoor Air Quality Method wherein air filtration may be selected to simulate fresh outside air thus reducing the outside air requirements and associated energy to heat and cool the introduced fresh air. The goal is to give the IAQ Method new impetus for those wishing to reduce a building’s energy expenditure and overall carbon footprint. The revised section of this document will be reviewed by the Committee at the ASHRAE Winter Meeting in Chicago in January before full public release. Interested parties should attend this meeting and voice their opinions or concerns accordingly. I believe that this is another step in the right direction to reduce monster energy’s grip on the US economy. Use of the IAQ Method could reduce heating and cooling expenditures in large terms we can all relate to; millions of dollars. Once the Committee has released the new verbiage, which has been authored to make using the method easier, we will post a link to the changes on this web site. You can also track through the ASHRAE web site under Standard updates.