Adjusting IAQ Practices for COVID-19

Adjusting for COVID-19 – Creating a New Normal for Building Operations

The novel COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted how all buildings in major metropolitan areas, including the New York City Metro region, are managing their building systems and operations. Operations need to be adjusted immediately to best protect occupants from this highly transmissible disease. Healthcare facilities, multi-family residential, commercial properties and any other building with some form of traffic will continue to carry this heavy burden in the coming months of preserving the health and safety of those occupants. This will likely transform the status quo of how buildings operate for years to come.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (AHRAE) has published a guidance for building operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We’ve simplified some of the key takeaways to help you best prepare and adjust your operations as we near the peak of this outbreak in New York City.

1. Increase outside air ventilation to 100% – COVID-19 is quickly and easily transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets when an individual coughs or sneezes. Minimizing or altogether eliminating recirculation can reduce the risk of these droplets reaching and infecting occupants.
2. Disable control sequences that would change manual resets – Manual adjustments need to be made to temporarily accommodate this new normal, and control sequences designed for energy saving must be overridden.
   • Economizer limits – This device is used to reduce energy consumption and recycles energy produced. In order to keep air moving frequently, it’s suggested to override these devices.
   • Demand control ventilation - Demand control ventilation (DCV) adjusts outside ventilation air based on occupants and the ventilation demands they create and is an essential part of a building’s ventilation design.
3. Disable nighttime setbacks – Air movement must be as consistent as possible, even during off-peak hours to minimize the risk of recirculation with contaminated air.
4. Increase AHU filtration – AHU ventilation should be increased to MERV-13 or higher, if it can be accommodated. Higher MERV ratings could remove more harmful contaminates from the air.
5. Introduce portable air cleaners - Consider portable air cleaners with HEPA filters (high efficiency particulate air.) These filters are made to clear out roughly 99.7% of particulates that are 0.3 microns or larger in size.
6. Incorporate UVGI - Consider UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) in high risk areas. UVGI has been used in high-risk areas in need of sterilization and disinfection, including waiting rooms, shelters, prisons and more.

At Veritas, our goal is to help you get through these difficult and trying times. We understand the strain that is put on building operations, and our service experts are here to help during the crisis and to help restore normalcy once the crisis concludes. On behalf of the entire Veritas team, stay safe and please reach out if you have any questions on how our services can help.