The energy crisis of 1973 saw the decrease in outside air change rates as a means of reducing energy usage.
This approach can be attributed to the development of what was then labelled Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). The acknowledgement of SBS brought a greater awareness of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
The focus shifted back to energy reduction, in recognition of the impacts of climate change.
COVID shunted IAQ under the spotlight but as we progress past that period, we risk not continuing to apply the lessons we learnt.
Unless a project is targeting specific higher goals through accreditation as a “Green Building”, or achieving a NABERS indoor environment rating, we look to the National Construction Code and Australian Standards for the guardrails to achieve compliance. In doing this, we are aiming for the minimum, the lowest bar that must be overcome. What if we, as an industry, aimed higher?
Why wait for codes and standards to force us to aim higher when simple solutions exist? All buildings deserve the opportunity to provide best practice.
If we apply the lessons that the past few years have given us, buildings with vulnerable occupants should aim higher.
Buildings with high transient or high occupancies should aim higher. If we are asking staff to return to the office, especially if they have immune suppressed family at home, we need to aim higher.
What if we gave our clients an option to achieve significantly better indoor air quality. What if we gave our clients an option to provide staff, visitors and all building occupants greater protection by filtering out viruses, bacteria and the small particles which cause most harm. What if we could do this without compromising energy consumption.
The Vilair range of Micro-Electrostatic Precipitators (MESP) uses a long-proven technology and applies it to achieve solutions for simple retrofit into existing ducted systems or for new ducted installations. The MESP filters significantly improve supply air quality without compromising energy usage.
Please join us in aiming higher.