How to Update HVAC Today for a More Resilient Future

More than a year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve learned a lot about how to reduce the risk of transmission. We’ve changed our behaviors and expectations around hygiene and cleanliness. And we’ve made dramatic changes to how we live and work. While we’re not out of the woods yet, the lessons learned can guide some decisions about the types of lasting changes building owners and designers can make to better protect people within a wide range of facility types.

Not only can changes to HVAC design and operation lower the risk of transmitting COVID-19 and its variants through building ventilation, but it could also mean that this year’s historically low flu season is but the first of many such anomalies. These changes can also make buildings more comfortable for the people who are ready to return to work and play.

While the ideal situation might be for building owners to approve a wide swath of upgrades to HVAC systems for COVID prevention, the reality is that facility owners may have to approach improvements strategically, balancing need with budgetary limitations. One thing is for certain: the conversations being held around healthy air are here to stay. It is critical that building designers and owners begin thinking about steps they can take to prepare their MEP systems for the future.

COVID drives new HVAC design baseline

While not every HVAC improvement will be right for every project, there is one universal upgrade that every facility should target: filtration. All HVAC systems have in-duct filtration already, but not all existing systems have the capability to support the recommended MERV 13 rated filters (or ASHRAE’s preferred MERV 14 filter). Because more efficient filters lead to an increased pressure drop, these higher rated filters may actually reduce the amount of air flowing through the HVAC system and, consequently, the filter.

However, filtration has become universally agreed upon as the first step of a multi-layered approach to capturing minute viral particles, in part because it is already an integral part of an HVAC system’s defense against contaminants. While it may take time to make upgrades to existing systems, this guidance can and should be used as a clear baseline from which to begin designing new mechanical systems.

Changing conversations around HVAC

Another shared feature for all building designs should be new discussions around ventilation. For the most part, building ventilation has been a box to be checked in order to get a permit. Going forward, that must change for all projects types. Decisions around how best to ventilate will need to be a key part of early design, because we have seen too clearly that relying solely on mechanical ventilation presents its own challenges. Just as designers have learned to prioritize natural daylighting, natural ventilation strategies should begin to play a stronger role in future designs for all building types.

The strategies for how to best ventilate, and the appropriate air exchange rates, will vary from building to building. The most important step right now is to start prioritizing healthy ventilation from the first stages of design.

A layered approach to protection

Filtration and ventilation will provide a strong foundation for healthier buildings in the future. However, additional solutions may prove useful in certain types of building, particularly in those buildings that will need to make clear changes to attract occupants once again.

For example, many office building owners may find that they need to take additional steps to prove to occupants that their indoor environments are healthy. In addition to adequate protection from viral particulates, these buildings may need to fight the perception of a “sick building.” An uncomfortable or stuffy building can rapidly earn the label of being unhealthy. A too-often overlooked culprit is low humidity.

An appropriate humidity control strategy makes buildings more comfortable, which in turn makes workers more productive. However, a relative humidity level between 40%-60% may also be the single most effective way to mitigate the spread of viruses and bacteria in buildings. This is due to both the human body’s adverse reaction to low humidity and viruses’ ability to thrive and spread under exceedingly low or high humidity conditions. Currently, very few office buildings are equipped with humidification equipment that can keep viral spread low during the winter months. Fortunately, these solutions are easy to implement in new design or through retrofits, at the building, floor, or office level.

Buildings that rely on safe, healthy air as part of their sales model may find that an investment in in-duct UV disinfection technology helps put visitors at ease. UV solutions have a proven history in healthcare environments and are more than likely to remain prevalent there as an added precaution against infectious particles. Due to their expense and required maintenance, these solutions may not be an easy investment for every facility. However, gathering and entertainment venues that position their environment as safe to secure foot traffic—think fitness clubs, theaters, retail spaces and the like—may find that promoting installation of UV technology demonstrates a reassuring sense of leadership around safety.

Another potential strategy that may prove valuable for medical offices and schools, among other venues, is a capability to isolate an infected individual. While it won’t make sense for most venues to create a dedicated space for this, designers should be considering how to flexibly adapt space for isolation as needed. Solutions may range from creating anterooms to serve as buffers outside certain exam rooms or laying groundwork in design for installing an exhaust system at a later date. The key here will be flexibility so that, with minimal change, the environment can be made ready to protect occupants from contagion.

Balancing new MEP needs

Now, is the time to rethink HVAC systems, while COVID-19 continues to weigh heavy on the minds of building operators and designers. The challenge will be in driving this mindset forward and determining how best to layer strategies that not only are effective, but put building occupants at ease the moment they walk through the door. Because this is a solution that largely operates behind the scenes, it will be up to building owners to prove and promote their comfortable, healthy environments.

Determining an MEP solution that meets all project goals, including comfort, aesthetics, operational performance, cost and more should not be a challenge for building owners and architects. With the power of our AI-driven MEP design tools, Schnackel Engineers can help architects and owners determine the optimal MEP configuration to meet all project goals and constraints.

If you’re ready to change the conversation around MEP design today, and build more resilient buildings for tomorrow, then reach out to Schnackel Engineers today.