CE Pro September 2023 - 12

Wellscapes
HEALTHFUL LIGHTING | AIR | WATER | SOUNDS | ECOSYSTEMS
How to Help Mitigate
Wildfire Smoke
Impact on IAQ
Air quality experts at Honeywell offer
tips on designing systems that mitigate
occupant exposure to poor outdoor air
conditions when sheltering indoors.
By Nick Boever
SINCE 1998, the wildfire
season has been steadily
growing longer, with it now
spanning seven months out
of the year according to the
United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA). And
that length is only expected
to keep growing, according
to the World Health Organization
(WHO).
To aid building pros and
integrators, Manish Sharma,
vice president and chief
product officer of Honeywell
Connected Buildings,
spoke on strategies for
reducing occupant exposure
to wildfire smoke indoors.
" To promote better air
quality in situations like
these, buildings should consider
utilizing automated and
sophisticated sensing, filtration,
air purification and air
circulation solutions, " states
Manish Sharma, VP and chief
product officer of Honeywell
Connected Buildings.
When wildfire smoke is
being discussed, its biggest
threat to human health is
exposure to fine particu12
| CE Pro September 2023
late matter (PM2.5) that
can be comprised of plant
matter, aerosolized building
materials, and other harmful
chemical compounds like
VOCs, carbon monoxide,
and nitrogen dioxide.
Toward that end, Honeywell
outlines three tips to
help reduce occupant exposure
to wildfire smoke and
other outdoor pollution.
1. Continually Assess &
Communicate Indoor Air
Quality - Systems aimed
at cleaning the air should
utilize indoor air quality
sensors to monitor CO2,
TVOC, temperature, relative
humidity and PM2.5. The
sensors will help analyze
data, track trends, and alert
other in the event of indoor
air becoming unsafe. These
sensors can also be made
to work with external data,
such as weather or wildfire
reports to anticipate poor
air quality events and adjust
building systems accordingly.
There's also value in being
able to communicate indoor
air quality levels in both
The California " River Fire " of Salinas, in Monterey County,
was ignited by dry lightning on Aug. 16, 2020.
residential and commercial
properties, Honeywell
notes. According to the
2023 Honeywell Healthy
Buildings Survey data, 82%
of office workers want to
be informed about their
building's IAQ 'often' or
'sometimes.'
2. Ventilation Remains
Paramount - The simplest,
cheapest, and most
effective way to ventilate is
to open a window. However,
during periods of high
outdoor air pollution, such
as with wildfire smoke, or
during the winter, this is
rather inadvisable.
Still, the CDC recommends
that, even in an
enclosed space, a certain
rate of ventilation be maintained.
This is not only to
direct unclean air towards
purifiers and air cleaners,
but also to help maintain
thermal comfort. The best
way is to orient mechanical
ventilation devices, such as
fans. Buildings can also tap
into the building's HVAC
system to help maintain
safer IAQ levels through
adequate ventilation.
More advanced tactics
can even use pressurization
technologies to better
control the flow of air within
a building. " Control of air
pressure, both positive and
negative, inside a building
is key to providing comfort
and preventing outdoor
contaminants from entering
a space, " states Sharma.
3. Filtration & Purification
Are Paramount -
The gold standard for air
filtration remains the HEPA
filter. These filters can
capture particulates of 0.01
micron.
Air quality devices recognized
and certified by
third-party organizations
like Allergy Standards or the
EPA are also vital in creating
a healthier indoor environment,
Sharma notes.
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CE Pro September 2023

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