Understandably, the emphasis on indoor air quality is higher than ever, with increasing pressure to ensure our buildings are well-ventilated and their occupants are provided with a clean and healthy indoor environment to enjoy.
Yet, with climate change continuing to be one of the biggest challenges facing our global community, tackling both our internal and external environments is the best way to ensure a healthy future and fresh, clean air for all – as Martin Passingham, product & training manager from Daikin UK explains.
With everyone spending more time at home in recent months than many of us would have preferred, the quality of our indoor environments is coming under much closer scrutiny than ever before. But perhaps you’d be surprised to know that this trend is not a new thing; even before the events of 2020, some estimates suggested that we spend up to 90 per cent of our time indoors. With an increasingly urban population, this does not appear set to change any time soon – and the rising levels of pollution, energy consumption and rapid use of resources this ensues is an ongoing problem.
The quality of our environment goes hand-in-hand with public health, so how can we ensure this is protected, while also balancing the need for energy efficiency? Fortunately, through careful system design and the use of innovative, sustainable product developments, it is possible to provide fresh, clean air to building occupants, while minimising the impact this has on the planet.
Indoor air quality
Indoor air quality is something that can be affected by numerous complex and interlinked factors, arising from both outside and inside air pollution sources. Exterior sources can include road traffic, industrial processes, waste incineration and construction and demolition sites. Pollution includes particulate matter, NO2, CO and pollen, all of which can be brought into a building through natural or mechanical ventilation and via infiltration through the building fabric.
But there are also pollution sources inside a building, including Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) given off by wall and floor coverings, furniture and appliances as they age and degrade; dust, damp and mould; emissions from office equipment and industrial machinery; and, of course, occupants themselves, who breathe out CO2 and can spread colds and viruses.
Effective ventilation
Ensuring a plentiful supply of fresh air may seem the obvious solution to poor air quality but this must be viewed with the context of overall building efficiency. In modern building design, the pressure to reduce running costs and energy consumption, combined with the targets set by BREEAM and LEED assessments, mean the emphasis often falls on delivering high levels of energy efficiency through insulation and strict air-tightness. Yet, unless sufficient ventilation is included in the building design, this can lead to low oxygen levels, increased potential for allergies and odours and the risk of condensation build up.
Opening a window may also seem like a solution to this ventilation dilemma. However, this could in fact do more harm than good, especially for buildings within urban areas where levels of outdoor air pollution may be high.
Achieving good levels of indoor air quality is in many ways a balancing act; requiring a careful balance to be struck between energy conservation, temperature, humidity and fresh air supply, while also minimising the ingress of external pollution sources. Through careful design and consideration, it is possible to achieve both effective ventilation and excellent energy efficiency performance – and a number of HVAC solutions are available with energy conservation features, heat recovery ventilation and variable refrigerant volume (VRV) air conditioning systems.
Safeguarding the future
At Daikin, we are determined to reduce our environmental footprint. In the spirit of the Paris Agreement, which tasks nations with reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero and limiting global warming by less than 2 deg C compared to pre-industrial levels, we aim to be CO₂ neutral by 2050.
As part of this, we formulated our Environmental Vision 2050, which has three central commitments. We will reduce the greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the entire life cycle of our products. Furthermore, we will create solutions that link society and customers as we work with stakeholders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.
Finally, using intelligent technology enabled by the Internet of Things, AI and open solutions, we will meet the world's needs for air solutions by providing safe and healthy air environments while at the same time contributing to solving global environmental problems. Bringing these commitments to life will require three key stepping stones: a circular economy, smart use and innovative solutions.
Circular economy
Changing the way that we use resources is critical to future sustainability. A circular economy seeks to decouple economic growth from the consumption of finite resources, by designing out waste from the system and keeping products and materials in use. It’s the epitome of the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ adage.
We aim to achieve this by using Certified Reclaimed Refrigerant Allocation in selected systems, a designation that is exclusive to Daikin and assures customers of both the quality and quantity of reclaimed refrigerant. Assessed by an independent laboratory, the reclaimed refrigerant used by Daikin is the same quality as virgin refrigerant and meets AHRI700 standards.
Smart use
We are continuously striving to provide more tools for our customers to monitor the energy use of our products, including rigorous follow up on energy consumption via the Daikin Cloud Service. We can also provide expert advice to ensure customers are continuously maximising system efficiency and enable predictive maintenance to ensure optimum operation and uptime. Furthermore, energy waste can be prevented through the use of smart key cards and sensors.
Innovative solutions: the new VRV 5 range
Since the launch of Ururu Sarara in 2013 – the first air conditioner to use R32 refrigerant – we have worked to convert our portfolio to lower GWP (Global Warming Potential) refrigerants. The VRV 5 S-series, a completely new unit developed specifically for R32 refrigerant, is the latest evolution.
This all-round performer covers all mini VRC applications and is our most sustainable solution yet. The use of R32 refrigerant allows the VRV 5 series to offer superior environmental performance throughout the lifetime of the product, as it reduces GWP by 71 per cent compared to R410A refrigerant and lowers the refrigerant charge by 10 per cent. What’s more, the VRV 5 series offers market-leading real-life seasonal efficiency.
It is fully optimised for installation in rooms as small as 10m2, with factory-mounted refrigerant response measures meaning no additional leak detection is required. Meanwhile, installation and handling are simplified thanks to the ergonomic design, which features a wider access area so components can be reached easily within the low-profile single fan casing.
In use, it provides best-in-class design versatility with five sound pressure levels down to 39 db(A) and automatic ESP setting up to 45 Pa allowing for ductwork, while the intuitive online and voice controls, along with a new 10 class indoor unit for small rooms, offer maximum user comfort.
The VRV 5 series will be available from Autumn. For more information please visit www.daikin.co.uk/vrv5.
If you want to find out more about the factors that influence our internal environments and the solutions that can achieve the required balance, download our white paper ‘Delivering Good Indoor Air Quality’: www.daikin.co.uk/indoorairquality.
