In a world continually adapting to post-pandemic realities, the significance of airflow management in commercial buildings has never been more felt. Our Lunch & Learn session on February 15th delved deeply into this crucial subject, hosted by Ari Reubin, consulting expert at KMC Controls. Ari was joined by Erich Kreuter, Vice President of Engineering and Products at KMC Controls, and Rod Anthony, Systems Account Manager at Trane Technologies and 40 year veteran in the industry.

What is airflow management? And why is that important to a commercial building?

Rod Anthony, Trane Technologies

Rod Anthony stated, “I think it’s always been important, but it’s doubly important since we’ve had COVID and the amount of air that we’re trying to push through buildings.”

Ventilation rate, he continued, is one of the ways that we’re able to manage VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). The challenge comes when we deal with outside air and how we treat it before it comes into the building, but it’s also important to make sure that our buildings are positively pressurized.

Erich Kreuter agreed that outdoor air is the most expensive aspect of air flow management. Outdoor air must be first brought into the building, then heated up, cooled down, and/or have its humidity adjusted. The proper amount varies by application, by building type, and by occupants. ASHRAE (the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) is very active in prescribing proper standards that deal with ventilation for certain applications, aerosols, and VOCs.

How has COVID affected air flow management?

Erich Kreuter, highlighting the relevance of airflow, expounded on how it’s become critical in maintaining safe building environments post-COVID. When we were in the throes of the COVID epidemic, we had to pay careful attention to how viruses spread, and we wanted the most outdoor air we could physically bring into a building.

Erich Kreuter, KMC Controls

“That’s what made us feel safe,” Erich stated, “but that is terrible for energy efficiency.” He described that we are seeing that pendulum swing back to something more in the middle, trying to find a “Goldilocks” arrangement where everything is just right. We are finding that a balanced approach is vital where ASHRAE standards play a guiding role in maintaining optimal indoor air environments while conserving energy.

Rod Anthony further explained:

“When COVID hit, [everyone] wanted more air…so everybody went and started opening up all their outside air [intakes] trying to increase as much ventilation as they could. The problem with that is if you don’t manage the temperature and humidity of that air, then you’ve solved one riddle, and you’ve created another—potential for mold…because all of a sudden, we’re coming in and not getting below the dew point. The reality is that…you have to manage both of those at the same time.”

Airflow management ensures buildings remain positively pressurized, balancing the intake of outside air to manage indoor air quality. This becomes doubly important, considering increasing concerns about VOCs and maintaining energy efficiency.

Ari Reubin, KMC Controls

Heat Mapping and Smart Buildings

Advanced technology plays a vital role in optimizing building environments such as in commercial office buildings, for example. Rod Anthony discussed the potential of heat mapping in commercial buildings to track occupancy and manage ventilation efficiently.

“We receive so much data from heat mapping,” Rod postulated, “but how do we make it actionable? What are we doing with the data? Ultimately, we need the ventilation where the people are and not where they’re not.” You’ve got to balance efficiency (and by that, we mean saving both energy and money) while keeping the people safe, healthy, and comfortable. By deploying occupancy sensors and smart systems, it’s possible to intelligently manage air quality in various building zones, ultimately aiming for energy conservation while ensuring comfort and safety.

As Erich said, “Occupant comfort, occupant safety, and energy efficiency: if you’re not driving those three things, there’s not ROI (Return on Investment).”

Rod Anthony continued to point out that “if you can scale your ventilation [and] your air conditioning to match whatever the occupancy is, then you stand a better chance to control it.”

The Impact of Building Standards and Tenant-Owner Relationships

From an owner’s perspective, maintaining high asset value and ensuring compliance with standards like ASHRAE’s can appeal to potential tenants. On the flip side, tenants also seek reassurance on improvements in wellness certifications and energy efficiencies before renewing leases. This interplay of demands between building owners and tenants was thoroughly analyzed by our panelists.

The team spent a good deal of time discussing real-world situations. For instance, let’s say you own a 45-story commercial office building, and you are looking to make smart decisions with your property’s airflow management.

Obviously, you want to make money on your investment. But you want to also do right by your tenants AND follow whatever standards and codes apply. How do you balance all that as an owner?

Erich responded that “if I’m going to build value off of it, there are lots of ASHRAE standards there that will give me guidance and guidelines.”

Rod said, “Well, if you get to a point where you could quantify what it is that you’re doing…then perhaps you’ve got a building that you could demand higher rental rates for.”

So then, as the building owner, you receive an ROI on your efforts to have a properly ventilated and conditioned building.

Industry Best Practices and Future Directions

Concluding the session, our experts tackled the question of who leads in airflow management science and practices. Rod Anthony highlighted the crucial role of dedicated outdoor air systems (DOES) and integrated approaches in addressing airflow challenges. He mentioned that we are decoupling the treatment of the outside air. In doing so, the rooftop units become much more of a sensible temperature control because the moisture of the outside air has been removed, but all the smart technology is in just one unit rather than having it spread out.

As discussions ventured into the future, the panel touched on the emerging role of digital twins in optimizing building management. While still developing, digital twins present opportunities for simulating and improving building systems, including airflow.

This session underscored the ongoing evolution and importance of integrated HVAC and airflow management systems in commercial buildings. For experts and laypeople alike, maintaining comfort, safety, and energy efficiency in today’s architectural landscape involves a delicate balance that requires continuous learning and adaptation.

If you’d like to watch the entire episode, click here: KMC Lunch N’ Learn | Intro to Integrated HVAC & Air Flow Management

Join Us Next Week

Looking ahead, next week’s highlighted Lunch & Learn from March 2024 extends this conversation by introducing IoT sensors and indoor air quality for buildings and the methods to accelerate financial break-even with these technologies, as per the IRS “Cost Segregation Method” for accelerated depreciation. Hosted by Air Reubin and featuring experts Clifford Milligan, Professor Mark Hernandez and Matt Rader. Readers can expect a comprehensive exploration that bridges strategy with practical implementation.

KMC Controls is an independent and family-owned manufacturer of turn-key solutions based in New Paris, Indiana. For the last fifty years, KMC Controls has remained dedicated to the American ideals of quality and innovation, focusing on intuitive solutions created by responsive and supportive people.

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