The COVID-19 pandemic has been an eye-opening experience. It has highlighted how critical air quality and circulating air is to public health. In enclosed buildings like schools, offices, and stores, the HVAC systems have primarily been a factor of simple comfort. But the need to sanitize air amid the pandemic has highlighted the important role that air cleaning and filtration takes.
Previously, medical-grade ventilation systems were only really considered in the types of facilities that most needed to keep a watch on the delicate interplay between air quality and health, such as hospitals and retirement communities. The contagious nature of COVID-19 has highlighted how other sectors must consider these medical-grade ventilation systems as well. From residential homes to commercial buildings, high-end HVAC systems are critical for comfort, control, energy efficiency, and reliable public health safety.
Emerging Opportunities in the HVAC System Business
In the early and peak days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the general public caught up with what medical professionals had known for a while, namely that the quality of air indoors directly impacts the health of those inside. This correlation takes the form of general air quality needed for lung and circulation health. More pressingly, the ability of air-borne diseases to spread from person to person through circulating air became a matter of life and death.
When schools and businesses remained shut because of COVID-19 concerns, the ability to re-open and re-populate these spaces became incumbent on those indoor and enclosed spaces being properly ventilated. Further, the traditional role of HVAC systems of maintaining comfortable temperatures played a critical role, too. Certain temperature ranges were considered to be ideal for minimizing the spread and volatility of the pathogens.
While reducing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was about preserving lives, this trend also highlighted the need for less serious diseases to be mitigated as much as possible via proper ventilation equipment and practices. Less serious illnesses, such as the flu or the common cold, can still stay stagnant in the air and in enclosed spaces if the air isn’t properly being circulated and filtered.
Ensuring safety and comfort for building occupants comes along with these more medical-grade HVAC systems. HVAC designs now need to include
- Bipolar ionization processes
- In-duct air cleaners
- Variable speed fans motors for better customization
- Airflow-control systems that are sensitive to pressure
- High-performance air purification systems
No longer is the use of medical-grade HVAC systems restricted to those buildings that are frequented by the most medically vulnerable. Now, a wider swath of building owners and facility managers are opting for these higher-grade HVAC systems.
For example:
Schools and Universities:
Providing a healthy environment is the best way to minimize the spread of any contagious illnesses, keep faculty and students safe, and other immeasurable benefits like reducing sick days due to flu or other airborne illnesses.
Retail Stores, Supermarkets, and Malls:
The retail sector was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as people were simply too afraid to gather in public spaces to do non-essential shopping. People turned more towards online shopping and digital solutions, even with essential shopping like groceries turning to online delivery mode. For retail businesses, the use of medical-grade HVAC systems is about providing a safe and healthy environment that customers won’t be anxious to visit in person.
Office Buildings:
Similarly, the only way to make the office worker feel comfortable returning to in-person work is with proper health practices, which include medical-grade HVAC systems. And the healthier workers are, the more productive they’ll be and the less time they’ll miss from sick days.
Homeowners:
Even in the traditional residential home, ensuring optimal circulation and filtration of the air is the best way to ensure your family stays safe, healthy, and happy. Homeowners are re-evaluating their HVAC choices in droves, opting for the top-of-the-line options in air-conditioning and home HVAC systems for the safety of their health.
Conclusion
COVID-19 highlighted just how important proper ventilation can be to the choice in an HVAC system in any building, but the usefulness of medical-grade HVAC equipment extends beyond the pandemic. With air quality and pollutants so directly tied into the health and well-being of building occupants, installing the best options will be a boost to occupant health, overall productivity, levels of comfort and happiness, and long-term viability.
For HVAC professionals looking to upgrade or replace HVAC systems or choose the right equipment for a new building, IndiaCADworks offers expert insights into all the benefits of medical-grade HVAC. Get in touch with us today to see what your options are and how we can help you keep your clients and their families, tenants, employees, and others safe.
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