Smarter buildings are about more than comfort

Having been in the building industry for over 30 years, I can tell you that it’s one of the slowest industries to see change. For decades, heating and cooling have been some of the greatest innovations that have allowed us to conquer environments that are difficult to live in around the globe. Even now, 99% of buildings are still controlled by using only one element of human comfort – temperature. We really need to ask ourselves, how can a building be smart when there is only one point of data in which to control them?

If we think about the modern car, it has a backup camera, proximity sensors, cooling by seating location, heated seats/steering wheel, whilst also having air based heating and cooling. Smart screens and sensors inside and outside of most cars will one day, probably not too far away, allow them to be completely self driving. With a slowness to adapt, commercial and residential buildings are like driving a car from the 1970s. There is just the speedometer to tell you how fast you are going, but not much else in the way of information or control. There isn’t even an engine light. We can equate modern buildings to old cars, because IoT is only just now slowly making its way into buildings.

Internet of things devices that use indoor air quality data have the greatest potential impact on our lives in buildings. Imagine a building that can be controlled by how many people are in spaces (therefore saving energy), by using CO2. By monitoring indoor air quality, one can also respond to chemicals in the air, dust from inside and outside and with sound, light and humidity sensors to improve your comfort, safety and wellbeing.

A building that uses indoor air quality to set controls goes so much further than a building that only uses a thermostat. By using this data monitoring, you can control for occupancy, reduce risk, and really start getting more efficient.

Dynamic ventilation (sometimes called demand control ventilation) is one of those easy to do things that can save between 10-40% of a building’s energy use. Most commonly this is done using CO2 which can tell you how many people are in a space. Because people breathe CO2 at a constant rate you can use it to tell how many people are in a space. That means you can now heat and ventilate without guessing. But you can also do this monitoring using chemicals and dust in industrial applications. In many instances, fans and filters will just run constantly in a facility to address both chemicals and dust. Being able to sense what is in the air and saving fan energy by responding to what can’t be seen, goes a long way toward both energy savings and human health.

IoT sensors also allow a facilities team to be able to know where to focus their day. We’ve seen many times where someone will use a piece of paper against a vent to tell whether air is coming out of it (the paper moves if air is flowing). A sensor can do this job much more efficiently and with far greater accuracy, because not only can it tell you whether the air is blowing, but also what is in the air. They can tell you how much dust is in the air and whether or not the filters are doing their job. Rather than filter maintenance being on a set schedule, filter maintenance can be done based on demand with dust sensor information.

Over the next few years, existing buildings are going to have to focus heavily on attracting people back into them. The only way to do this is through transparency, by showing people what is happening. And the best way to save time and money is through information from IoT driven data that allows you to plan and optimize all your spaces for comfort, health and efficiency.

About Michael Driedger: Michael is the founder and CEO of Airsset Technologies, a platform of software and IoT devices that allows for the measurement, analysis and solving of air quality for indoor spaces with the goal to create healthy and productive spaces for all through digital transformation. www.airsset.com

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Hundreds of active methane gas leaks from pipes sustained by the Washington Gas Company throughout the District have been revealed, according to a study released by Beyond Gas DC.

The Beyond Gas DC report said neighborhood researchers who belong to organizations such as the District’s chapter of the Sierra Club or the civic umbrella group, Washington Interfaith Network [WIN], tested air from vents in utility access caps on city streets and sidewalks using an industry-grade methane detector. The report said the exact number of leaks came out to 389. The report also said over a dozen of the leaks hovered near the point of a possible explosion. The study took a year in duration and ended in February.

The report didn’t surprise Barbara Briggs who serves as chair of the Friends Meeting of Washington Committee on Peace & Social Concerns.

“In 2014, there was a report that said 6,000 leaks were in the city,” Briggs said. “The D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment has conducted surveys done that have been consistent with our numbers. So-called natural gas from the pipes crumbling under our streets is contributing to climate change and gas burned presents a threat to health.”

Rosa Lee lives in the River Terrace neighborhood in Ward 7. Lee decided to get involved with WIN and participated in measuring leaks throughout the city.

“I also did River Terrace,” Lee said. “We did all of the streets over here and checked the water and gas meters. We found leaks, some small, some large. This was interesting to me because I have lived in this area for over 30 years and didn’t think this was taking place.”

Lee expressed surprise at the high level of methane near Varick Memorial AME Zion Church, located in River Terrace. She said while neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River have been affected by the leakage of methane gas, “so have places like Connecticut Avenue and Georgetown.”

“These gas pipes were installed 100 years ago,” Lee said. “I know Washington Gas is looking into doing repairs. Our city leaders need to talk about that.”

The report said poor and Black children remain disproportionately affected by indoor air pollution, which may consist of methane gas. Children in Ward 8 remain 10 times more likely to go to the hospital because of an asthma attack than children in wealthier parts of the city.

Lee knows of the statistics dealing with poor young people of color. 

“They know our children are getting sick but to them they don’t matter,” she said.

Mark Rodeffer of the Sierra Club said the District needs to transition away from pipes that contain methane gas to cleaner energy fuels.

“We need to move away from using fossil fuels and focus on cleaner energy sources such as solar and wind power,” he said. “We want the D.C. Council to begin the process of replacing gas a source of energy. I realize it will take more than a piece of legislation to do that. We have to work on all fronts, such as with the Public Service Commission to make that happen.”

@JamesWrightJr10

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Originally Appeared Here

Opinion writers weigh in on these covid topics.

Bloomberg:
Improving Ventilation Will Stop More Than Covid-19 

The White House’s roadmap for the next phase of the pandemic covers all the usual suspects, including Covid-19 surveillance, testing, vaccination and treatment. But there’s also a happy surprise tucked in there: a series of proposals to help improve indoor air quality. This marks an essential shift toward acknowledging that cleaning the air can help mitigate the spread of Covid. “It’s overdue,” says Virginia Tech engineering professor Linsey Marr. (Lisa Jarvis, 3/8)

The New York Times:
The New Phase Of The Pandemic Is Covid Exhaustion

We’re headed into the third year of pandemic life, and one thing is clear: We’re all exhausted from Covid. Virus caseloads are waning across the country, masks are coming off, people are traveling more, and office workers have new return dates. Does that mean the pandemic is over? Maybe. And maybe not. (3/9)

The Washington Post:
Congress Should Not Withhold Biden’s Request For Covid-19 Resources 

The Biden administration released a comprehensive plan last week that’s been widely applauded — including by me — as a sound, evidence-based path out of the covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, it can’t be executed without additional coronavirus funding. Those opposed should be heard, but this process must not delay Congress’s approval of the White House’s $22.5 billion request. (Leana S. Wen, 3/8)

Stat:
Ignoring Behavioral, Social Sciences Undermines The Response To Covid-19

The U.S. has bungled many of its efforts to rein in the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that Francis S. Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, perfectly captured the country’s fundamental flaw: “Maybe we underinvested in research on human behavior,” he told Judy Woodruff during an interview for PBS NewsHour. “I never imagined a year ago, when those vaccines were just proving to be fantastically safe and effective, that we would still have 60 million people who had not taken advantage of them because of misinformation and disinformation that somehow dominated all of the ways in which people were getting their answers.” (Judith D. Auerbach and Andrew D. Forsyth, 3/9)

The Atlantic:
Why COVID Vaccine Cards Are So Easily Forged 

My proof of COVID vaccination is recorded on an easy-to-forge paper card. With little trouble, I could print a blank form, fill it out, and snap a photo. Small imperfections wouldn’t pose any problem; you can’t see whether the paper’s weight is right in a digital image. When I fly internationally, I have to show a negative COVID test result. That, too, would be easy to fake. I could change the date on an old test, or put my name on someone else’s test, or even just make something up on my computer. After all, there’s no standard format for test results; airlines accept anything that looks plausible. (Bruce Schneier, 3/8)

NBC News:
Florida Gov. DeSantis’ Mask Outburst Is A Cautionary Tale

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chastised a group of high school students for wearing masks in his presence, saying “Please, take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything and we’ve got to stop with this Covid theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.” The governor later doubled down on this message, with his press secretary stating after the event, “There’s no evidence masks make any difference.” He is wrong about the science — masks work, and better masks work better — and he is profoundly wrong about how we should treat kids who continue to wear masks to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe. (Jonathan Levy, 3/8)

The Washington Post:
Vaccines Work For Children. Ignore The Nonsense Spoken In Florida. 

The final decision about whether youths should get vaccinated against the coronavirus is up to them and their parents. We think they should receive the shots; scientific evidence shows that vaccines protect young people from serious illness and death. Unfortunately, though, the message about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines has failed to reach many families. That is why the Florida surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, was irresponsible to announce on Monday that the state health department plans to formally recommend against vaccination for healthy children. (3/8)

This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

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Israeli company Urecsys has announced that it has raised $7 million at a $50 million valuation for its indoor air quality solutions. To date, Urecsys has secured funding of over $14 million and has been awarded multiple grants from various governmental institutions reaching over $1.5 million. Recently, the Ministry of Economy awarded a grant to the company, specifically dedicated to the expansion and deployment of Urecsys’ technology and services in the London and New York City metropolitan areas.

Among the prominent investors in the company are the likes of Dr. Kobi and Dr. Judith Richter, Union Group, the Unger Family, TalCar Group, and venture capital firms iAngels Ventures and iAngels Technologies.

Urecsys’ smart city urban networks are currently deployed and active in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Petah Tikva, Netanya, and many other cities in Israel. Urecsys’ system monitors air pollution levels in real-time, recording data every 15 seconds. It monitors not only the air pollution levels from the urban area surrounding buildings but also many other intervening factors, such as meteorological and climate data. By utilizing ML and AI prediction methods, Urecsys optimizes the fresh air intake within the building: maximizing outdoor air ventilation when the outdoor air pollution levels are relatively low and minimizing the outdoor air ventilation when the outdoor air pollution levels are relatively high.

The company was founded in 2015 and employs around 30 people in Israel and abroad.

Urecsys’ CEO, Nir Bassa, noted: “During September 2021 the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines with regards to public exposure to urban air pollutants. The updated guidelines are open to the public and available online. We believe they are very important when considering public health. There is a significant scientific message standing behind Urecsys, which is the novel approach and technology enabling a proven and tremendous achievement in reducing about 50% of public exposure to urban air pollutants in the workplace.”

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Air conditioning used to be a luxury, or something only needed in desert climates. But average temperatures have risen due to climate change and more people consider air conditioning a necessity. Today, 90% of all U.S. households have an A/C unit. That might sound like a win, an example of technology improving quality of life. Unfortunately, it is also a perfect example of a vicious cycle. The more air conditioners we run, the faster the climate changes and the more we need relief from high temperatures.

Air Con and the Ozone

Air conditioners contribute directly to climate change by releasing ozone-depleting greenhouse gases. Although the Montreal Protocol banned the use of CFCs, air conditioners still use hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. These refrigerants can leak up to 10% each year. And if we do not properly dispose of old units, the refrigerants may be completely released into the atmosphere.

The most commonly used refrigerant in air conditioners is the HFC known as R-410A, a greenhouse gas more than 2,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Eliminating HFCs the way we eliminated CFCs a generation ago could prevent as much as 0.5ºC of warming over the next century. That would achieve one-third of the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Air Con and Energy

Air conditioners are terrible energy hogs, consuming 3,000 to 5,000 watts of electricity every hour that they run. The climate impact of using that much electricity will depend on the energy source, but it’s a significant part of a household’s total, especially in hot climates. For most Americans, home energy use is the second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions (after transportation). Temperature control makes up more than half of home energy use, and air conditioners specifically account for 23% of electricity use in all American buildings.

During a 2019 heatwave in France, each degree above normal seasonal temperatures correlated with additional electricity consumption equivalent to powering an additional city of Bordeaux, a municipality of about a quarter-million inhabitants. Not only does this result in significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions and associated climate impacts, but it also taxes energy infrastructure and can result in power outages, like the one in Portland in 2021. While power outages will temporarily reduce emissions, in a heatwave, they also increase the risk of heat-related deaths. Sociologist Eric Klineberg’s research on the 1995 Chicago heat wave revealed that people who die during heatwaves are among society’s most vulnerable, victims of environmental injustice that has led to unequal maintenance of infrastructure in low-income and minority neighborhoods.

Air Con and Health

Although necessary in extremely high temperatures, reliance on air conditioning also presents its own health risks. Air conditioning can lead to fatigue and headaches, dry eyes and skin, and dehydration. Exposure to constant air-conditioning can prevent our bodies from acclimatizing to hot weather, which may be making us more vulnerable to heat-related illness. And unless air ducts are very well maintained, air conditioning contributes to allergies, lower indoor air quality, and even sick building syndrome.

What Can You Do?

If you are building a home, use passive solar design principles. Although people tend to associate solar design with heating, it is really about designing for compatibility with the local climate. It makes a home more comfortable year-round.

Even if you’re not building a new home, you can make your existing home more efficient. Upgrading insulation and sealing air leaks, installing appropriate window treatments and planting shade trees, and replacing asphalt tiles are some of the ways to combat the urban heat island effect. When it’s time to reroof, sustainable roofing choices like a cool roof or a living green roof can also make a difference.

When the temperature rises, before turning on the A/C, try using old-school cooling hacks. Open windows strategically, bust out the kiddie pool, sleep with damp sheets, and drink lots of iced tea to stay comfortable.

Better Air Conditioning

These strategies may be enough in some places, at least most of the time. But extreme heat kills about 700 people in the U.S. each year, so there are times and places when smokestorms and extreme temperatures make air conditioning necessary. Researchers are working on solid-state coolants, and the Rocky Mountain Institute launched the Global Cooling Prize to encourage development of greener air conditioning technologies. Two winning prototype A/Cs are more efficient than current designs and use safer refrigerants. But they won’t be commercially available until 2025.

In the meantime, a heat pump/heat exchanger is the most efficient cooling system. If you can’t afford one, cooling only the most-used part of the house with a window unit uses a third as much energy as cooling the whole house with a centralized A/C. Whatever cooling method you use, don’t use it more than you have to, and buy green energy to minimize the impact.

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