On this Earth Day, ActivePure is urging for immediate action to tackle the negative impacts of relying solely on traditional ventilation and filtration to enhance indoor air quality.

DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2023 / In 2022, the White House’s Healthy Buildings Challenge introduced new Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) recommendations for increased ventilation and filtration to mitigate the spread of airborne infectious pathogens in indoor environments. While the global leader in air and surface purification technology, ActivePure Technology, applauded the increased focus on IAQ they noted even more opportunities the plan did not address. For example, in areas where outdoor air quality is already poor, increasing ventilation inevitably introduces more pollutants indoors despite the existence of traditional filtration. An even larger concern with increasing ventilation is the need for buildings to run their HVAC systems longer. Naturally, this requires enormous energy to maintain thermal comfort, which drives up operating costs and counters global decarbonization goals.

These IAQ recommendations stand in direct conflict with the vision of the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Goal. However, modern IAQ technology, such as ActivePure a patented and award-winning advanced photocatalysis process, is available as a sustainable alternative, helping organizations recognize that they no longer need to choose between protecting their workers and protecting the environment.

As organizations worldwide strive to modernize their ventilation systems, they face an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) paradox: heating and cooling buildings leave a heavy carbon footprint. In the United States alone, HVAC operating costs account for a sizable portion of the total building’s energy consumption at nearly 40 percent. When a building continuously increases its ventilation and filter efficiency, energy consumption will skyrocket due to greater space conditioning and fan power demands. The economic and environmental impact will be catastrophic as 20 percent of America’s carbon footprint already comes from the built environment’s energy demands. Increasing ventilation, therefore, presents a direct conflict with accomplishing global decarbonization goals. As organizations become more ESG focused, any solution that involves even a minor increase in cost or carbon footprint will most likely be a non-starter for many decision-makers.

“On this Earth Day, ActivePure calls for urgent action to address this consequential paradox,” said Joe Urso, CEO of ActivePure Technologies. “It is time to focus on developing innovative 21st-century solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of buildings while also ensuring healthy indoor air quality. There is an urgent need for collaboration among policymakers, building owners, businesses and technology providers to address this challenge.”

ActivePure Technology, an advanced 21st-century solution effective on a wide range of airborne and surface pathogens, could improve IAQ just as implementing drinking water disinfection and treatment in 1908 dramatically decreased waterborne diseases nationwide. ActivePure’s efficacy in third-party unaffiliated laboratory studies and real-world settings demonstrates that the technology reduces over 99.9% of indoor airborne environmental contaminants, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, mold, bacteria, fungus and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The ActivePure Medical Guardian powered by ActivePure Technology was also registered and cleared as an FDA Class II Medical Device.

Anchored in science and innovation, ActivePure replicates the natural process of photolysis, which occurs when sunlight interacts with air moisture. Ambient indoor air is introduced into the ActivePure cell, which then converts the humidity into the same therapeutic molecules as those produced by the sun to cleanse outdoor air. These specialized ActivePure molecules target and neutralize airborne and surface-based pollutants without chemicals, ozone or the need for ventilating, trapping or filtering them.

ActivePure helps the built environment set the standard in custom solutions for 24/7 indoor air and surface protection. The technology gives employees, customers and patients confidence that the air they breathe and the surfaces they touch have been treated. It maintains healthy environments as the technology has demonstrated effectiveness against multiple clinically-relevant pathogens and facility spread of illnesses. ActivePure also reduces energy consumption by HVAC components and comes installation-ready without the need for building retrofitting. ActivePure works with numerous organizations on the achievement of ESG benchmarks through the deployment of the technology, helping leaders not only demonstrate a commitment to sustainability but also increase corporate resiliency against future pandemics.

“There is a growing recognition of the importance and need for modern and reconciliatory IAQ technologies such as ActivePure’s advanced photocatalysis,” said Amy Carenza, ActivePure’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Our studies demonstrate this technology can help improve indoor air quality and building performance, meanwhile also reducing infectious disease transmission and protecting public health.”

ActivePure has already left a world-changing impact on over 51 million customers across more than 45 countries who work, live and play in indoor spaces protected by this state-of-the-art technology.

“We urge organizations to take action to reduce their carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices that support a healthy planet and safe indoor environments. We do not need to trade off one for the other,” Urso said. “Let’s work together to create a world where the objectives of ESG are not a challenge but a reality.”

To learn more about Earth Day, visit https://www.earthday.org.
To learn more about ActivePure, visit ActivePure.com.

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ABOUT ACTIVEPURE
Privately held ActivePure has been the global leader in sustainable, active and continuous surface and air disinfection systems for healthcare and educational institutions, commercial and public facilities and hospitality and residential applications since 1924. The patented ActivePure Technology has been proven in independent university and laboratory testing to effectively control and neutralize indoor contaminants. ActivePure is the only product in its class recognized by the Space Foundation as Certified Space Technology and inducted into the Space Foundation Hall of Fame. In 2022, ActivePure was named on the Inc. 5000 list of most successful and fastest-growing private companies in the United States. The ActivePure Medical Guardian is also registered and cleared as an FDA Class II Medical Device. ActivePure Technology was originally developed exclusively for use in space exploration and has since evolved for use in commercial and consumer products to reduce exposure to pathogens, including RNA and DNA viruses, bacteria and molds, by up to 99.9 percent in the air and on surfaces. For more information, please visit ActivePure.com or call 888-217-4316.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Jo Trizila, TrizCom PR, on behalf of ActivePure
Email: [email protected]
Office: 972-247-1369
Cell: 214-232-0078

SOURCE: ActivePure Technology

Originally Appeared Here

Only 52 people have secured grants to help them upgrade to cleaner vehicles under Newcastle’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ), five months after the cash scheme was launched.

Applications opened last November for drivers seeking financial help to purchase new, lower emission vehicles that would not be subject to the recently-imposed pollution tolls in Newcastle city centre. But Newcastle City Council has confirmed that only 52 requests have since been successful out of almost 3,000 that have been lodged, less than two per cent.

The local authority admitted that there had been “some delays” in dealing with applications, which can be for up to £16,000 depending on the type of vehicle. More than 500 motorists have been told whether or not they are eligible to receive a grant, but 2,304 are still waiting to hear back.

Read More: Newcastle stadium bid could net £98.7m windfall and St James’ Park may be even better by 2028

However, the drivers still waiting for their grant to be signed off are not having to pay the CAZ charges in the meantime, as the council has granted temporary exemptions to anyone going through the application process. Since January, the CAZ has charged older buses, coaches, taxis, and lorries either £12.50 or £50 every day to drive through the city centre if they do not meet certain emissions standards, while tolls for non-compliant vans are due to start in July. All private cars are exempt.

A spokesperson for the Newcastle and Gateshead Clean Air Zone said: “Since we opened the application process for vehicle upgrade grants in November 2022, we have received 2,859 applications. We have issued letters of eligibility to 555 applicants and, of those, 52 have completed their applications with a financial provider and received funding and a further 80 applicants have contacted a financial provider and are progressing their application.

Clean Air Zone charging signs on the approach to the Tyne Bridge(Image: Craig Connor/ChronicleLive)

“The remaining 2,304 applications are currently undergoing eligibility checks or queries by our grants team prior to them being referred to a financial provider or rejected if the application does not meet eligibility criteria. There were some delays in responding to applications initially as we made a number of changes to the grant scheme in direct response to representation from stakeholders.

“These changes included amending the scheme to allow vehicles to be bought and sold privately, instead of only being permitted through a garage or dealership. However, applications are being processed and anyone who has applied will be temporarily exempt from CAZ charges until they have completed the application process.”

Funding for the grants has been provided by the Government and the following amounts have been agreed for each vehicle type:

• Taxis, including Hackney carriage and private hire vehicles – up to £3,500;
• Wheelchair accessible taxis, including Hackney Carriage and private hire vehicles – up to £4,000;
• Light goods vehicles – up to £4,500;
• Heavy goods vehicles – up to £16,000;
• Buses and coaches – up to £16,000.

Read Next:

Originally Appeared Here

NORTH CHICAGO, Il., April 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AirAnswers® has announced a new partnership today with Safestart Environmental. AirAnswers and Safestart Environmental join forces to identify and eliminate airborne indoor biological contaminants that leave clients susceptible to environmentally acquired illnesses such as sick building syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and CIRS. By implementing AirAnswers® Air DiagnosticTM system into their assessments, Safestart Environmental can identify biological contaminants in the air and provide targeted solutions to optimize their clients’ indoor environmental health.

AirAnswers® is the only commercially available comprehensive air sampling system that detects, identifies, and measures all biological particles including molds, mycotoxins, viruses, and allergens, down to 0.1 microns in size. AirAnswers technology provides users the ability to assess, remediate, and monitor indoor spaces for the presence of biological contaminants.

“Safestart Environmental is very excited about finally being able to obtain information about what contaminants are currently in the air that may be affecting our clients,” said Larry Schwartz, CEO of Safestart Environmental. “Up until now, available airborne tests do not provide us with the detailed levels and needed units of measurement of the airborne contaminants of concern. Using the AirAnswers devices, will give us pertinent information, not only helping us determine current conditions in an environment, but will also be a great tool to monitor moving forward in time of the maintenance of safe indoor conditions.”

“In the words of Peter Drucker, What Gets Measured, Gets Managed,” adds jim Koziarz, CEO of AirAnswers, Inc.  “Our partnership with Safestart Environmental is an important step in employing Air Diagnostics to assess the quality of indoor air so Safestart can facilitate the remediation and management of the environment for their clients. AirAnswers laboratory testing can provide specific information that will directly result in improved conditions for our clients. I’m looking forward to a very successful partnership with Safestart.”

About Safestart Environmental:

Safestart Environmental are experts in preventative risk solutions for your indoor air quality. With over 10,000 indoor air quality investigations completed, Safestart Environmental is the leader in investigating, planning and providing treatments that address the needs of families and individuals. Molds, toxic molds, and other microbial and non-microbial environmental factors, may cause a wide variety of health effects. The triggering of health symptoms experienced may differ by each individual due to several factors including the person’s sensitivity levels to the amount of exposure, the extent of contamination, types of microbial mold, and other contaminants such as bacteria, etc. Safestart Environmental is a specialized firm working with many individuals and their physician’s that are affected by environmentally acquired illnesses. www.safestartiaq.com 

About AirAnswers, Inc:

Based at Rosalind Franklin University’s Innovation and Research Park in North Chicago, Illinois, AirAnswers is the only company providing the most numerous types of specific airborne biological contaminant detection for indoor air quality companies and experts. AirAnswers’ highly sensitive patented technology collects and measures biological agents in the air, including molds, mycotoxins, allergens, and viruses down to 0.1 microns in size. Developed in collaboration with several renowned institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, The University of Chicago, Harvard University, and Argonne National Laboratory, the AirAnswers mission is to deliver customized prevention and management solutions to improve respiratory health and peace of mind by bringing a breath of fresh air to indoor environments everywhere. AirAnswers has been validated with an extensive portfolio of patents* and publications in peer-reviewed literature. www.airanswers.com 

To learn more about this partnership, contact: Katie Gragg, Marketing Manager at AirAnswers® 866-539-4253, [email protected]

Originally Appeared Here

A Ronald McDonald House in Chicago has achieved the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Air, making it the first Ronald McDonald House to earn the UL Verified Mark.

UL Solutions conducted a pro bono building assessment to evaluate the conditions and indoor air quality (IAQ) of the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago. The Verified Healthy Building for Indoor Air program evaluates IAQ and policies and plans for the continual advancement of IAQ. UL Solutions teams inspected the facility’s HVAC systems to verify that preventative maintenance is performed while focusing on ventilation, filtration, and hygiene to help verify continuous IAQ.

Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions (right) presents a plaque displaying the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana. Joining here are (left to right) Katie Fitzgerald, president and CEO of RMHC Global and Holly Buckendahl, president and CEO, RMHC Chicagoland and NW Indiana.

 

Last year, UL Solutions’ formed a multi-faceted partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) as the charity’s first-ever partner dedicated to supporting its global sustainability efforts. The partnership supports the missions of both organizations by leveraging UL Solutions’ scientific expertise to help provide healthier indoor environments for children and their families during their medical journey. Additionally, UL Solutions provides skills-based training to RMHC staff globally and volunteer opportunities to UL Solutions employees through the Families Helping Families campaign.

Originally Appeared Here

Due to severe PM2.5 in Thailand, the development of air purification tower for using in communities came after cooperation between EGAT researchers and inventors, said EGAT governor Boonyanit Wongrukmit.

“The machine can capture more than 80% of PM2.5 and purify up to 30,000 cubic metres per hour, covering area within 250 metres,” he said.

He said air purification towers were initially installed in EGAT areas, so the agency can improve their efficiency further.

He added that machines would be installed in other areas in the future, especially Northern Thailand where the situation is worrisome.

Originally Appeared Here

 Recognized as a threat to human health since 400 B.C., air pollution affects everything from our health and wellbeing to the environment.

Many factors contribute to poor air quality, including smoking, mold and radon, common indoor pollutants, ground level ozone, particulate matter, and outdoor allergens.

Meanwhile, vehicle emissions, fuel oils and natural gas to heat homes, and by-products of manufacturing and power generation—particularly coal-fueled power plants and fumes from chemical production—are the main causes of air pollution.

Poor air quality reduces visibility, blocks sunlight, and causes acid rain. Poor air quality also harms forests, wildlife and agriculture with greenhouse gas pollutants, is a major cause of climate change, and impacts the entire planet.

Additionally, poor air quality can limit one’s ability to be physically active. For example, air pollutants enter our bloodstream, contributing to coughing, ashy eyes, worsening breathing and lung disease—all of which cause hospitalizations, cancer or even premature deaths.

Moses NgongOver the years and due to many factors, Cleveland has ranked among the worst cities in the US for air pollution—particularly when it comes to ozone and particulate matter—causing residents to experience respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, and asthma.

As the Global Shapers Cleveland Hub continues to explore environmental justice issues, the organization recently hosted a virtual conversation to help the public become more aware of the impacts of poor air quality.

Moses Ngong, impact officer for Global Shapers Cleveland, moderated the discussion.

Almeta Cooper, national manager of health equity for Moms Clean Air Force, Christina Yoka, chief of air pollution outreach for the Cleveland Department of Public Health, Division of Air Quality, Tim Kovach, air quality planner with Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), and Yvonka Hall, executive director of Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition (NEOBHC) served as panelists.

Quality control

Wondering how the City of Cleveland balances concerns about air quality with the desire to attract new industry and business to the region, Ngong first turned to Yoka with the Department of Health to jumpstart the discussion.

“What mechanisms exist to protect people from poor air quality issues?” Ngong asks.

Yoka, whose role involves managing anything that relates to public health, air quality, and community engagement, has a short and simple answer: “air permits,” she responds.

Christina Yoka“That is the process we utilize to regulate facility emissions,” she says before going on to clarify how permitting works with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ultimately issuing the air permits.

“The protections put in place are based on the Clean Air Act,” she explains. “The Clean Air Act emission standards have a primary focus of public health and then a secondary focus of environmental health.”

Currently, Cleveland’s Air Quality division is the contracted agency with the Ohio EPA, responsible for enforcing all the Clean Air Act rules and Ohio’s air pollution rules for Cuyahoga County.

“We do that through our enforcement staff who inspect facilities and plants,” Yoka says. “We have an ambient air monitoring network throughout Cuyahoga County that monitors particulate matter and ozone, and the other criteria of air pollutants. And, we also have a permitting staff who is responsible for receiving permit recommendations from facilities that may require an air permit and writing up those recommendations and submitting them to the Ohio EPA.”

When reviewing applications, Yoka’s office looks at the standards set by the United States EPA to see if Ohio can continue to meet them should the facility requesting the permits go into operation. Then her office’s enforcement staff monitors the facilities to ensure compliance after permits are issued.

The division also relies on citizen complaints.

“Residents are able to submit air quality complaints to us [through] our hotline and this can be anything from strange odors in the neighborhood. It could be strange colors coming from a smokestack, even dust produced from construction sites, are all complaints we’ll go out and investigate,” says Yoka.

Health disparities in minority neighborhoods

NEOBHC’s Hall then discusses how air quality overlaps with racial justice issues, particularly in Cleveland. Her organization, founded in 2011, is the first coalition in Ohio to focus exclusively on African American disparities by working to educate, advocate for, and empower the community.

“We have communities here that are basically under siege,” she says. “When we look at where a lot of the factories that are in our communities, where the highways are going, the different things that are going on within our urban areas… we have communities that live near toxic areas every single day,” says Hall, adding that many Cleveland children are going to school in neighborhoods that are toxic.

Hall says the role particulate matter plays in where materials are dumped and how things are happening in communities always begs the question, how much do communities actually know about the toxins that are present?

Yvonka HallHall, a 48-year resident of the Lee-Harvard neighborhood, recalls a spill in that area about 30 years ago, resulting in many residents, including her grandfather, dying of cancer.

“We think about the human capital,” she says. “What happens to our children when our neighborhoods are contaminated, when our playgrounds are contaminated? What happens when we live close to highways and all the toxins that are coming off diesel trucks and into our neighborhood? What happens around lead poisoning?”

Hall continues, “When we talk about the impact on the African American community, we have to talk about the historical impact. We have to talk about what redlining has done to our communities, where toxins have landed and why. Why we have more issues on the east side than the west side? And, what happens to the communities [in the] long term.”

Yoka adds that if you look at any environmental screening tool, you’ll find communities within the redlining maps have been impacted the most.

With Moms Clean Air Force being a national organization of about one million moms, dads, and caregivers (with about 88,000 members in Ohio), who focus on clean air and protecting children’s health, Ngong asked Cooper to talk about how local advocacy informs advocacy nationally.

“One of the things we know is that a lot of people just don’t understand the connection between climate change and health and that is a real barrier,” Cooper says.

Almeta CooperShe goes on to say, although many people—regardless of their backgrounds—accept that climate change is happening, most people don’t talk about it or the impacts.

Therefore, Moms Clean Air Force is designed to get people talking, but they don’t stop there— they encourage people to take action.

“We make information accessible and get people to talk with their elected officials,” Cooper says.

One thing she finds is that people don’t know they have access to elected officials. “It’s not a cure-all, but it’s certainly an important step,” she says.

Cooper says that because of poor air quality, more children—especially Black and Brown children—have asthma than ever before. She says it’s the largest chronic disease among children, and the “iconic yellow school bus” exposes riders to a cancer-causing agent that sometimes makes the air inside the bus is worse than outside.

“We help people understand there is a connection, and we can do something about it,” she says.

Knowing how harmful school buses can be to children’s health and clean air, Moms Clean Air Force has been particularly active with advocating for electric school buses and other regulatory issues.

The local air

Wondering how climate change affects air quality in Northeast Ohio, Ngong turned to Kovach, who is working on a climate action plan for the region on behalf of NOACA.

NOACA is the designated metropolitan planning organization for the five counties in the Greater Cleveland Metro area. The agency is responsible for conducting transportation and environmental planning activities in the region and distributes about $50 million annually in federal funding for transportation, environmental improvement, and infrastructure investments.

Tim Kovach“There’s no question that, in the aggregate, climate change is going to make the air quality issues we face in the region worse in a number of ways,” Kovach says.

He says there’s a little bit of a divergence between the way it will affect ground level ozone or smog— the pollution we are worried about on hot summer days—and particulate matter. He goes on to explain the existing complexities because of climate change and the challenges we face.

“It’s a complicated picture. Overall, the signs are not good,” Kovach says. “The air quality benefits associated from climate change are really more than enough reason to address the challenge that we’re facing with the climate crisis.”

According to Kovach, some studies suggest the public health benefits from air pollution alone would be enough to pay for the types of investments we need to meet the goals and commitments on climate change.

NOACA is one of the first organizations to develop a climate action plan on a regional scale. As part of the process, Kovach says, they are focused on the benefits of climate action and he’s trying to find a way to quantify those benefits from an air quality perspective.

He says he found that, if the net zero emissions goal for 2050 is met, the region would see 277 fewer premature deaths annually, 626 on the high end.

And we would reap total public health benefits between $3 billion and $6.7 billion each year after we reach net zero, he says.

Cooper reiterates that, as the federal agency with the most responsibility for the Clean Air Act, the EPA recently made public commenting available and is accepting public testimony related to methane.

“I just want to emphasize, any citizen can submit their comments,” she says. “The more that the EPA hears from us, the more they know what we care about and what they should do. They are more responsive the more they hear from the public.”

NEOBHC’s Hall says people who are impacted the most are not commenting, and things need to be challenged. She adds that it’s important for people to know that a lot of agencies, including hers, are pushing for higher standards.

“We’re out here seeking to be a voice for the voiceless,” she says.

This is the seventh story in a 10-part series designed to highlight how an intergenerational model is helpful in moving the needle in so many aspects of Cleveland as well as to uplift narratives of resilience and impact within the environmental justice space. Upcoming stories will spotlight different organizations working on environmental justice and climate change as well as capture the intergenerational voices working on these issues.

Originally Appeared Here

During the pandemic, indoor air quality in schools took the spotlight as lawmakers, parents and the public realized the importance of proper ventilation and filtration in keeping children safe from airborne pathogens. Long before this, ventilation professionals were working on ways to inform educators, administrators and school districts about indoor air quality — the pandemic only increased the urgency to get easy-to-use information into the hands of those who could make the most difference.

Recently, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) released a guide, developed by the ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.7 – Educational Facilities, for educators, administrators and school districts on indoor air quality. The document, “Design Guidance for Educational Facilities: Prioritization for Advanced Indoor Air Quality,” provides a checklist as well as prerequisite and optional tasks in order of importance. Design professionals and contractors can use the guide as a tool when sitting down with school personnel to discuss options to improve indoor air quality based on existing HVAC equipment, regional objectives and available funding. (After recent consultation with various government agencies, the guide will be updated to reflect the needs of government grants.)

Teachers, administrators and parents can consider a range of change options from base minimum to advanced recommendations to improve indoor air quality, all under the guidance of a licensed, certified ventilation professional. They don’t have to know much about indoor air quality to take the first steps, said Catherine Tinkler, a former classroom teacher and administrator who now serves as a strategic planning consultant and commissioning professional for Page Southerland Page and a member of the ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.7 – Education Facilities working group. A certified and licensed professional is closer than many decision makers may realize.

“This guidance walks them through some prerequisites for what they should understand before they start,” Tinkler said. Partnering with a skilled, trained and certified ventilation expert at the beginning of the process is integral to how the rest of the guide is used. “It also gives them guidance using a defined rubric, so they can score their environment to see if it meets the base minimums, almost like a pass-fail. Then, it recommends tasks to complete, including high and very high priority tasks, to improve the score and the environment.”

Raj Setty, president of Setty, a full-service mechanical, electrical and plumbing consulting engineering firm and co-author of the guide, said while scientists did a good job telling us what needs to be done to prevent the spread of disease — improving ventilation, filtration and air flow — it is now the purvey of consulting HVAC engineers to tell the public how to implement this advice with their specific use cases.

The guide does just that. Once a school has a ventilation verification assessment performed and educators meet with a design professional to assess their system and determine their needs, they can use the guide for simple tasks, such as determining what temperature and weather conditions to open windows; calculating which air filters to use; learning when to open and close dampers due to outdoor air quality; and planning placement and proper use of carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors, air cleaners and UV-C, or ultraviolet light, in their classrooms. The ventilation professional can help determine if these fixes are enough, or if upgrades or repairs to the HVAC system are also warranted. Flexibility, especially in an environment as dynamic as a school, is optimal, Setty said.

“It’s really about putting the systems in place to give operators the option,” he said. “It’s a common-sense guide.”

Knowledge is power. The guide not only gives educators a roadmap to use when sitting down with their ventilation professional, it helps them make educated decisions about their classrooms’ indoor air quality at any point during the day.

“The guide gives schools a tool to help them determine their risk. It helps to identify the problem and allow clients to make choices,” said Chris Ruch, co-author on the guide, NEMIC director of education and a former classroom teacher. “This guide will help customers be better informed when they meet with contractors and design professionals and help them understand more about the air they breathe.”

For additional resources, visit nemionline.org.

Originally Appeared Here

Every home deserves good indoor air quality. It’s vital to take indoor air quality (IAQ) seriously to prevent smog, dust, debris, and other pollutants from entering your home, which can create a less-than-ideal environment.

Luckily, professional HVAC technicians can take several steps to improve and maintain healthy indoor air quality within your home. 

However, since various purifiers and filters and maintenance repairs require specific installation, it’s critical to hire professionals rather than amateurs to ensure your home receives the stellar home service it deserves.

When you’re looking for air purification in Atwater, CA, contact the highly skilled and trusted experts at Cosmic Comfort for all of your HVAC services and air purification needs. 

The Dangers of Poor Indoor Air Quality

Unfortunately, poor indoor air quality can lead to various hazards, including health concerns like allergies. However, insufficient air quality can cause several additional problems that can make your home’s environment less than ideal. Some of the common side effects of poor indoor air quality include:

• Consistent respiratory irritation

• Irritation of nasal passages, eyes, and allergies

• Frequent fatigue and headaches

• Increased asthma symptoms 

In addition to these more short-term milder issues, consistent exposure to air pollution can lead to more serious problems. These long-term diseases include respiratory diseases, cancer, heart disease, and cognitive problems.

Originally Appeared Here

Home Comfort Experts, the leading local HVAC service provider, helps homeowners identify signs that a new home cooling system could be more efficient and cost-effective

SOUTH BEND, Ind., April 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Home Comfort Experts, the preferred local provider of high-quality HVAC, indoor air quality and plumbing service in Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan, advises homeowners to recognize the signs that it’s time to replace their home cooling system.

Home Comfort Experts, the preferred local provider of high-quality HVAC, indoor air quality and plumbing service in Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan, advises homeowners to recognize the signs that it’s time to replace their home cooling system.

The costs of an aging AC system include frequent service for minor issues and higher utility costs due to reduced efficiency. As cooling systems reach the end of their lifespan, the risk of sudden, unexpected failure increases, which can result in inconvenience, discomfort and costly emergency service.

“There’s no simple formula to determine when it makes sense to replace an aging system and when to continue investing in minor repairs,” said Brian West, general manager of Home Comfort Experts. “A number of factors have to be taken into consideration, such as the age and condition of the equipment. But every system eventually reaches a point where proactive replacement is more cost-effective. Plus, a new system provides peace of mind by helping you avoid the cost and inconvenience of an unscheduled replacement.”

Here are some of the signs that you should consider professional installation of a new home AC:

• Age: Most cooling systems, in most climates, will last about 10 or 15 years. If your unit is more than 10 years old, investing in a new system may provide greater value than continuing to spend money on frequent minor repairs. AC systems gradually lose efficiency over time, too, so replacing an older system could lead to significant energy savings. And you’ll reduce the likelihood of sudden failure with a new system.

• Higher utility bills: Cooling systems operate less efficiently as they get older. If your system costs more to operate despite regular maintenance and service, that rising inefficiency could indicate that your system is nearing the end of its lifespan.

• Frequent repairs: Maintenance, tune-ups and routine service for minor repairs can extend the life of your equipment. But eventually the cost of replacement is a better value than continuing to sink money to keep an aging system running.

• Lack of cooling performance: If your system just can’t cool some areas or rooms in your home anymore, it may be time to consider a new AC. A tune-up may identify an issue that’s easy to resolve, but ongoing reduced performance can be a sign that your system is reaching the end of its life.

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“If your AC breaks down in the middle of summer, that could mean major headaches, including stress, lost time from work, missed family events, discomfort, and the high cost of emergency service,” West said. “Every home cooling system will eventually need to be replaced. But knowing what to look for and regular professional maintenance will help you stay ahead. Replacing your system at the right time ensures you get the most out of your existing AC and enjoy all the benefits and value of your new one.”

Since 2006, Home Comfort Experts has specialized in providing residential heating, cooling and plumbing service and maintenance, indoor air quality products and services, and equipment replacement. Home Comfort Experts serves Fort Wayne, Columbia City, Warsaw, South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Plymouth and LaPorte in Indiana and Niles, St. Joseph, Berrien Springs and Dowagiac in Michigan.

To take a quiz on whether it’s time to replace your cooling system, visit https://www.homecomfortexpertsinc.com/hvac-repair-or-replace-quiz/.

About Home Comfort Experts

Home Comfort Experts is the preferred local provider of high-quality HVAC, indoor air quality and plumbing service in Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan. Our customers’ satisfaction and comfort is our number one goal. Home Comfort Experts serves clients in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan, including Fort Wayne, Columbia City, Warsaw, South Bend, Mishawaka, Elkhart, Plymouth, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Niles, Berrien Springs and Dowagiac. We’re the technicians you can trust with your house keys. For more information, visit https://homecomfortexpertsinc.com/.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Ripley
Ripley PR
(865) 977-1973
[email protected]

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SOURCE Home Comfort Experts

Originally Appeared Here

Vice President Kamala Harris paid a visit to the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator in the downtown Arts District Monday and touted efforts to build a robust “clean energy economy” and ensure that workers are trained in the type of skills needed to support such an economy.

The Cleantech Incubator is a nonprofit organization designed to support clean-energy business startups and back the development of technologies supporting the industry.

Harris took a tour of the facility, focusing her discussions with LACI officials on clean energy and transportation projects, and efforts to increase access to such technologies in low-income and high-pollution communities. She also discussed the incubator’s workforce training efforts for the industry.

“This is the thing that I really am so excited about when we think about this new economy we’re all building, a clean-energy economy,” Harris said in remarks after her tour. “We have very clear goals — we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we want to save this precious planet of ours, we want clean air, we want clean water, we want to invest in innovations that also will make the cost of living for families less expensive.

“But it’s also about tapping into things that communities have long wanted, but these things have just not been available. So we’re really doing a lot here. We’re really doing a lot here.”

Harris also met with entrepreneurs who have taken advantage of the incubator’s services and start-up funding, while also meeting with graduates of the workforce training programs.

“It’s been a huge blessing, to be able to provide better and I’ve learned a lot,” one of those trainees, Xiomara Rios, said.

Harris said she has spoken to business representatives and workforce trainers across the country and world, and she said there needs to be a shift in the way companies seek out workers.

“I think we collectively as a community should also challenge ourselves when we are thinking about the jobs we are creating,” she said. “We are creating a lot of jobs. … I would challenge us to not just think of a title. I would challenge us to not just think of a degree, but define and advertise a job based on the skill the job requires. For the private sector, for the employers who are feeling challenged (wondering) `is the workforce there?’ The workforce will come if they’re really clear about the skills they need to develop to do the job.

“And so let’s think a little bit more about how we are defining the jobs based on the skill, because that will also then sneak to the educators to know what they should be teaching to meet the demand and the need.”

Originally Appeared Here