Eden Gardens was struggling to maintain a fresh and healthy environment in their assisted living community.
In particular, their Alzheimer’s unit was losing an average of three residents per month due to dissatisfaction over the air quality or illness, such as pneumonia. This represented a £60,500 loss, or more than 100% annual turnover in residents each year.
The PureAir Series from Airius is a brilliantly simple system.
By adding air purification cells to our patented destratification fans, our customers can reduce airborne contaminants and also bacteria and viruses on surfaces. The fans also eliminate many volatile organic compounds, which creates a fresh-smelling environment without the need for chemical cover-ups.
Eden Gardens were delighted at the results the PureAir delivered:
How does the PureAir Series PHI Cell kill bacteria and viruses in the air and on surfaces?
The PureAir PhotoHydroIonisation (PHI) Cell is a kind of UV light that emits advanced oxidation plasma. Included as part of a fan system, the PHI cell distributes hydro-peroxides, superoxide ions and hydroxide ions throughout the space, neutralising 99% of micro-organisms in the air and on surfaces.
PHI cells produce a group of oxidants known as hydroperoxides. Far from new to our world, hydroperoxides have been around for 3.5 billion years – and today they are commonly used in food processing environments, where they offer an anti-microbial treatment without leaving chemical residues.
Choosing an Airius PureAir Series destratification fan is a simple way to reduce bacteria, viruses and odours in your environment.
Multiple studies have been conducted on Airius PureAir Series PHI Cell technology and they are widely approved for use to control airborne and surface-based bacteria, viruses, smoke and odours.
Testing carried out by:
Airius fans are commonly used to balance temperatures in a wide variety of environments – from care homes to warehouses.
Adding an Airius PureAir Series destratification fan is a simple way to continually clean the air, creating a safer and healthier environment for your residents, colleagues and visitors..
Contact Us to learn more >>
In the case of poultry rearing sheds, particularly those using gas heating, thermal stratification has a very costly impact.
As hot air rises the roof accumulates the heat first, followed by the main cavity of the building before finally reaching the floor.
As the birds are grown at floor level most this heat is wasted, heating the higher levels of the building before finally reaching the area where the birds reside.
Through the implementation of a destratification system, hot air in the roof is recirculated down to the floor continuously. In this manner, the cleaner, hotter air in the roof is recovered and redistributed to where it is needed at floor level.
This leads to a significant reduction in gas consumption, the greatest non feed expense in rearing birds.
Operational & Environmental Savings
A significant reduction in running costs was recorded for the gas consumption, measuring 35% on average savings. An additional benefit is the savings in Carbon Emissions. It is estimated that implementing the Airius solution in poultry shed saves up to 21.8 tonne of C0₂ annually.
Energy Consumption
All Airius systems are manufactured with energy efficient motors designed to offer significant savings, with negligible running costs. The units specified for this project operate at only 17.4 Watts each.
The unit’s motor housings are sealed preventing dust and other contaminants from damaging the inner components, ensuring their ability to operate smoothly in the harshest conditions of the Poultry shed environment. This unit is also specifically designed to mitigate any bio-security concerns and meet the highest industry standards as defined through consultation with leading industry vets.
The solution is perfect as both a retrofit option, as well as for new sheds and can be installed by any local electrician with minimal disruption.
99 Bikes is an Australian wide business that specialises in the sales and maintenance of all types of pushbikes or cycles.
Gareth Halliday, General Manager at ECO – Climate Solutions, was contacted by 99 Bikes who are a regular client of theirs, to design and install an electrical and mechanical fit project for their new Belmont store and quote to achieve that aim.
Eco Climate solutions specialise in resource efficient air conditioning systems and energy efficiency products. After having read an Airius publication about the efficiency of the Airius fans as a low-cost substitute for air conditioning ductwork, they approached Airius to work up a solution.
The store is approximately 300 sq. metres in size and has a 4.5 metres high ceiling. Located in Perth, high temperature summer cooling as well as some winter heating efficiencies were key design criteria.
As the original ceiling was being removed to open up the space, Gareth designed a system to also remove all of the old supply and return ductwork from the four existing 14kW Panasonic ducted reverse cycle air conditioning systems. Eco -Climate Solutions (ECS) then simply supplied conditioned air out of the horizontal registers.
Four Pearl Airius fans were located horizontally at the discharge points of the ducted units for air circulation and three more Airius fans were installed vertically around the space for de-stratification and air mixing, suspended just off the roof/ceiling to ensure there was adequate summer and winter air mixing throughout the space.
This install took place in August 2018 and right across the 2018-2019 hot summer period, the client has been extremely happy with the thermal comfort in the store.
Gareth Halliday from ECS has advised they are also very happy with the result and are looking to undertake some detailed energy modelling of the facility over the next few months to understand the energy savings this type of innovative installation has created.
Gareth advises though, that significant energy and cost savings have certainly been achieved with the removal/ non replacement of ductwork and the reduced static pressure issues combined with a substantial reduction in cap ex, materials, maintenance, coordination, commissioning and plant size expenditure.
Additionally, new opportunities arise for architects due to the open uncluttered ceilings and increased floor to ceiling height that offer even more opportunities from this type of install.
The overall result has been a success and ECS are looking to utilise this unique solution in further installations as the opportunity arises.
Pacific Pines Pool and Spa Services are a pool supplies and maintenance company, servicing a range of domestic, high-end client and corporate swimming pool facilities.
The owner, Jeff Feltham, contacted Airius in an effort to find a solution to the condensation problems that were resulting in a variety of costly and unsightly issues for his indoor pool customers. Airius were able to advise John and supplied a cost effective system to use in a trial installation for one of his customers.
The trial pool enclosure was 29 metres long by 10 metres wide. It had a pitched roof rising from 2.5 metres to 9 metres, which then dropped to 5 metres.
5 x Model 15 Airius Standard Series and 3 x Model 45 PS 4 Standard Series were specified and installed, as directed in the bespoke system design installation guide supplied by Airius.
The almost silent Airius units work by circulating the air around the space offering air movement, which increases the ‘dew point’ and draws moisture from the surfaces into the air. A simple and inexpensive solution to a typical and costly indoor pool issue.
“The customer said their pool surrounds feel much better. The general air conditions around the pool have improved, and the condensation has improved greatly especially around the front office and counter areas.” Jeff Feltham – Principal Owner
“The customer said their pool surrounds feel much better.
The general air conditions around the pool have improved, and the condensation has improved greatly especially around the front office and counter areas.”
The trial was very successful and any sign of condensation was virtually eliminated. The amenity in the pool was also greatly improved.
This not only provided PacPines Pool‘s and Spa’s customers with the solution they were looking for, but also provided them with all the additional saving and comfort benefits provided by the Airius system.
Providing a safe environment for staff and visitors at their main base of operations in Prague was a key area of investment for EPL cond in response to the COVID19 outbreak. Not only to ensure that occupants were protected against person to person transmission, but also to equip their commercial office facilities with a system that would enable them to return to business as rapidly as possible.
After meeting with their local Airius representative and receiving a free survey of their building, the management team from EPL cond we so impressed with the benefits of the PureAir system, in particular its continuous active purification and ability to clean both the air and surfaces, they chose to install the system throughout their entire facility, including meeting rooms, corridors and stairwells.
You may not be able to see the benefits of the PureAir system, but the results are unmissable:
Staff and guests to the building now feel much safer in the knowledge that their air and environment are being continuously purified by the PureAir system. EPL cond are now also already prepared to reopen the building to full operation with a full compliment of employees as soon as lockdown restrictions are lifted. The continuous air cleaning also reduces outdoor intake requirement and reduces staff sickness.
Choosing an Airius PureAir PHI Series destratification fan with its integrated PHI Cell is a simple way to reduce bacteria, viruses and odours in your environment.
Airius fans are commonly used to purify air and balance temperatures for both heating and cooling applications in a wide variety of environments – from homes to warehouses.
Adding an Airius PureAir Series air purification, infection and odour control ventilation fan is a simple way to continually clean the air, creating a safer and healthier environment for your facility.
Smithfield State High School is located in the northern beaches area of Cairns and has 1,160 students from kindergarten to year 12.
They have a basketball and sports hall which has an uninsulated metal roof and walls and it suffered from severe overheating during most of the year.
The school had considered the use of two large blades HVLS fans but there were issues around the supply and install price, and positioning of the units, along with having to reorganise the lighting.
The school, via their contract electrician, Paul Stephens, approached Airius to recommend a cooling solution using their unique Airius Sapphire Series fans because teachers and students were always complaining about how hot it was in the space.
Airius recommended the use of five of their exciting and innovative new Sapphire Series high air volume, hidden blade fans, to solve the cooling problem in their hall.
These fans push out a massive 1580 l/s and at 10 metres distance from the discharge nozzle provide a centreline velocity of 2.89 metres per second. That’s fast. They also have a very strong thrust rating of 14.32 Newtons.
With sports such as shuttlecock, basketball, netball and other ball and non-ball sports played in the space, they required a unit that was cost effective, robust, proven as a cooling solution yet unobtrusive and easy to install.
The Airius units met all their requirements.
The hall was approx. 1,000 sq. metres in size and the floor to ceiling height was 6.5-7 metres. The school installed 5 x Airius Sapphire Series fans and 2 potentiometer speed controllers.
Install was simple and the school’s contract electrician installed the units after school closing time and it took only two evenings.
Commenting on the performance of the units following installation, the school’s contract electrician said…
“They work very well. The teachers and students are very happy with the outcome and also advised they move a lot of air around!” – Contract Electrician & Installer
“They work very well. The teachers and students are very happy with the outcome and also advised they move a lot of air around!”
Dandi Living are a London based housing developer responsible for a pipeline of 2,000 homes in and around London, with plans to build another 15,000 homes in White City, Clapham, Queen’s Park and Luton as part of their expansion.
Specialising in co-living developments, Dandi Living incorporates innovative space-saving flexible interiors into each 25m2 co-living flat.
Operating since 1986, Dandi aims to deliver a great physical experience to their tenants. “We really concentrated on the physical aspect of co-living. What you see, feel, smell, it was all part and parcel of Dandi,” says Dandi’s founder, Ali Ravanshad. As part of this Dandi wanted to include an innovative air purification system that would complement their smart space designs which improve the living experience of tenants, including a bed that rises into the ceiling revealing a skylight, foldaway kitchens and homes designed to provide various modes over the course of a day: sleep, work-study, dine and unwind.
Dandi has installed over 350 of the small, easy to install, Reme Ion air purifiers throughout their buildings – this is the first housing development in the UK to install the innovative devices that will improve the well-being of residents and reduce the risk of airborne and surface viruses such as COVID19 by up to 99%.
Energie Fitness have been extremely impressed with the results from their new PureAir system:
“We are delighted with the new Reme Ion air purifiers and the benefits this will bring to the residents for their well-being. They are small, easy to install (simply plug in) and are virtually silent when operating.” Dandi Living
“We are delighted with the new Reme Ion air purifiers and the benefits this will bring to the residents for their well-being. They are small, easy to install (simply plug in) and are virtually silent when operating.”
Actively purifying indoor air prevents the build up of viruses and pollutants by neutralising them at the source, putting much less demand on ventilation to extract contaminants. This allows you to minimise the volume of air and heat that’s vented outside, which during the cold winter season can be a costly expense, compounded by rising energy prices. As the heat being extracted is minimised, maintaining comfort and keeping spaces warm is also much easier.
Airius has a range of unique air purification solutions that help to improve your working and living environments – particularly as many more people now work from home, blurring the work and personal life separations of the past.
The innovative and portable Reme Ion air purifier by Airius (RGF Environmental) silently cleans the air you breathe and surfaces you touch, significantly reducing the presence of viruses, bacteria, pollen, odours, mould and airborne chemicals in your home, office, hotel, kitchen, bathroom or any space with a 3-pin power outlet.
Through an advanced oxidisation technology, the Airius (RGF) Reme Ion air purifier actively floods spaces with friendly ions and hydroperoxides, known as Mother Nature’s cleaning agents, significantly reducing the presence of viruses and bacteria, of harmful pathogens, pollutants, particles and odours within spaces, providing you, your family and your customers, with fresh, clean and virus free air.
The Airius (RGF) REME ION™ air purifier improves air quality by efficiently neutralising pathogens, allergens, odour, mould, bacteria, and VOCs (airborne chemicals). Employing REME-LED™ technology, advanced oxidation and ionisation, the REME ION™ quietly cleans the air you breathe, whilst also sterilising all surfaces.
There are many benefits of the Reme Ion and with a 120 day money back guarantee there are no risks!
Airius products are commonly used to purify air and balance temperatures for both heating and cooling applications in a wide variety of environments – from homes to warehouses.
Business and Tax Management Systems (Sistema De Gestion Empresarial Y Tributaria Sl) are a specialist law firm based in Valencia, Spain, focusing on Commercial, Civil and Family Right law.
Considered an essential resource, providers of law services were advised to remain open for face-to-face consultations during the COVID19 pandemic lockdown in Valencia, Spain. This meant that customers and staff were potentially exposed to the virus every time a customer or staff member entered the building, putting not only office occupants at risk, but also their families at home.
In order to manage the risk of infection in the office during the pandemic, the firm contacted a local contractor who specified the Airius PureAir Designer Series, shown in independent tests to be up to 99.9% effective at neutralising COVID19, as well as being highly portable and adaptable to servicing those areas in greatest need. Following installation there have been no cases of COVID19 reported at the office.
The effect of Airius PureAir Designer Series may not be visible, but the results are unmistakable:
The staff and Attorney’s working from the office in Valencia now feel far more reassured and confident that they are protected from infection of the COVID19 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The air quality now also feels and smells much fresher and cleaner, which has been mentioned by multiple customers visiting the office.
The performance of the system has also been confirmed and verified by an independent contracting engineer using precision equipment, who found that nearly 100% of containments had been removed from the air.
“We installed the AIRIUS PUREAIR PHI system, a new technology apparatus consisting of an air purifier with an axial turbine and photohydroionization. The system uses UV light projected on to noble metals to generate “ionized hydroperoxides” which deactivate DNA and RNA in microorganisms, viruses and bacteria rendering them inert and safe, whilst also eliminating unpleasant odours. All this without risk to people’s health. Since we installed the PureAir system in our office we have not had any contagion of COVID from customers or the colleagues who share the office, despite having passed a large number of people through the office in that time. We also commissioned an independent engineer to evaluate air quality in the office, who verified the purification effectiveness of the PureAir system as close to 100%.” Jose A. RomeroAssociate Attorney
“We installed the AIRIUS PUREAIR PHI system, a new technology apparatus consisting of an air purifier with an axial turbine and photohydroionization.
The system uses UV light projected on to noble metals to generate “ionized hydroperoxides” which deactivate DNA and RNA in microorganisms, viruses and bacteria rendering them inert and safe, whilst also eliminating unpleasant odours. All this without risk to people’s health.
Since we installed the PureAir system in our office we have not had any contagion of COVID from customers or the colleagues who share the office, despite having passed a large number of people through the office in that time.
We also commissioned an independent engineer to evaluate air quality in the office, who verified the purification effectiveness of the PureAir system as close to 100%.”
According to the government there are temporary tax reliefs available for plant and machinery which can incentivise companies to invest in equipment. For expenditure incurred from 1 April 2021 until the end of March 2023, companies can claim 130% capital allowances on qualifying plant and machinery investments. Under the super-deduction, for every pound a company invests, their taxes are cut by up to 25p.
Source: New temporary tax reliefs on qualifying capital asset investments from 1 April 2021 – GOV.UK – www.gov.uk
This means that any customer investing in Airius destratification equipment would be able to benefit not only from the typical 35% reduction in energy usage but will be able to achieve additional financial benefit through the tax offset.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, existing low levels of business investment have fallen, with a reduction of 11.6% between Q3 2019 and Q3 2020.
As a result of measures announced at this Budget, businesses will now benefit from four significant capital allowance measures:
Most tangible capital assets used in the course of a business are considered plant and machinery for the purposes of claiming capital allowances.
There is not an exhaustive list of plant and machinery assets. The kinds of assets which may qualify for either the super-deduction or the 50% FYA include, but are not limited to:
Airius have a range of unique, innovative fan solutions that save businesses an average of 35% on their use of energy – reducing consumption, bills and reducing the carbon footprint of your building. Our fans have reduced the bills of thousands of companies whether they are located in offices, warehouses, retail showrooms, hangars, factories, schools, hospitals – the solution works everywhere in combating the energy price rises!
Airius to date have approximately saved over 1.25 million tonnes of carbon. To put this into perspective, this is the approximate equivalent of:
• 2,118,644 flights from London to New York1
• 166,666 homes in one year2
• Driving 7,500,000,000 km in a diesel car, which is 187,000 times around the globe3
Sources
All buildings naturally have a challenge balancing the temperature flow within the environment – this natural phenomenon is known as thermal stratification. Hot, lighter air rises towards the ceiling. Cool air falls to the floor. The result is a dramatic temperature difference between the floor and ceiling.
The main negative consequence of thermal stratification is that your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have to work harder to maintain an even temperature. Your HVAC systems have to over-deliver on hot or cool air in order to resist the effects of thermal stratification. Consequently, your energy bills are higher and the condition of your environment is rarely ideal.
Buildings with high ceilings are more likely to suffer from extreme temperature differences. Wasted heat will inevitably rise to the top of your building and have the opportunity to increase in temperature by up to 14°C. Conversely, heavier cooled air which is more difficult to distribute is wasted by sinking to low points in a building or by becoming trapped in difficult to circulate areas.
To combat the problem of thermal stratification, we have a range of destratification fan systems that will balance the internal temperatures in your building, by recirculating existing heat and any additional heat generated from people, processes or solar gain.
Our systems will also reduce the operation time and workload required of heating and cooling systems significantly.
Lush Retail Ltd needed to improve internal conditions at their Hatch Pond Road factory facility in Poole, Dorset. Temperatures at floor level were uncomfortably cold as their heating system was unable to reach acceptable conditions. This also incurred high energy costs as the heating system was running constantly in an attempt to reach set parameters.
Following installation of the Airius system heating costs for the site were reduced by over 60%!
With the typical high ceiling in British Airway’s East Penn maintenance hangar at Heathrow Airport, the expensively heated air was immediately rising to the ceiling and gathering where it was not required. This in turn increased the temperature difference from inside to outside, resulting in accelerated heat loss, increasing heating costs and an uncomfortably cold environment for employees.
The Airius destratification fans installed immediately improved the environment even before the heating/cooling system had been upgraded, simply by circulating the heated air supplied from the existing HVAC system more efficiently, reducing load, run time, costs and energy.
Many companies and households have huge challenges to face with energy price rises, especially with further increases expected in October and into 2023.
At Airius we love what we do, and we want to help!
We are improving living and working conditions for all, reducing costs for businesses and reducing energy consumption to lessen the impact of climate change and make a real contribution towards the protection of our environment.
Through our unique expertise, passion, customer dedication and the best technology, Airius will deliver unparalleled comfort and protection.
We provide the whole service – advice, design, installation, service and maintenance.
We are here to help!
According to Korn Ferry (a global HR consulting firm) 50% of worldwide workers are afraid to return to their offices despite social distancing practices that have been implemented, such as limiting occupancy, employee temperature scanning, face masks, special workspace accommodations, additional cleaning measures, etc. (source: Nov issue of Modern Building Services on NPBI, by David Schurk.)
Unfortunately, little is yet really known with regard to the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes the disease COVID-19. Preliminary research indicates this virus (like many others) can be transported within the air as fine or ultra-fine submicron particles, further classified as droplet nuclei. These are the result of respiratory fluids which are aerosolized when expelled to the indoor environment by an infected individual who may be coughing, sneezing, talking, or breathing. These aerosol droplets include mucosal and saliva fluids containing an assortment of liquids, salts, viruses, bacteria, volatile compounds, etc. (source: Nov issue of Modern Building Services on NPBI, by David Schurk.)
Companies and employees are wrestling with what the new balance should be moving forwards with regards to days working in the office or days working from home – and the considerations are huge. There is the team dynamic to consider, the importance of networking, individual needs for work-life balance and concerns over the health and wellbeing for all to name but a few.
Workplaces have been through a challenging time over the last 18 months with enforced working from home changing employee behaviours, needs and aspirations. What is the new norm and what role will workplaces play in the future?
Great workplaces are about more than just work.
While they’ve always been about people working together toward common goals, today’s employees expect health and wellness to be built into the offices and buildings where they spend time. Whether that’s one, two, or five days a week, the pandemic has made it clear that if employees are coming back to the office, it must be to a place they enjoy. (source: Institute of real estate management 06/21)
The global health crisis heightened awareness of building wellness, and its impact on building occupants. A recent survey by HarrisX revealed that 61% of building managers plan to add health and wellness services to their properties, with 86% reporting that the safety, health and wellbeing of employees is the highest priority in their return-to-office strategy. (source: Institute of real estate management 06/21)
Now that employees and employers have made health and wellbeing a priority, building owners and managers are challenged by updates that motivate healthy behaviours, and support a sense of overall wellbeing. Among these updates and upgrades are ensuring cleaner, non-toxic air, melding outdoor spaces with indoor spaces, allowing for more natural light, more greenery everywhere, and a breath of nature. Research continues to show that when we connect with nature, our overall health and emotional health is improved. (source: Institute of real estate management 06/21)
Airius has a range of unique air purification solutions that help businesses and homes to improve their working and living environments.
Airius PureAir PHI air and surface purification systems are a cost-effective and efficient solution used by customers all over the world to keep their environments clean, healthy and odour free.
Incorporating the latest in Photohydroionisation technology, Airius PureAir systems have been proven to be up to 99% effective at reducing viruses (including COVID19), bacteria, VOCs, mould and odours.
Ionised Hydroperoxides (iHP) have been naturally occurring in our air since the beginning of time. Lightning, water and sun all create hydrogen peroxides. They have become known as ‘Mother Nature’s Cleaning Agent’ and are what make the air smell clean after a thunderstorm. We may be familiar with Hydrogen-Peroxide, which has been used by the medical community for 170 years and is considered the safest oxidizer available (after oxygen).
Photohydroionisation (PHI®) uses a broad spectrum, high efficiency UV bulb working with a hydrated quad-metallic target. This acts as a catalyst for a reaction that produces an advanced oxidation plasma consisting of Hydroperoxides, Super Oxide Ions, passive Negative Ions, Hydroxides and Ozonide Ions. These safe and naturally occurring ions and oxides are attracted to and bond with pathogens, VOCs, bioeffluents and odours, breaking down their molecular structure and rendering them inert, safe and odour free. After the bonding process these friendly oxidisers revert back to Oxygen and Hydrogen. Being ionised with a charge also helps particles to mass together improving filtration efficiency.
Established over 40 years, Harewood Dental Surgery is a Private and NHS Dental Practice based in Surrey, offering a wide range of Preventative, Cosmetic & Restorative Dental treatments.
In response to the COVID19 Pandemic, Harewood Dental Surgery needed to find a solution to help provide protection and reassurance for their staff and patients against the threat of infection from Coronavirus and other harmful pathogens. They had researched other air purification systems, but they did not clean surfaces or offer continuous instant protection against contaminants brought into the surgery.
Our Sales and Support Team worked closely with the surgery to design an Air Purification Solution that met their needs. Incorporating the latest technology, the Airius PureAir Series was specified for installation in each of their dental theatres and patient waiting room. The units were simple to install over the course of 1 day and now provide the client with safe, clean air, eliminating up to 99.99% of all harmful viruses, germs & bacteria.
Harewood Dental Surgery is very happy following installation, reassured that they are breathing safe air:
Since installation, Harewood Dental Surgery has reopened and the results have been fantastic. Not only are the staff happy that they are protected with the latest in air purification technology, but patients are also reassured by the fresh purifying aroma from the PureAir system’s active cleaning agents in the air.
In July 2021, O2 TV Sport unveiled a new multi-functional TV studio that features the latest technology to deliver the most authentic experience possible. But also new in terms of technology, are special fans located in the main studio and its adjacent offices, which aim to provide the highest possible comfort and safe environment for presenters and guests.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, we decided to partner with Safe Air, which supplies special Airius fans. These provide continuous air purification in our new studio and adjacent office, giving all presenters and guests a sense of comfort in the shared spaces,” said Jan Radej, Head of Sales & Marketing at O2 TV Sport.
AIRIUS PureAir is designed to clean the air and surfaces in indoor spaces. It destroys up to 99.9% of viruses (including COVID-19), bacteria, germs, mould spores, pollen and odours.
Many companies and households have huge challenges to face with energy price rises, especially these
Many companies and households have huge challenges to face with the recent Omicron variant identified and appearing to be more transmissible than the Delta variant – these trends are likely to continue throughout 2022.
At Airius “we love what we do and we want to help!”
Through air purification we are improving living and working conditions for all. With our fans, we are reducing costs for businesses and reducing energy consumption to lessen the impact of climate change and make a real contribution towards the protection of our environment.
Millions of households and small businesses face the reality of significant energy price rises due to the hike in fuel bills from April. For the latter this means either passing on the higher costs in the form of higher prices to customers, or in some cases to cease production or close down.
From April 2022, the energy regulator’s new energy price cap – the maximum amount suppliers can charge customers for each unit of energy – is likely to add hundreds of pounds onto the annual bill for 22 million homes (source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-60234732).
Electricity and gas bills for a typical household will go up by £693 a year in April, a 54% increase (source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58090533).
Bills are going up because the energy price cap – the maximum price suppliers in England, Wales and Scotland can charge households – is being raised.
Energy firms can increase bills by 54% when the new cap is introduced in April.
Prices are expected to rise again in October (source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58090533).
There’s been a worldwide squeeze on gas and energy supplies.
A cold winter in Europe last year put pressure on supplies and, as a result, stored gas levels are much lower than normal.
There’s been increased demand from Asia – especially China – for liquefied natural gas.
This has helped push up wholesale gas prices across the world. Since January, they’ve risen 250% (source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business)
Rising gas prices are having a “brutal impact” on a ceramics firm, according to its boss. Wade Ceramics, based in Stoke-on-Trent, saw its energy costs rise £400,000 in 12 months. The firm has passed on some of the additional costs to its customers but managing director Paul Farmer said they would lose business if they added the full amount.
“We have got to weather the storm at the moment,” he said. Paul Farmer – Wade Ceramics.
“We have got to weather the storm at the moment,” he said.
Ceramics firms are generally energy-intensive industries because of the amount of power needed to fire their kilns. Mr Farmer said Wade also needed power in their two factories for equipment such as 13 robots as they produce their porcelain jugs and bottles for industrial customers.
“One good thing is all the workforce are aware of the issue and switching off lights when they can and so on,” he added. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-60253697.
“One good thing is all the workforce are aware of the issue and switching off lights when they can and so on,” he added.
Shopping centres have among the highest energy costs and consumption when it comes to heating and cooling, yet still struggle to maintain comfortable temperatures. At the Kingdom Shopping Centre in Glenrothes tenants had made requests to the management to improve heating levels, as units were uncomfortably cold despite the high heating bills. So, Kingdom set out to find a solution that would not only improve heating comfort, but also conserve energy.
Kingdom Shopping Centre worked with Airius to design and install a series of 26 Destratification fans throughout the Centre, including its 2 squares, central walkway, theatre and library. The results far exceeded the clients expectations and enabled the Centre to reduce the thermostat base level by 6°C, whilst also vastly improving comfort, leading to a significant reduction in energy costs and CO₂ emissions. The project was such a success that it directly led to the Centre being awarded ‘The Green Apple – Gold Award’ for environmental best practice.
Many companies and households have huge challenges to face with energy price rises, especially these current changes in April – the forecasts suggest that those will continue to increase as we head towards 2022.
At Airius we love what we do and we want to help!
Dobrich Hospital is a public medical facility in Dobrich city centre, Bulgaria. Following installation of the Airius PureAir system in their Orthopaedic, Surgical and ER departments in 2020 the hospital were eager to explore further high-risk infection areas, including ambulance vehicles.
Ambulances are a common source of contamination for hospitals. In an effort to reduce the risk of infections introduced to the hospital from ambulances, in particular the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Airius worked with Dobrich Hospital to supply an effective vehicular air and surface purification solution.
The Airius NPBITM system from GPS was specified and installed into a pre-contaminated ambulance for testing. Within 20 minutes of the NPBITM system being activated airborne particulate matter had reduced by 98%.
Start of Test 397 μg/m3 – PM1.0 523 μg/m3 – PM2.5 606 μg/m3 – PM10
After 20 Minutes008 μg/m3 – PM1.0011 μg/m3 – PM2.5012 μg/m3 – PM10
The hospital was extremely impressed with the results and have since installed the Airius NPBITM system throughout their entire fleet of ambulance vehicles.
“We purposely planted microorganisms in one of our ambulances. We re-examined the contaminated areas after a week of normal operating conditions [with NPBI] and they came out completely sterile.” Dr. Georgi ZhelyazkovDobrich Hospital Head Manager
“We purposely planted microorganisms in one of our ambulances. We re-examined the contaminated areas after a week of normal operating conditions [with NPBI] and they came out completely sterile.”
The Airius PureAir NPBITM Series is an air and surface purification and airflow circulation fan system, designed to deliver the highest level of pathogen, particle and odour elimination in any type of indoor commercial or community environment.
Featuring the latest in Needlepoint BiPolar Ionisation (NPBITM) technology from one of the world’s leading manufacturers of indoor air quality systems – Global Plasma Solutions, the PureAir+ Series uses the power of ions to provide continuous round-the-clock sterilisation, neutralising up to 99%+ of all known pathogens, VOCs and odours, in both the air and on surfaces
The PureAir NPBITM also provides all the features and benefits of the world’s most popular destratification and airflow circulation fan, balancing temperatures, improving comfort, reducing heating and cooling costs and cutting carbon emissions.
The PureAir NPBITM Series integrated GPS NPBITM system emits a high concentration of positive (+) and negative (-) ions, which are circulated into spaces via the fan
The polarity of the ions attracts them to all particles within the space, causing the particles to cluster together and make them filterable. They also bond with and neutralise pathogens, VOCs and odours by removing them of a hydrogen atom, breaking them down into their basic, harmless and odourless compounds, such as O2, CO2, N2 and H2O.
Multiple studies have been conducted on the NPBITM technology integrated into the Airius PureAir+ Series range, supporting the efficacy and effectiveness of NPBITM systems for pathogen neutralisation, particle reduction and odour elimination.
Airius fans are commonly used to purify air and balance temperatures for both heating and cooling applications in a wide variety of environments – from offices to aircraft hangars.
Adding an Airius PureAir NPBITM Series air purification, infection and odour control ventilation fan is a simple way to continually clean your air and surfaces, creating a safer and healthier environment for you, your staff and your building.
Amidst the concern of potential acceleration of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus, the risk of restrictions on social interaction and behaviour increases. Omicron was first identified in South Africa and is a variant of the Coronavirus with a number of mutations from the original version. It is still early days and further analysis is required, but already we have seen in the UK the recent lifting of the red list for those travelling to and from some countries, and the mandatory 10-day self-isolation, recently reduced to 7 days, for those who come into contact with Omicron.
There is hope and there are things that can be done, however, not only to protect you against Coronavirus but indeed to improve the environment altogether.
According to government advice, the ventilation of spaces is a crucial part in the fight against Coronavirus.
Ventilation is the process of introducing fresh air into indoor spaces while removing stale air. Letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles and prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
But this removal of air conflicts with your heating system, which wants to retain as much heat in the space as possible.
When someone with COVID-19 breathes, speaks, coughs or sneezes, they release particles (droplets and aerosols) containing the virus that causes COVID-19. While larger droplets fall quickly to the ground, aerosols containing the virus can remain suspended in the air. If someone breathes in virus particles that are suspended in the air, they can become infected with COVID-19. This is known as airborne transmission.
In poorly ventilated rooms or buildings, the amount of virus in the air can build up, increasing the risk of spreading COVID-19, especially if there are lots of infected people in the room. The virus can also remain in the air after an infected person has left.
Bringing fresh air into a room and removing older stale air that contains virus particles reduces the chance of spreading COVID-19. The more fresh air that is brought inside, the quicker any airborne virus will be removed from the room or space.
Ventilation is of course crucially important in shared spaces such as homes, offices and public spaces, particularly, if someone tests positive for COVID-19. You can pass COVID-19 on to others if you only have mild symptoms or even no symptoms at all.
Good ventilation has also been linked to health benefits such as better sleep and fewer sick days off from work or school. (source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-ventilation-of-indoor-spaces-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus/ventilation-of-indoor-spaces-to-stop-the-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19)
So, how do you maintain effective ventilation and air quality without venting heat and increasing heating costs significantly?
Dandi Living is a London based housing developer responsible for a pipeline of 2,000 homes in and around London, with plans to build another 15,000 homes in White City, Clapham, Queen’s Park and Luton as part of their expansion. Specialising in co-living developments, Dandi Living incorporates innovative space-saving flexible interiors into each 25m2 co-living flat.
Operating since 1986, Dandi aims to deliver a great physical experience to their tenants. “We really concentrated on the physical aspect of co-living. What you see, feel, smell, was all part and parcel of Dandi,” says Dandi’s Founder, Ali Ravanshad.
As part of this, Dandi wanted to include an innovative air purification system that would complement their smart space designs which improve the living experience of tenants. These include a bed that rises into the ceiling revealing a skylight, foldaway kitchens and homes designed to provide various modes over the course of a day: sleep, work-study, dine and unwind.
Dandi has installed over 350 of the small, easy-to-install, Reme Ion air purifiers throughout their buildings. This is the first housing development in the UK to install the innovative devices that will improve the wellbeing of residents and reduce the risk of airborne and surface viruses such as COVID19 by up to 99%.
Many companies and households have huge challenges to face with the recent Omicron variant identified and appearing to be more transmissible than the Delta variant. These trends are likely to continue throughout 2022.
We are improving living and working conditions for all through air purification. We are reducing costs for businesses and reducing energy consumption to lessen the impact of climate change, making a real contribution towards the protection of our environment.
The world is warming because of emissions from fossil fuels used by humans, like coal, oil and gas.
Extreme weather events linked to climate change – including heatwaves, floods and forest fires – are intensifying. The past decade was the warmest on record and governments agree urgent collective action is needed. (Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-59915690)
That is why COP26 has attracted more focus than many other similar summits, set as it is against the backdrop of growing environmental protest movements.
For this conference – called COP26 – 200 countries have been asked for their plans to cut emissions by 2030.
They all agreed in 2015 to make changes to keep global warming “well below” 2ºC – and to try aim for 1.5ºC – so that we avoid a climate catastrophe.
This is the Paris Agreement. It means countries have to keep cutting emissions until reaching net zero in 2050. (Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56901261)
Many countries set out plans to reduce emissions before the summit, but there has been a flurry of new announcements:
Airius has a range of innovative fan solutions that can save businesses an average of 35% on their energy usage – reducing consumption, bills and the carbon footprint of your building. Providing cost effective, energy saving heating solutions as well as acting as an comparative alternative to eco friendly air conditioning, our fans have reduced the bills of thousands of companies, whether they are located in offices, warehouses, retail showrooms, hangars, factories, schools, hospitals – the solution works everywhere.
All buildings naturally have a challenge balancing the temperature flow within the environment. Thermal stratification is a natural phenomenon that affects all buildings. Hot, lighter air rises towards the ceiling. Cool air falls to the floor. The result is a dramatic temperature difference between the floor and ceiling.
The main negative consequence of thermal stratification is that your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems have to work harder to maintain an even temperature. Your HVAC systems have to over-deliver on hot or cool air in order to resist the effects of thermal stratification.
Consequently, your energy bills are higher and the condition of your environment is rarely ideal.
To combat the problem of thermal stratification, Airius have a range of destratification fan systems that will balance the internal temperatures in your building, by recirculating existing heat and any additional heat generated from people, processes or solar gain. This enables you to achieve significant energy heating savings.
Our systems will also reduce the operation time and workload required of heating and cooling systems significantly, optimising energy saving heating strategies and provding customers with cooling solutions that are up to 90% cheaper than eco friendly air conditioning systems.
As the host nation, the UK wants all participants to recommit to net zero emissions by 2050 and big reductions by 2030.
It will also want more specific pledges, like those already agreed on deforestation and methane. (Source: https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/cop26-heres-what-countries-have-pledged)
Airius can help all businesses across all sectors to get closer to zero emissions by reducing your gas usage typically by 35% on average, providing energy saving heating solutons and cost effective eco friendly air conditioning. We are already improving living and working conditions for all, reducing costs for businesses and reducing energy consumption to lessen the impact of climate change and make a real contribution towards the protection of our environment.
Through our expertise, passion, customer dedication and the best technology, Airius will deliver unparalleled comfort and protection.
We provide the whole service – advice, design, installation, service, and maintenance. We are here to help!
Fuel bills are rising for millions of households and businesses alike. For the latter this means either passing on the higher costs in the form of higher prices to customers, or in some cases to cease production or close down.
This has helped push up wholesale gas prices across the world. Since January, they’ve risen 250% (source: www.bbc.co.uk/news/business).
Airius has a range of unique, innovative fan solutions that save businesses an average of 35% on their energy – reducing consumption, bills and reducing the carbon footprint of your building. Our fans have reduced the bills of thousands of companies whether they are located in offices, warehouses, retail showrooms, hangars, factories, schools, hospitals – the solution works everywhere!
Many companies and households have huge challenges to face with rapidly rising energy costs – and the forecasts suggest that those will continue to increase as we head towards 2022.
In response to the COVID19 pandemic, the Twelve Hotel wanted to extend its high standards of service to include indoor air purification, providing guests who may have breathing challenges, chemical or pet sensitivities, or simply a concern for their health, with fresh, clean, healthy air.
As a pet friendly hotel, the management also wanted to control and reduce the level of pet odours.
After researching the ever growing market of air purification systems available, the Hotel’s Managing Director Fergus O’Halloran, chose to install the same BiPolar Ionisation Technology from Plasma Air that is integrated within the Airius PureAir Pearl Series.
This not only treated the air supplied to guest’s rooms, but throughout the entirety of the building,including the reception, restaurant and Spa.
The Twelve Hotel were extremely impressed with the results following installation:
Guests can now enjoy safe, clean air when visiting the Twelve Hotel, which not only helps offer protection during the COVID19 pandemic, but also provides guests with a higher quality of service to improve their stay.
60% of frequent travellers report suffering poor sleep, runny nose, sneezing, or headache as a result of poor hotel air quality, as reported in an International Hotel and Restaurant Association survey. However, guests to the Twelve Hotel are now able to relax and breathe easy with the Hotel’s new BiPolar Ionisation System.
In addition to improving standards for guests, staff have also noticed a significant improvement in air quality and reduction in airborne particles when cleaning rooms, during dusting, vacuuming and cleaning drapes etc.
“Providing clean air is one way we demonstrate our commitment to the health and well-being of our guests and staff. It quickly eliminates any VOCs during maintenance work and allows us to prevent mould issues in the indoor pool area. We also don’t have the slightest worry about pet odours.
We know particles invisible to the naked eye can cause discomfort to some of our guests, so, like everything we do, we made it our mission to solve this problem.”
Fergus O’Halloran – Managing Director
The Airius PureAir Pearl Series is a proven highly efficient air purification and surface cleaning system designed to deliver high levels of pathogen, particle and odour elimination in all types of indoor environments.
Featuring the latest in Needlepoint BiPolar Ionisation technology from one of the world’s leading manufacturers of indoor air quality systems – Plasma Air, the PureAir Pearl Series uses the power of ions to provide continuous round-the-clock sterilisation, neutralising up to 99.9% of all known pathogens, VOCs and odours, in both the air and on all surfaces.The PureAir Pearl also provides all the features and benefits of the world’s most popular destratification and airflow circulation fan, balancing temperatures, improving comfort, reducing heating and cooling costs and cutting carbon emissions.
The PureAir Pearl’s integrated Plasma Air BiPolar Ionisation system emits a high concentration of positive (+) and negative (-) ions, which are circulated into spaces via the fan
Multiple studies have been conducted on Plasma Air BiPolar Ionisation technology and it is widely approved for use to control airborne and surface-based bacteria, viruses, smoke and odours.
Keeping families safe has been the most important challenge for parents during the COVID19 pandemic, but when Eoin and his family were told by Doctors that their son had been diagnosed with Asthma, the quality of their indoor air at home became even more of a concern. Breathing had become difficult for their son and they even had to keep their pet dog outside due to pet dander in the air.
In an effort to try and improve their home air quality and provide their son with clean, unpolluted air, Eoin researched a wide range of air purification systems. He discovered the Airius PureAir System and after reviewing the many benefits and accreditations from world leading organisations he contacted his local supplier, Ermen Systems, who made immediate arrangements for installation.
The effect of the Airius PureAir Home Series may be invisible, but the results speak for themselves:
Since installation of the PureAir Home System their son’s breathing problems have been significantly reduced, so much so that they can now let the family dog back in the house, where previously fur and dander had been a problem. The removal of allergens, odours and VOCs have also benefited the family as a whole, whilst the protection against COVID19 offers an extra level of reassurance and protection, especially important as Eoin’s position in Health Care means he is exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
“We installed the Airius PureAir in our home after discovering our young son had asthma. This was especially worrying as he was diagnosed in such worrying times. While researching measures to protect my son I discovered the Airius PureAir and contacted Ermen Systems immediately.
Since the installation of this solution, we have been able to allow our pet dog re-enter the home as our son’s breathing has improved dramatically and we as a family feel much safer and secure in our home.
Eoin Barrett – Home Owner
The PureAir PhotohydroIonisation (PHI) Cell is a kind of UV light that emits advanced oxidation plasma. Included as part of a fan system, the PHI cell distributes hydro-peroxides, super-oxide ions and hydroxide ions throughout the space, neutralising 99% of micro-organisms in the air and on surfaces.
PHI cells produce a group of oxidants known as hydro-peroxides. Far from new to our world, hydro-peroxides have been around for 3.5 billion years – and today they are commonly used in food processing environments, where they offer an anti-microbial treatment without leaving chemical residues.
Following a successful trial in Israel, Holmes Place fitness clubs are poised to introduce needlepoint bipolar ionisation (NPBI®) to air filter systems throughout their chain.
Gyms and health clubs are among the businesses most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, as they are thought to be one of the more high-risk environments for the transmission of COVID-19.
As Israel eases out of its third national lockdown, the impetus has been placed on fitness clubs such as Holmes Place to take measures to protect patrons in order to allow them to open safely.
Most gyms have introduced new ventilation measures and regular cleaning schedules, but the introduction of NBPI air purification helps Holmes Place fitness clubs to take a more significant step forward in the protection of their customers and employees.
NBPI technology has been proven to neutralise up to 99.9%+ of pathogens, including SARS COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (it is important to note that no medical claims are made).
Keren Shtevy, Homes Place CEO, says:
“The Holmes Place Group is currently preparing for the exit from the third lockdown and the opening of the gyms in accordance with the agreement and promise we received from the health minister,”
“As part of this preparation, we are making every effort to produce in clubs the healthiest and cleanest spaces from bacteria and viruses for our trainees.
“In recent months, I have chosen a number of alternatives and after being convinced that the GPS (Global Plasma Solutions – one of the world’s leading manufacturers of air quality systems) system will provide the best solution for air purification and surfaces in our fitness clubs, we started a pilot in five clubs across the country. The pilot results were amazing, so I decided that the system would be installed in more clubs of the group for the benefit of the trainees.”
As part of a report published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers traced a series of confirmed cases of COVID-19 back to a nationwide fitness dance class.
The study concluded that the moist, warm air of fitness environments, combined with the irregular air flow caused by people exercising in close quarters, creates an ideal environment for infected droplets to spread.
Current evidence suggests that COVID-19 is mainly spread via respiratory droplets.
These are expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks or breathes heavily and usually occurs when an infected person is in direct or close contact with other people.
For gyms and fitness clubs, a bigger concern is aerosol transmission.
Airborne transmission occurs because the smallest respiratory droplets (aerosols) are able to linger in the air for longer, and travel greater distances.
Dr Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital, said:
“When people breathe more rapidly and more deeply, they expel greater numbers of droplets,
“Based on recent research, aerosolized droplets can remain airborne for up to 3 hours, making the potential for spread in crowded and confined spaces such as fitness studios problematic.”
This makes aerosol transmission a higher risk in places like fitness clubs because they are often indoors, crowded and people tend to spend a significant amount of time there.
There are three main stages to creating a COVID-safe environment in gyms:
The majority of gyms have stepped up their cleaning regimens in the wake of the pandemic.
However, while it is fairly simple to clean surfaces using disinfectants, cleaning the air is a different story.
Linsey Marr, a Virginia Tech engineer who studies the airborne spread of viruses, says:
“Cleaning the air is at least as important as cleaning surfaces, but you do it very differently,”
“We end up having to breathe whatever it is we spray. And if it’s harmful to the virus, it’s likely it’s also harmful to us. So we need to take a totally different approach.”
The best way to keep the air in any space clean is to limit the sources of infection present in the first place.
This means social distancing, lowering capacity for every room/class and having measures to prevent infected people entering the gym. These could include temperature checks and rapid response testing for staff and/or customers.
Ventilation is the easiest and most effective way to reduce the concentration of airborne virus particles in any indoor setting, outside of source control.
Ventilation means increasing the amount of outdoor air in an indoor space.
Since COVID-19 is still a fairly new virus, scientists cannot agree on how much of the virus needs to be present in order to be transmitted. Therefore it is essential to ventilate an indoor space as much as is possible, in order to dilute the air and lessen the risk to occupants.
It is important to note that, because ventilation is difficult to regulate, this alone is not enough to make a fitness club covid-secure. In fact, there are reports of badly-designed ventilation systems being the cause of COVID-19 outbreaks.
This is why air purification is an essential next step.
The Airius PureAir+ NPBI Series features Global Plasma Solutions’ patented needlepoint bipolar ionisation technology to generate positive and negative ions. These occur naturally in our air and are found in their highest concentrations in rural areas and near bodies of moving water.
Ions work as natural cleaning agents and capture airborne particles, bonding with them and altering them on a cellular level to render them inert and harmless.
Bipolar ionisation has been used in medical settings for decades thanks to its ability to clean the air without leaving harmful by-products such as those found in chemical cleaning or ozone-producing purification technologies.
The PureAir+ NPBI Series contains unique needlepoint modules that are able to neutralise and remove up to 99% of all common pathogens (including COVID-19), germs, bacteria, gases, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), mould and odours.
The PureAir+ combines GPS’ industry-leading NPBI purification technology and Airius’ patented columnar laminar airflow circulation, ensuring that the active cleaning agents are circulated quickly and continuously throughout any internal space.
NPBI air purification systems are in use at more than 300,000 businesses and organisations in the US, including the White House.
For gyms and fitness clubs everywhere, this technology offers an incredibly efficient, effective and simple way for businesses to keep their staff and customers safe.
Adding an Airius PureAir+ NPBI Series air purification, infection and odour control ventilation fan is a simple way to continually clean your air and surfaces, creating a safer and healthier environment for you, your staff and your building.
Over recent years many products have been introduced which reduce energy consumption in buildings. LED lighting, efficient HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, sub metering, variable speed drive units, improved building fabrics etc. They all reduce the carbon footprint of a building and reduce energy bills.
However, one of the fastest growing and simplest energy reduction initiatives which can be installed into both new and existing buildings is THERMAL DESTRATIFICATION1, rated by the Carbon Trust2 as one of the top carbon reducing initiatives for any type of building.
The natural process of thermal stratification occurs in all buildings; it results in dramatic differences in temperature from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. Thermal stratification is caused by hot air rising up to the ceiling or roof space because it is lighter than the surrounding cooler air. Conversely, cool air falls to the floor as it is heavier than the surrounding warmer air. This means that HVAC systems have to constantly cycle on in order to maintain building interiors at a set and even temperature throughout.
HVAC systems are typically over-delivering either heating or cooling to compensate for this stratification phenomenon in an attempt to achieve a required temperature at working/operating level, which is normally only around 1.5 metres to 2 metres from the floor. This costs a lot of money and creates a lot of carbon.
As a result large amounts of wasted heat can build up unseen in ceilings where the difference in temperature can easily rise 14°C or higher than the temperature at floor level depending on floor to ceiling height. The higher the building the more extreme this temperature differential can be (Building Services Research and Information Association3). This heat is also increasing the Delta “T”4 between inside and outside, accelerating the rate at which hot air escapes through the roof.
This heat can easily be captured and reused by the installation of an efficient destratification fan system, which will balance internal temperatures and thus reduce the operation time and workload required of HVAC systems.
Many mechanical engineers will argue that good HVAC design will ensure no stratification occurs within a space or building but anyone who has worked in the roof space of a building will tell you that theory is not born out in practice! That is, no doubt, why thermal destratification systems (such as the Airius® system, www.airius.co.uk5) have been in such high demand in North America, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, continental Europe and here in the United Kingdom.
Destratification fans will always compliment the HVAC system in any building as efficient air movement is the key to making sure an HVAC system operates to its maximum potential without wasting energy. Destratification fans can also reduce the amount of HAVC equipment required and some brands will also do away with the need for conventional and relatively inefficient duct work.
There are a number of types of destratification fan on the market offering varying degrees of efficiency and energy savings. Over the past few years destratification fan technology has moved on dramatically from the traditional, ineffective paddle and box type fans to the new third generation Axial Turbine Fan.
Energy saving, personal comfort and indoor air quality (IAQ6) have become more important and new regulations have been introduced with that in mind. The latest generation axial turbine fan addresses the energy saving issue and is designed to be used in many more environments. They can also come equipped with air purification systems capable of killing 99% of viruses, germs and bacteria in spaces as well as removing mould and odours.
Here in the UK major retailers such as Morrisons, Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s and John Lewis are utilising thermal destratification systems, saving significant amounts in operational heating and cooling energy. They eliminate hot and cold spots throughout their stores whilst also improving freezer and chiller aisle comfort levels (measurably increasing dwell times and removing fogging and condensation from fridge doors, quickly drying up floor spills and issues such as condensate drainage) with no impact on fridge or open freezer cabinet performance (Morrisons7, 2007, showed reduced temperature stratification in chiller aisles from 6-8°C to 1-2°C). Morrisons now specify thermal destratification in all stores.
The United States Navy also conducted its own research and found a 40 per cent reduction in energy consumption in two facilities implementing thermal destratification fans. (‘Thermal Destratification Technology at West Bethesda, MD’, April 2010 – International Energy Agency, www.iea.org8)
Paradoxically, thermal destratification also provides significant savings and comfort benefits during summer months by gently and efficiently circulating conditioned cool air fully within spaces, significantly increasing HVAC system efficiency and user comfort so that set points can be raised, minimising system cycling times and reducing wear and tear on HVAC systems. In addition, as the cool air which is normally sat at ground level is being circulated up to body level and throughout means HVAC systems no longer have to over deliver to compensate for the stratification problem. The hot air sitting overhead, which impacts negatively on comfort during the summer, is also minimised by temperature equalisation with the cooler air from floor level improving comfort. (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air conditioning Engineers, www.ashrae.org9)
The Carbon Trust also recommends thermal destratification as a cost effective carbon saving solution in existing and new buildings because the leading brands are extremely simple to retrofit and/or install, resulting in affordable purchase and install prices. As simple as installing a new light fitting, destratification fans need only be wired in and hung from the roof or installed into suspended ceilings.
These features account for some of the remarkable returns on investment noted by existing users. Some users advise around three months’ payback (Impress Metal Packaging10, UK, 2009 quoted saving £62,251 in three months for an outlay of £21,268) and energy savings on heating and cooling costs by up to 50 per cent.
Destratification is also effective in non-conditioned spaces such as warehouses and factory’s where internal environments can be very cold during winter months, even though at times vast amounts of heat generated by machinery, processes and people can be sitting up in the roof space. This heat can be recirculated to cost effectively improve temperatures at floor level.
These non-conditioned applications can also benefit during summer months. The simple process of air movement across skin as a result of efficient and continuous air circulation creates a natural evaporative cooling11 effect on people, reducing body temperature through the evaporation of perspiration. Furthermore, the equalisation of internal air temperature also improves thermal comfort.
In addition to warehouses, factory’s and retail outlets thermal destratification has many other applications such as in swimming pools, greenhouses and churches for example. In these types of applications thermal destratification fans have shown to measurably reduce pool heating costs as well as eliminate condensation on surfaces, whilst also removing toxic chlorine gas from the water surface in chlorine based pools. This can be seen in a testimonial by James Dunn at Newtownabbey Borough Council’s in relation to a destratification system installed at their Sixmile Leisure Centre.
“The heating systems come on much less often and complaints from swimmers about the warmth in the swimming pool area have reduced by 90%. We have found the destratification units have reduced our heating costs by an impressive 25% in the sports halls and swimming pool area; the thermostat in the swimming pool building has also been turned down 2°C!”
In greenhouses it has a great impact on plant growth and flowering, improving air circulation throughout the planting benches eliminating non-productive cold corners, whilst also reducing heating costs. It can also be used to change the cycle of flowering in greenhouses, resulting in produce being offered outside normal supply seasons.
“The destratification system reduced our energy costs by 26% and paid for itself in one winter season. The units increased the air circulation throughout the planting benches, eliminated non-productive cold corners and increased our winter plant growth. Our concrete floors and walkways also became a heat storage bank, supplying free heat during the night. As a result the consistent temperature increased our winter plant growth in ways we had never seen before. Calla Lilies bloomed 25% more than in previous winter months and our philodendron showed exceptional growth. We’ve now installed the system throughout our greenhouses.” – Kelly Grummons – Chief Horticulturalist, Timberline Gardens.
In churches, with their typical high architecture and building materials, recirculating high level heat and achieving temperature equalisation can make vast improvements to comfort levels for congregations at floor level.
The key to efficient destratification is delivering continuous, direct, non-turbulent air flow with maximised throw distance so that high and low level temperatures are fully mixed in a controlled fashion, using low energy motors. The leading brands begin operating on only 12 Watts and can be angled up to 90° off vertical. This also means you can direct the flow of air to where you need it, which standard off the shelf fans cannot provide. Generally standard fans use far more energy and cannot push air in a single direction for any distance beyond 3 metres, turbulently mixing the air where it is turning but very little else. To be effective you need to consider a true destratification fan system.
Historically destratification fans could only be installed into buildings with ceiling heights from approximately 4 metres to 10 metres, however today they are being fitted into offices, retail stores, factories, swimming pools, schools and many more applications. Depending on the manufacturer destratification fans are now available which can be installed into buildings with both open and suspended ceilings from 2.5 metres to 31 metres, covering applications ranging from offices to aircraft hangars.
Thermal destratification is a simple concept that makes a lot of sense. In any building or space which is heated or cooled, or any building or space which requires environmental control for staff, stock or equipment thermal destratification fans will be worth looking into. They offer significant energy and monetary savings, optimise HVAC system output, improve environmental control and comfort levels and act as a cost effective solution to reducing a buildings carbon footprint.
1 Wikipedia – Thermal destratification in buildingshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_destratification_in_buildings
2 Carbon Trust – Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/energy-efficiency/heating-ventilation-and-air-conditioning-%28hvac%29
3 BSRIA (Building Services Research and Information Association) – A consultancy, test, instruments and research organisation providing services in construction, building services and facilities managementhttps://www.bsria.co.uk/
4 Wiki Answers – What is DELTA T?https://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_DELTA_T
5 Airius Europe Ltd – Airius Energy Saving Thermal Destratification Ceiling Fans for use with new and existing HVAC Systemshttps://www.airius.co.uk/
6 BRE (Building Research Establishment Ltd) – Assessment and evaluation of indoor air qualityhttps://bregroup.com/services/testing-certification-verification/indoor-environment-testing/air-quality/
7 Destratification Case Study – Morrisons Supermarkets Plc (Knottingly 2007)https://www.airius.co.uk/all-resources/morrisons/
8 IEA (International Energy Agency) – Implements an international program of energy cooperation among 28 member countrieshttps://www.iea.org/
9 ASHRAE – American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineershttps://www.ashrae.org/
10 Destratification Case Study – Impress Metal Packaging Ltd (Norwich 2009)https://www.airius.co.uk/all-resources/impress-manufacturing/
11 Wikipedia – Evaporative coolerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler#Physical_principles
There’s nothing worse than waking up with a cold, especially when you have a busy work day ahead of you.
Taking a day off may not seem like too much of a problem for some, but just a few work days off per employee each year can seriously affect a business’s bottom line, which has a knock-on effect on the UK economy as a whole.
Even more alarmingly, if you decide to go in anyway you risk passing on your illness to your co-workers, potentially leading to an outbreak of illness that has even more of an impact on your company.
Data from Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace shows that sickness-related absence and presenteeism cost British businesses around £91.9bn in 2019 – a rise of more than £10bn from the previous year.
CEO of Vitality Neville Koopowitz said:
“Every year the results of Britain’s Healthiest Workplace find the costs to business from ill-health and presenteeism are spiralling upwards.
“Despite this, many businesses continue to ignore the role of health and wellbeing and its intrinsic links to productivity.”
Koopowitz argues that the implications of the study’s findings go beyond the financial.
“It’s no longer enough to create a health and wellbeing programme for employees and hope they’ll make use of it. The businesses that not only prioritise it, but also properly consider how they engage their employees to improve their mental and physical health, can see productivity increase in their workforce by as much as 40%, which is no insignificant number,” he said.
According to the 2020 XpertHR benchmarking survey , a median 2.7% of work hours were lost to employee illness in 2019, translating to around 6.4 days for every employee in the UK.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) states the main reasons for sickness absence in 2018 and how this relates to missed work days:
While these figures do have a substantial impact on the UK economy, it is the cost to businesses that makes the issue so important to resolve.
In 2019, the cost of sickness absence worked out to an average of £544 per employee.
This number is likely to be an underestimate, as it mostly takes into account the salaries of people on sick leave. It does not count the costs of reduced productivity and performance, missed opportunities and paid overtime for those covering shifts.
According to Circadian’s publication Absenteeism: The Bottom-Line Killer, the real cost of unplanned absence is much higher.
In fact, Circadian suggest that sick leave could cost up to $3,600 (£2599.47) per year for hourly workers, and $2,650 (£1913.50) for salaried employees.
This may be directly attributed to:
Circadian also notes some indirect costs to businesses of absenteeism, including:
Where productivity is lost because of sickness absence, the Britain’s Healthiest Workplace report mentioned earlier found that presenteeism (coming into work when unwell) was the most significant cause of productivity loss.
In fact, the report found that 55 minutes of every lost productive hour was lost due to employees coming into work sick, rather than being absent.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), air pollution indoors can be between two and five times greater than it is outside.
In some extreme cases this figure may rise to up to 100 times more polluted than fresh air.
The EPA calls this phenomenon “Sick Building Syndrome” and it is caused by a build-up of toxic particles, bacteria and mould spores that, thanks to modern, energy-efficient offices, are not able to escape as they would in better ventilated spaces.
Allergist and immunologist Dr. Purvi Purikh believes that there is an obvious reason that people working in offices feel unwell more often – allergies.
“Most of us spend the majority of the week at work, and thus have extended exposure to these allergens in an enclosed space,” Purikh says. “Repeated and increased exposure can make existing allergies more severe.”
Allergies don’t necessarily mean the cough and runny nose typical on high-pollen days. Allergies can lead to a wide range of illnesses – everything from asthma to chronic fatigue.
Even office equipment and furnishings can contribute to poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and cause illness.
Photocopiers and laser printers, if not well-maintained, are a source of potentially harmful VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Printers also release toxic toner particles over time.
It is well-documented that keyboards can carry enormous amounts of bacteria build-up over time, but microbes can be found on door handles, elevator buttons, office kitchen sinks and mugs and even in handshakes.
As an employer you have a duty of care to your staff and customers and want to do everything in your power to protect them against illness.
The Airius PureAir Series can help.
Airius PureAir+ NPBI, Pearl and PHI Series’ air purification systems are a cost-effective and efficient solution used by offices all over the UK to keep their work environments healthy.
The PureAir+ NPBI Series is one of Airius’s most popular air purification systems for offices and large workplace environments.
The pathogen, particle and odour purification system uses needlepoint bipolar ionisation (NPBI®) technology to sterilise air and surfaces, eliminating up to 99.9% of all known pathogens.
It also eliminates mould spores, bacteria, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odours, able to remove particles that are 1,000 times smaller than standard HEPA filters, helping to reduce airborne pollutants and ease allergies.
Installing the PureAir+ helps to refresh the air and improve IAQ, leading to:
In the report Working for a Healthier Tomorrow, Dame Carol Black says:
“Good health improves an individual’s quality of life, and a focus on their well-being can also add value to organisations by promoting better health and increasing motivation and engagement of employees, in turn helping to drive increases in productivity and profitability.
“In other words the benefits of health and well-being extend far beyond avoiding or reducing the costs of absence or poor performance. But this requires a changed perception of health and well-being, and a willingness from both employers and employees to invest resources and change behaviour.”
As a primary school teacher Seoda has been working hard during the pandemic to ensure the safety and welfare of her pupils and fellow staff. Her main concern was that her fiancée, who recently graduated and was now working as a Doctor at Mater Hospital in Dublin, may contract COVID19. If he was asymptomatic, he may pass the virus on to her, which she may then take in to the school.
In response to these growing concerns Seoda researched a wide range of purification systems and selected the Airius PureAir system as it provided both air and surface purification. Working with a local contractor Seoda arranged for Ermen Systems to supply and install the system as soon as possible. The unit was fitted seamlessly within their roof space in a matter of hours, providing immediate protection.
The effect of the Airius PureAir Home Series may not be visible, but the results are profound:
Prior to installation Seoda carried great concern for her students, aware of the potential transmission link from her fiancée at the hospital, who was exposed to COVID19 and numerous other diseases on a daily basis, to the children at her school. However, Ermen Systems were able to install the PureAir system with a day providing Seoda with instant peace of mind. The Positive Input Ventilation benefits of the system also prevents damp and mould issues, protecting their home as well as their health.
“I am a primary school teacher living and working in the Midlands. Recently my fiancée graduated as a doctor and is now working in the Mater hospital in Dublin. With my job, I am fearful of bringing COVID19 and other illnesses into our school and potentially infecting colleagues and children.
We installed the Airius PureAir in our home in order to prevent the spread of illnesses in the case that my partner was asymptomatic. I now feel much more comfortable going to work knowing that Airius PureAir has disinfected all surfaces and air it has come in contact with.”
Seoda Fitzgerald – Home Owner
Most of us know the importance of a clean home – and work hard to ensure that our living environments are spotless and odour-free.
However, the health of your home goes far beyond how shiny your surfaces are – a truly clean home often requires deeper cleaning beyond what you can see.
Modern homes are built to be energy-efficient and are well-sealed against draughts and cold. Unfortunately, an unintended side-effect of this is a lack of air flow, which allows indoor air pollutants to build up over time.
Additionally, chemicals in cleaning products, furnishings and even building materials can carry risks to health, while stuffy indoor environments can trigger allergies and make occupants feel tired and unwell.
In 2014 the MENE study found that people who spent more than two hours a week in nature had consistently higher levels of health and wellbeing than those who spent less.
Caoimhe Twohig-Bennett, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said:
“We found that spending time in, or living close to, natural green spaces is associated with diverse and significant health benefits. It reduces the risk of type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, and preterm birth, and increases sleep duration.
“People living closer to nature also had reduced diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and stress. In fact, one of the really interesting things we found is that exposure to greenspace significantly reduces people’s levels of salivary cortisol — a physiological marker of stress.”
At a time when people are spending more time at home than ever, the good news is that the benefits of green surroundings can be enjoyed at home.
In 1989, a NASA study concluded that houseplants are able to absorb toxins from the air in environments with little air flow.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air through photosynthesis, and the external surface of leaves are able to increase humidity, transpiring water vapour and absorbing pollutants.
Another study from 2004 found that micro-organisms present in the soil of potted plants also contribute to the cleaning of indoor air.
Plants have even been found to reduce stress and make people happier, with scientists finding that phytoncides (volatile natural gases that defend against bacteria and fungi) emitted by trees and plants stimulate the parasympathetic system in humans, as well as reducing cortisol (the ‘stress hormone’).
However, Stanley Kays, a professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia, says that these studies are not a reliable indication of how well houseplants might work to improve home environments.
Kays agrees that plants are able to remove toxins from the air, but argues that: “moving from a sealed container to a more open environment changes the dynamics tremendously,”
The plants used in laboratory experiments are grown in optimal conditions and used in controlled environments – with the right kind and amount of light used for experiments to maximise photosynthesis in the plants.
“The amount of light in many parts of a house is often just barely sufficient for photosynthesis,” Kays says.
Plants are also unable to protect against particulate matter or damp.
For people looking for effective protection against allergies, viruses and bacteria, a more thorough solution is needed.
Airius provides a fast and efficient way to remove pathogens, particles, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and odours from your home with the PureAir Series of air purification systems.
Across the NPBI, PHI and Pearl Series’ , ion-emitting air purifiers clean the air, sterilise surfaces and neutralise odours in the home, creating a healthier environment.
The PureAir+ NPBI Series is a step up from traditional air filtration systems, offering continuous cleaning in any space. The system is able to attract the smallest particles and bond them together, making them large enough to be filtered.
The PureAir+ NPBI and Pearl air purifiers use needlepoint bipolar ionisation (NPBI®) technology, combined with a powerful destratification fan to create positive and negative ions and distribute them quickly and effectively throughout your home.
Meanwhile, the PureAir PHI Series employs a unique PHI (photohydroionisation) Cell – a broad spectrum, high-efficiency UV bulb which works in conjunction with a hydrated quad-metallic target to create ionised hydroperoxides.
These ions and oxides are completely safe, naturally occurring in the highest quantities in rural areas, areas of rushing water and in woodland.
They are sometimes known as ‘Mother Nature’s cleaning agent’ and are one of the most effective tools that the planet has to clean our air naturally.
Ions are atoms that are positively or negatively charged, meaning that they must either gain or lose an electron in order to become neutral. This makes them ‘magnetic’ to other particles, bonding with them and causing a reaction that neutralises pathogens and eliminates odours.
Airius PureAir systems distribute these natural cleaning agents throughout the space where they neutralise 99.9% of all known pathogens, VOCs and odours and leave the air feeling fresh and smelling clean.
The destratification and airflow circulation fan installed in all PureAir+ NPBI, Pearl and PHI systems has the added benefits of balancing temperatures in the home and improving comfort.
This cuts heating and cooling costs and even reduces carbon emissions.
Faced with the speed and efficiency of Airius PureAir systems, is there any point in buying houseplants to improve indoor air?
Speaking to National Geographic, Michael Waring, an environmental engineer and indoor air quality expert at Drexel University, says:
“Plants, though they do remove VOCs, remove them at such a slow rate that they can’t compete with the air exchange mechanisms already happening in buildings”
While plants are technically working to remove airborne toxins, “to have it compete with air exchange, you would need an unfeasible amount of plants,” Waring says.
In fact, in order to impact the air quality in a room of any size Waring says that there would need to be around 10 plants per square foot.
Still, these findings should not put you off having houseplants in your home.
There is plenty of evidence to suggest that they have plenty of benefits for your health above air purification – you just might want to use them to supplement your Airius PureAir system.
Combining a patented PHI (Photohydroionisation) Cell with a powerful, efficient fan unit, the Airius PureAir Home Series is designed specifically for homes and residential spaces.
The unit’s advanced technology emits a broad-spectrum HE/UV light, projected onto a quad metallic target, acting as a catalyst to generate ionised hydroperoxides.
The fan continuously circulates these safe, healthy cleaning agents throughout the space , where they get to work bonding with harmful particles and pathogens.
Once attached, the oxidation process breaks them down at a cellular level, rendering them inert and odour free.
For more information visit the PureAir Home product page using the button below or call us on 01202 554 200 where a member of our team would be pleased to offer further information.
One of the basic principles of physics is that hot air rises.
What is destratification and how does thermal stratification affect our working and living environments?
This basic, yet fundamental law of nature can cause major problems for companies attempting to maintain temperatures evenly throughout their buildings for customers, staff and stock. Inefficient heating and air conditioning systems are both costly and wasteful. Air temperature differences can seriously affect the shopping experience, or employees’ working conditions. Occupants in one area may be complaining about the heat while those elsewhere will be too cold.
Temperature differences can also play havoc with the design of racking systems in temperature regulated storage facilities where constant temperatures are required. This is especially true in refrigerated facilities where cool temperatures are needed in order to preserve the quality and maintain the lifespan of the goods that you are storing. Excess hot or cold storage conditions can affect the ‘shelf life’ of many types of goods.
The problem occurs due to the creation of natural thermodynamic layers or ‘thermal stratification’. Warm air is lighter than cold air so will naturally rise. Or more accurately put, cold air is denser and heavier than warm air. As it is heavier it sinks, which pushes the warmer air up. This creates a rising gradient of temperatures from warmest at the top to coldest at the bottom – Thermal Stratification. Many buildings may not have good quality airflow systems: hotter layers naturally form at ceiling level, with cooler layers remaining at ground level. The larger and more open the space, the more problematic thermal stratification can be. (Find out more about the process of stratification and evolution of destratification fans here – The Missing Piece To The HVAC Puzzle)
Many commercial, industrial and retail spaces have open high ceilings which allow business tenants to use the space in a way that suits their needs. Mezzanine floors are very common. They are frequently used to create separate work-spaces for staff and to distinguish the different functional areas of the business. This kind of flexible space utilization can exacerbate the issues due to the dramatic differences in temperature between different areas of the building.
In buildings taller than 4m, ceiling temperature layers or ‘strata’ are different to those at ground level where conventional thermostats are usually placed. The temperature difference between the layers can be substantial depending on the design and architecture. The higher and more open a building is, the more likely it is to face issues with thermal stratification.
Heating and/or cooling buildings effectively and efficiently requires a specialist solution, and this is where destratification systems can help.
Destratification systems are designed to stir up the airflow in a space. Powerful targeting fan systems constantly mix all the air within the building, forcing the warmer air back down to ground level and breaking up the temperature strata. This continuous recirculation of airflow results in all temperatures being mixed evenly. This results in a more constant temperature throughout. Subsequently this reduces energy bills and it is easier to maintain comfortable work temperatures for all your customers and employees.
When it comes to thermal stratification, there are two issues that business owners need to be concerned about:
According to The Carbon Trust, destratification systems can cut HVAC energy consumption by up to 20%, but customers employing the next generation of axial turbine destratification fans are seeing reductions in excess of 50%. Investing in destratification technology can have financial benefits in the long term and help your company to ease its environmental conscience. Most businesses will recoup the cost of their destratification system within 1 – 5 years. In many cases payback has been within a single season, whilst in one case it was as little as 1 month – Lush Cosmetics Saves 60% On Heating In 1 Month.
Destratification systems optimise heating by capturing the heat at the higher ceiling levels and forcing it downwards. To optimise cooling the fans are installed lower than the ceiling height and focus on circulating the cooled air supplied by air con systems evenly within the space. In some cases, the controlled air movement generated by the fans is sufficient to provide cooling in the UK and similar climates. The more efficient the design and engineering, the more effective the solution is and the bigger the savings. Energy use is much lower, and temperatures in the workspace are more tolerable for everyone.
In recognition of the green benefits of installing a modern and energy efficient destratification systems many governments and finance providers offer subsidised (or otherwise incentivised) financial packages designed to encourage take up. For example, in the UK, Salix Funding offers 0% financing on eligible systems. And, across the EU, ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) funding is available for energy efficient projects.
If you are thinking of investing in a destratification system for your business, then there are a few things you need to be aware of:
Fans need to be perfectly positioned to be most effective
If fans are not positioned correctly in relation to the environment, floor area and activity below, airflow will not circulate effectively. If fans are too low in heating applications, they can cause unwanted draughts. If the fans are too high in cooling applications, they aren’t harvesting the cooler air below. Systems that offer the option to vary the air velocity can help to resolve this – so look for a manufacturer that can provide surveys and detailed installation guides, along with variable controls which will allow you to control airflow speed to meet the needs of your business.
Workspaces and noise levels
Some Destratification fans can be noisy so make sure you advise your installer about which areas have high staff volumes or static workers and which brands will be most effective for the space. There are some brands of destratification fan that supply solutions specially designed for noise sensitive areas. These use the latest EC fan motors which operate near silently.
It is important to get professional advice to make certain that the system is perfectly designed to suit your space. Remember, not all technology will work effectively in every situation so it would always be wise to speak to experts and work with them to develop the most efficient system for your business.
Airius are a UK based company dedicated to the design and installation of world class thermal destratification fan systems. Formed in 2004 and covering Europe, Africa, the Middle-East and Asia, with offices in the USA and Australia – we pride ourselves on our customer service and the quality of our products and installation, giving a 120 day no questions asked full money back guarantee, offering customers the extra reassurance and peace of mind needed when making an investment.
Society has long been aware of the risks of air pollution, but only recently have we begun to feel the long-term effects of contamination in our environment.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an estimated 4.2 million people die each year from illnesses related to air pollution.
With a global pandemic fresh in our minds and new research highlighting the risks of indoor pollution, the need for action to be taken in order to clean our air is clearer than ever.
Increasingly, scientists are emphasising the risks of pollution within the home. The EPA estimates that the quantities of pollutants in the air can be 2 to 5 times higher indoors than in the open air.
This is exacerbated by the robust and highly insulated nature of modern homes, which may be energy efficient but also allow contaminants to build up over time.
There has been a steady rise in demand for air quality improvement devices for the home recently, including indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors, smart air conditioners and even pollution-reducing houseplants.
But the most effective and in-demand technology for improving IAQ today is the air purifier.
Air purification systems like the Airius PureAir+ NPBI, Pearl and PHI Series’ are designed to clean the air within commercial properties, such as offices, warehouses and health care facilities.
Both the PureAir+ NPBI (the latest advancement in the Airius range of air and surface sterilisation fan systems) and the PureAir Pearl Series use needlepoint bipolar ionisation (NPBI®) technology to create positive and negative ions.
Ions are naturally-occurring cleaning agents that attract particles of opposing charges, bonding with them and altering them at a cellular level in order to render them inert and harmless.
Much like the NPBI and Pearl systems, the PureAir PHI uses the power of ions to clean the air and surfaces within an indoor space. In this case the system uses the latest in PHI (Photohydroionisation) Cell technology to create ionized hydroperoxides.
Hydroperoxides, sometimes referred to as ‘Mother Nature’s Cleaning Agent’, are what make the air smell fresh under a thunderstorm.
These powerful, natural cleaning agents are distributed throughout an indoor space using the internal fan, to provide complete, continuous air purification.
PureAir systems provide the highest level of purification and protection, improving IAQ and reducing up to 99% of all known pathogens in any indoor space (although it is important to note that no medical claims are made).
All Airius air purification systems incorporate PIV (positive input ventilation) functionality, an effective and energy efficient technology that by itself usually costs upwards of £300 alone to purchase.
PIV works by facilitating the movement of air from inside to outside and introducing a stream of fresh, filtered air that circulates within the environment on a continuous basis.
This is one of the best ways to tackle mould and condensation within a property as it tackles the root causes of these problems – specifically moisture in the atmosphere and stale areas of air that form due to lack of internal airflow.
Airius systems designed for commercial properties such as the PureAir PHI and PureAir Pearl also incorporate destratification functionality.
This technology allows for the internal airflow to be controlled in such a way as to avoid cold and hot areas forming within a building.
Maintaining a consistent temperature throughout a property can dramatically cut heating and air conditioning costs. Savings of 50% have been achieved by many customers, resulting in the Airius system paying for itself in a comparatively short period of time.
Airius PureAir systems in offices and workplaces usually cost around £1.27 per square foot. This figure includes the product, installation and running costs over one year.
For businesses, the long-term effects of air purification itself are even more clear.
Study after study has concluded that appropriate ventilation and air purification is a key factor in employee health and wellbeing.
Well-ventilated buildings have been proven to reduce staff sickness and absenteeism, decrease the transmission of infectious diseases and prevent sick building syndrome.
A statement from the United States Department of Labor (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) says:
”The quality of indoor air inside offices, and other workplaces is important not only for workers’ comfort but also for their health. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
“Also, some specific diseases have been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with damp indoor environments.”
When considering an air purification system it is important to remember that simply purchasing the unit is not the final cost. Installation, maintenance and operating costs must be considered.
Even so, Airius PureAir systems are low-cost and easy to install and can help to save an average of 35% on energy consumption, according to our own customers experiences.
It can be difficult to keep a space comfortably heated throughout the year, especially when it comes to winter months. Warm air rises, meaning that heat often settles in the top-most portion of a room, creating cold spots and making heaters and air conditioning systems work much harder to keep temperatures level.
Commercial PureAir systems are equipped with a destratification fan which takes air from every part of the space and moves it around continuously, balancing temperatures and reducing both energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Paul Mattin from Impress remarked to us after their recent Airius installation. “We installed the Airius system into the can assembly plant at our manufacturing site and I am very pleased with the results so far. The heating system in the building now comes on far less than it used to and the employees who work in this building are now much warmer.
The overall savings taking into account lower temperatures and prices in winter 08/09 = 45.07%. The full cost of the Airius units is recouped within a matter of months – first winter savings of £62,251 measured against a total Airius system spend of £21,268!”
Direct energy and HVAC saving can themselves pay for the installation of an Airius system, but there are other indirect savings that can also be very substantial indeed.
Care home clients have reported significant reductions in odour control chemicals, and gyms and swimming pools find that costs related to controlling condensation are also decreased, after the installation of an Airius system.
Finally, the PureAir+ NPBI and Pearl Series’ require no maintenance. The needlepoint bipolar ionization purification system is self-cleaning, featuring a small revolving arm that spins intermittently, brushing dust and particles from the carbon emitter strands.
When it comes to keeping any indoor space comfortable and healthy, air purifiers are your first line of defence against pathogens, bacteria, VOCs and odours.
The Airius PureAir Series offers a range of purifiers designed to offer a cost-effective way to radically transform the indoor air quality of your home and business, with a suitable option available for any indoor space.
The Valencia College Lake Nona Campus was constructed in 2012 and was in need of modernisation. The project included state-of-the-art academic spaces, teaching labs, student services, bookstore, library, cafe, a Dean’s suite and administrative offices.
The 88,821 ft2 campus was a $21.7 million project.
By installing NPBITM technologies on campus the College hoped to avoid large capital expenditure on specifying larger equipment, whilst at the same time use a system that would maintain and clean HVAC cooling coils.
They also wanted a solution that was effective in eliminating pathogens, bacteria and mould in large facilities.
Following installation of the GPS NPBITM system the Valencia College were able to reduce outside air intake for ventilation by 9,300 CFM and saved $180,000 in chiller costs, in addition to avoiding expensive renovation costs. They were also awarded 3 Green Globe certifications by the Green Building Initiative and post install testing revealed that there was no Fungi or Bacteria detected on the cooling coil fins.
The Airius PureAir+ Series is an air and surface purification and airflow circulation fan system, designed to deliver the highest level of pathogen, particle and odour elimination in any type of indoor commercial or community environment.
The PureAir+ also provides all the features and benefits of the world’s most popular destratification and airflow circulation fan, balancing temperatures, improving comfort, reducing heating and cooling costs and cutting carbon emissions.
The PureAir+ Series integrated GPS NPBITM system emits a high concentration of positive (+) and negative (-) ions, which are circulated into spaces via the fan
Adding an Airius PureAir+ Series air purification, infection and odour control ventilation fan is a simple way to continually clean your air and surfaces, creating a safer and healthier environment for you, your staff and your building.
Retired Childcare Consultant Anne Lord suffers from numerous health conditions that make Covid-19 particularly threatening.
With only one lung remaining after a severe case of Pneumonia, Anne also suffers with Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Lung Disease, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and other conditions. This means that she has to be especially careful not to contract Covid-19 as the results could be devastating.
Airius have provided Anne with the latest variation of our active Air Purification system that incorporates the Photohydroionization (PHI) Cell.
Following their installation the PureAir Home system now gives Anne peace of mind that she and her family are safe in a 99% virus free environment, reassured by the improvement in air quality and the new fresh smell throughout their home, meanwhile old problem odours have now disappeared.
The effect of Airius PureAir Home Series may be invisible, but the results are unmissable:
The PureAir Photohydroionisation (PHI) Cell, manufactured by RGF Environmental, one of the worlds leading specialists in air, water and food purification, is a kind of UV light that emits advanced oxidation plasma. Included as part of a fan system, the PHI cell distributes hydro-peroxides, superoxide ions and hydroxide ions throughout the space, neutralising 99% of micro-organisms in the air and on surfaces.
Choosing an Airius PureAir Series destratification fan with its integrated PHI Cell is a simple way to reduce bacteria, viruses and odours in your environment.
Multiple studies have been conducted on RGF PHI Cell technology and they are widely approved for use to control airborne and surface-based bacteria, viruses, smoke and odours.
In the laboratory study, Innovative Bioanalysis designed a test to mimic ionisation conditions such as those in a commercial aircraft’s fuselage using Global Plasma Solutions NPBITM technology to mitigate contaminants.
The goal was to increase the efficiency of the HEPA filters already being used in aircraft’s to protect against SARS-CoV-2, which can be small enough to pass through HEPA filters when attached to particles less than 3 microns (3μ) in size.
Based on viral titrations, it was determined that at 10 minutes, 84.2% of the virus was inactivated, at 15 minutes, 92.6% of the virus was inactivated and at 30 minutes, 99.4% of the virus was inactivated.
GPS NPBITM technology has also been rigorously tested to meet additional Aviation standards, including the RTCA/DO-160 standard for zero EMF, line noise and avionics interference, as well as being the only purification system to receive the UL 2998 Ozone Free Certification.
NPBITM technology is now approved and available on all aircraft manufacturer platforms, makes and models.
Featuring the latest in Needlepoint BiPolar Ionisation (NPBITM) technology from one of the world’s leading manufacturers of indoor air quality systems – Global Plasma Solutions, the PureAir+ Series uses the power of ions to provide continuous round-the-clock sterilisation, neutralising up to 99%+ of all known pathogens, VOCs and odours, in both the air and on surfaces.
The PureAir+ Series integrated GPS NPBITM system emits a high concentration of positive (+) and negative (-) ions, which are circulated into spaces via the fan.
Providing a comfortable environment for both customers and staff is an important factor when considering how to improve sales and productivity. Airius has been helping customers achieve this goal with the world’s leading destratification fan system since 2004.
Supermarket and convenience stores which are either too hot or too cold can lead to shorter customer shopping times and reduced employee productivity. At Airius, our industry-leading destratification systems can help eliminate this problem, as well as reducing energy costs and a business’s carbon footprint.
Standard HVAC systems can be ineffective and inefficient. However, at Arius, our supermarket destratification units successfully solve the problem of unstable environmental temperatures by recycling rising warm air and falling cool air. By doing this, the system produces more efficient, economical and comfortable temperature distribution throughout retail stores, whatever their size.
Supermarkets have been trying to solve the seemingly age-old problem of how to simultaneously heat their chilled and frozen goods aisles, whilst keeping the clothing and homeware sections suitably cool and inviting for customers to browse.
According to research, heating and cooling spend accounts for approximately 50% of a store’s total energy consumption. Of course, the figure can vary significantly depending on the season, so in order to reduce costs and improve the bottom line, it’s vital for retail businesses to find a solution to this problem.
In supermarket and convenience stores, temperatures can fluctuate significantly between chiller and freezer sections and other areas of the premises.
Operational costs for heating and cooling systems are one of the largest cost centres for businesses; particularly when inefficient HVAC units are unable to reach optimum conditions and a consistent environment.
At Airius, our supermarket destratification systems offer the ideal solution to this problem. By mixing internal air to balance temperatures, our units can maintain a consistent level of comfort throughout supermarkets and stores, while reducing the workload on existing HVAC systems.
Within the retail sector, Airius have helped thousands of stores of all shapes and size cut their energy costs and optimise comfort for both workers and staff members. Our destratification methods are also recommended by the Carbon Trust, who endorse destratification as one of their top cost and carbon saving measures.
What are the benefits of installing a destratification system in retail stores?
With energy prices increasingly on the rise for UK businesses, it makes good financial sense to be more efficient by recycling the heat generated in your premises, or the cool air that falls to the floor where thermostats are usually positioned.
Airius destratification fans provide a wealth of benefits for retail businesses using freezers and chillers. Our range of market-leading and fully guaranteed fans recycle the hot air generated by your existing HVAC systems, as well as any excess heat emitted from equipment or machinery, evenly distributing it throughout your shop premises.
The fans are then able to recirculate this warm air evenly, in particular down freezer and chiller aisles, making conditions warmer and more comfortable, encouraging longer customer browse times and greater spend.
The many benefits of installing an Airius supermarket destratification and airflow circulation cooling system in your retail business include:
Airius provide efficient and effective destratification systems for a wide range of major high street retailers, supermarkets and convenience stores incorporating chiller and frozen food aisles, including leading supermarket chains such as Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Waitrose, Co-Op, and Nisa.
By utilising our industry-leading thermal destratification systems, these businesses have benefitted from significant cost reductions in everyday heating and cooling energy.
Our fully guaranteed units work by eliminating hot and cold spots throughout retail stores whilst simultaneously improving freezer and chiller aisle comfort levels, leading to an increase in customer dwell time and average spend. Our destratification systems also reduce fogging levels on reach in cases and helps to quickly dry up floor spillages with zero impact on the operational performance of your fridges.
Whatever the size of your retail business – whether you’re a small convenience store or a chain of supermarkets – our destratification units are quick and easy to install, meaning you won’t lose any footfall when we carry out the installation. On top of this, our fully guaranteed destratification systems for retail businesses require minimal maintenance.
Although our fans are designed to be easy to get up and running, here at Airius our team of expert installers will work with you on a bespoke installation which takes the size and type of your business into account, as well as installing a system that works seamlessly alongside your existing HVAC equipment, helping to maximise efficiency, savings and customer comfort.
With up to 70% of a typical business’s energy budget spent on heating and cooling, by installing an Airius destratification system, we can help make your business significantly more energy efficient as well as reducing costs.
In addition to providing a more comfortable environment for both staff and customers, our industry-leading heating and cooling units can help reduce your carbon footprint and eliminate the risk of any potentially costly energy-specific legislative action in the future.
Why not call us now on 01202 554200 to see how we can help you save an average of 35% on your energy expenditure.
Everyone knows the soothing, refreshing feeling of being by the sea or next to a body of rushing water.
But most people don’t realise what causes that feeling – and how beneficial it is to your health.
Ions and Hydroperoxides are naturally-occurring elements present in the air around us all the time.
They are usually found in their highest concentrations in rural areas, created by nature through sunlight, lightning, weather, moving water and the natural energy of plants.
Ions are molecules that have either lost or gained an electron, making them positively or negatively charged. Hydroperoxides are classed as friendly oxidisers and comprise of a combination of two parts Hydrogen and two parts Oxygen. They are generated in nature in unimaginably large number and help ensure the atmosphere is breathable and can support life.
They do this in two ways. The first way is by making particles (some of which could be harmful gases or organic particles) clump together and be caught in filters or fall harmlessly to the ground. Without charged agents in the atmosphere these molecules could be inhaled and potentially cause injury or death.
The second way they protect us is by their action on dangerous pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. When ions and hydroperoxides come into contact with germs and viruses they cause a disruption in the delicate organic structure that surrounds them, inactivating the pathogen, rendering it inert and harmless to health.
It’s easy to see how by mimicking nature and releasing purifying ions and hydroperoxides in the workplace can result in dramatic improvement to indoor air quality.
The Airius PureAir range consists of a series of air and surface sterilisation fans optimised for different conditions or applications. While the technologies used in each fan maybe different, they are all dedicated to the production and release of ions and hydroperoxides so that the workplace is a healthier and safer place to be.
But these cleaning agents will not be of benefit unless they are widely and efficiently distributed into the internal space they are used to protect. This is where the inbuilt destratification fan takes centre stage.
Fans are used in many settings to ensure that hot and cold air are efficiently mixed within the local environment. This helps to avoid hot and cold levels forming, and is also essential to keep heating bills and carbon emissions down. When fans are used in this way, they are said to be destratifying the air.
Making sure air is circulating internally is also critical for actively based sanitisation systems, as they need to ensure that these cleansing agents are spread throughout evenly and are not just localised to where the system is installed. Hence the need for an inbuilt fan.
Traditional fans, such as paddle fans, box fans, and ducted fans all have disadvantages. Depending on the model in use, they maybe noisy, energy inefficient, or too bulky for certain applications. But most importantly, these methods are all limited in their capacity for widespread airflow movement.
This is where the Airius system with its patented columnar laminar airflow and stator technology out performs any other competing active purification system. It does this by focusing airflow in a column so that it travels farther, covering a greater area that alternative systems on the market.
In addition to circulating its cleaning agents over larger spaces, the PureAir system also offers the following competitive advantages:
This fan technology is near silent and offers all the above benefits, as well the ability to flood the area with active cleaning agents emitted from the Airius PureAir range.
Airius destratification fans are usually installed at ceiling height and directed down to the floor, creating a slow-moving column of air.
When it reaches the floor the air radiates outwards 360°, spreading along the ground until it hits a vertical surface, or until its natural thermal buoyancy takes over and causes it to rise. The air then rises toward the ceiling and is once again drawn in by the fan, joining back into the descending column and circulated once again. This is complimented by Airius’ patented airflow movement, which creates millions of tiny currents of air and vortices that work together to move all the air in the space at the same speed.
This process balances the temperature within the room, preventing heat rising to the ceiling, and keeps a steady supply of cleaning agents circulating throughout the room.
The fan is at the cutting edge of air and surface sterilisation fans, able to circulate cleaning agents efficiently and continuously while the air is also being thermally equalised (destratification).
Uses industry-leading NPBI® purification technology, combined with Airius’s patented laminar airflow circulation fan.
Creates no ozone and is independently tested as being effective against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19), the NPBI® series is the latest addition to the highly successful PureAir range.
This cutting edge product utilises Needlepoint BiPolar Ionisation (NPBI®) technology to generate positive and negative ions that neutralise up to 99.9%+ of all known pathogens. Not only that, it is also highly effective against VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) as well unpleasant odours.
Trusted and in use worldwide by governments, hospitals, schools, care facilities, and throughout the private sector.
The Airius PureAir PHI air purification and infection control system uses a method of air purification based on Photohydroionisation (PHI).
Inside each PureAir PHI fan is a PHI purification Cell – which produces a plasma made up of ionised Hydroperoxides.
This advanced oxidation technology reduces viruses, bacteria, gases, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), mould and odours by up to 99%+.
The PureAir PHI system provides the same destratification and columnar laminar airflow circulation benefits of the PureAir Pearl and NPBI® Series.
The PureAir Pearl Series is equipped with BiPolar Ionisation technology produced by one of the worlds leading specialists in purification technology – Plasma Air.
UL2998 certified as an Ozone free technology and clinically demonstrating a 99% reduction of a standard SARS Covid surrogate, The PureAir Pearl Series is specifically designed for offices and smaller settings with ceilings up to 5.5 metres high.
The high concentrations of positive and negative ions produced by the unit are transported throughout the internal space by Airius’ patented multi-vane stator destratification fan – resulting in a 24/7 germ free and fresh environment.
To find out more, or if you have any questions, please call us on 01202 554 200 or visit us at www.airius.co.uk.
A new chemical introduced into the manufacturing process was creating odour issues for the employees working in clean rooms and adjoining spaces that shared the same air handling system.
The noxious odour needed to be contained or eliminated to improve the indoor air quality and working conditions for the employees.
The client investigated a number of possible solutions and discovered BiPolar Ionisation technologies as part of their research.
After reviewing a variety of existing installations and case studies, the client specified the in-duct NPBITM system, for its high level of air and surface protection, as well as its low capital cost.
Within 24 hours all the problem odours in the spaces were eliminated. Additionally, the annual clean room certification process revealed that the total particle count had been reduced by 89.7%. This new low particle count was the lowest the manufacturer had experienced in 10 years.
Mother to 3 children, Natalie Spencer and her husband live in a 4 bedroom, 2 storey house located in Fordingbridge, Dorset. Natalie had been researching home air purification systems in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, in order to provide the reassurance she needed in relation to safeguarding the health and well being of her family.
Following a referral from a friend she was directed to the Airius PureAir Home system and called for a free survey and estimate.
Installation was arranged for the following Saturday and Natalie was impressed with the friendly and professional service she received from the Airius installation team.
Following their installation the PureAir Home system now gives Natalie peace of mind that her family are safe in a 99% virus free environment, reassured by the improvement in air quality and the new fresh smell throughout their home, meanwhile old problem odours have now disappeared.
Choosing an Airius PureAir Home Series system is a simple, cost effective way to reduce bacteria, viruses and odours in your home.
Adding an Airius PureAir Home Series air purification, infection and odour control ventilation fan is a simple way to continually clean the air, creating a safer and healthier environment for you, your family and your home.
Credit: Phototography by Jean van der Meulen.
The air quality inside your home can be worse than outside, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
EPA’s Office of Research and Development’s ‘Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (TEAM) Study’ found that levels of indoor air pollutants can be two to five times higher than those outdoors.
This is a concerning statistic at any time but is amplified during the current pandemic, as we are spending more time indoors than ever.
One of the reasons that homes and businesses often have poor indoor air quality is that modern buildings don’t have much ventilation.
While this is a good thing for staying warm and keeping out bugs and animals, a build-up of pollutants such as dust, pollen, pet dander and bacteria can be harmful to your health and leave you feeling drained and unwell.
Airius is an award-winning air purification specialist – revolutionising the industry with their technological innovations in indoor air quality (IAQ).
The Airius PureAir Home Series is designed specifically for residential spaces. The unit fits discretely into the ceiling of your home and uses a patented air purification and airflow circulation system to clean the air and create a fresh, healthy indoor environment.
The power of the PureAir Home lies in its internal PHI (Photohydroionisation) Cell.
The PHI Cell is installed within the fan unit and emits a broad spectrum HE/UV light that is projected on to a quad metallic target to generate ‘Ionised Hydroperoxides’.
Hydroperoxides are sometimes known as ‘Mother Nature’s cleaning agent’ and are responsible for the ‘clean’ smell of the air outside after a thunderstorm.
Distributed throughout a space by the PureAir’s powerful fan, these ionised hydroperoxides effectively neutralise up to 99% of all harmful viruses, germs and bacteria – including SARS-CoV-2 (more commonly known as Covid-19).
Furthermore, the PureAir eradicates mould, pollen spores, gases and other pollutants from the air and surfaces of your home.
The Airius PureAir Home Series is so effective because it is an active form of air purification.
There are two main types of air purification process used by home air purifiers – ‘passive’ processes and ‘active’ processes.
With passive systems, air has to pass through the machine’s filter and out the other side to be cleaned. The expelled air remains clean only until a new source of contamination enters the room (such as a new person coming in).
The Airius Home PureAir is an active system.
The unit continuously generates and distributes natural cleaning agents into the environment, where they seek out and neutralise pollutants where they find them.
If a new source of contamination enters the room, the harmful particles will be quickly eradicated before they are able to circulate.
Many people simply accept that they have things like skin or seasonal allergies because there is no obvious cause for them.
However, it is common for skin allergies to be caused by dust mites that live in the dust present in your home, and for breathing problems to be caused by mould spores. Both of these pollutants are eradicated by the PureAir’s technology.
Hay fever sufferers may also find that their symptoms are lessened by the PureAir Home, as it is able to drastically reduce the presence of pollen in any indoor space.
For those living in apartment buildings, the smell of cooking and cleaning products from your own cooking or surrounding neighbours can be difficult to remove.
Ionised hydroperoxides are also able to attach to and neutralise odours, keeping your home smelling fresh whatever you or your neighbours have been cooking.
One of the major benefits of PureAir technology is that it doesn’t simply cause harmful airborne particles, viruses and bacteria to drop to the ground and surfaces like some forms of air purifier do.
Hydroperoxides are able to neutralise 99%+ of pathogens, leaving behind only harmless hydrogen particles and no chemical residue. This ensures that your surfaces are as clean and fresh as your air.
For more information call us on 01202 554 200 where a member of our team would be pleased to offer further information.
Why would I want to reduce energy costs for my Business? It’s known that 60 – 70% of a business’s energy budget is typically spent on heating[1], and this figure increases in line with the age of a business’s building(s). This level of energy usage obviously impacts the environment but trying to equate this percentage to how this use impacts the environment is somewhat difficult.
To actually quantify this amount, it is equal to burning, per annum, 32 million tonnes of oil. This is equivalent to 192 million barrels of oil. Or putting it yet another way – 12,000 Olympic size swimming pools full of oil.
Even given these figures it is still hard to imagine about how much damage the release of this amount of energy causes. To do this we need to equate it with something tangible – such as the energy released by the Hiroshima bomb. When we do this, the calculation of the impact is equivalent to ten Hiroshima bombs per day[2]!
Given this information, it is hard for anyone of us to not want to be part of the solution, and not part of the problem. We all know that the environment is suffering along with the climate and cutting down on this damage is considered by many to be a moral duty. Even leaving this viewpoint to one side, all this excessive consumption is an unnecessary expense and waste and inefficiency are the enemies of any good commercial enterprise.
Where profit margins are tight, business owners will seek cost efficiencies and savings as a way of making their companies more sustainable and financially secure. If you can cut your costs without impacting on the quality of service that you provide to your customers then your business is likely to be far more successful in the longer term.
Energy use and heating costs are areas that businesses can choose to look at in order to make savings. The added bonus is you can use your green credentials as a marketing tool, demonstrating to your customers that you care about climate change and selling yourself as a business with an environmental conscience.
Issues surrounding the impact of environmental change are rarely out of the news. Climate activists have forced global warming higher and higher up the political agenda and energy security becomes a genuine issue of concern.
Businesses need to respond and change if they are to survive. As governments worldwide introduce legislation to control energy usage – the current promise is for the UK to be carbon free by 2050 – there are likely to be new laws that businesses will have to comply with. As a business owner you would be wise to get ahead of the game.
The UK Government recognizes the problem in both economic and environmental terms. In advice offered to SMEs, they state that a typical business could easily introduce measures to reduce energy costs resulting in savings of up to 25%. Small changes in processes and procedures can have a big impact.
Adopting a green ethos in factory or office environments demonstrates to both your employees and your customers that you care about this important issue.
With up to 70% of a business’s energy use resulting from heating, here are just some ideas that can be easily (and cheaply) introduced to help save you money on your bills:
Sometimes you need to speculate to accumulate. Business owners already know that sometimes they have to invest some of your profits into new technology for the longer term benefits of their business. Most green initiatives will eventually streamline your costs although you may not see the benefits straight away. Remember too that any investment you make can be offset against your capital expenditure for tax purposes.
Some ‘solutions’ are more costly than others and it is important to weigh up the returns on any investment in green technology. Many business owners perceive ‘green credentials’ as an expensive luxury without really researching the market first. It isn’t just about having a conscience: green can be extremely cost effective, as long as you do your homework and get the best advice available from the experts.
A cheap way to reduce energy costs is to use low energy lighting in any business space. Modern lighting using CFLs or LEDs are more expensive than conventional bulbs, but their use over time will save your company money. They use much less energy than conventional bulbs and they need to be replaced less often. It may also save money if they are in ‘awkward to reach’ areas where a specialist electrician may need to be called each time one blows!
We have seen a boom in the number of solar roof panel systems used by businesses in the UK, though this has slowed down hugely in recent times due to the withdrawal of government incentives. They are still a great way to save money but the actual equipment can be costly and installation can also be expensive.
You may also need to look at the design of the space you have available to see whether such a system is appropriate for you. If you can only place them on a north facing roof, then you are unlikely to see returns for a very long time.
When it comes to solar energy, you need to be in it for the long term. It can take up to 15 years to recoup the cost of your investment. Again, we would recommend speaking to the experts and take some impartial advice as to whether it is worth bothering in your individual context before making a decision to invest.
It is common in office and factory environments for heating to be inefficient. Without destratification systems, all the hot air rises to the top of high ceilings with colder air dropping to ground level where thermostats are generally positioned. Layers are created due to the fact that cold air is heavier than warm air. Boilers fire up thinking the air is cold and the company ends up using more energy than is necessary.
Destratification fans can be easily installed to eliminate this problem and mix up all the air inside the space resulting in more even temperatures throughout. Destratification systems need to be designed by experts to maximise their effectiveness to make the most of potential energy and financial savings in the long term.
Typically, a destratification system will pay for itself within 1-5 years. In many cases payback has been within a single season, whilst in one case it was as little as 1 month – Lush Cosmetics Save 60% On Their Energy Bills
Finally, you should remember that climate change is a very ‘hot’ topic politically. While companies are being encouraged to introduce measures to improve their carbon footprint there are others who are actively looking to develop solutions that they can commercialise and introduce into the market-place. Technology in this field is evolving and good businesses need to keep up with the evolution in order to thrive.
‘Going Green’ is not just a fad to be followed for the sake of PR. It is more to do with future-proofing your business based on sound commercial judgements and protecting your company ready for any tough times ahead.
Airius design and install revolutionary destratification systems that help reduce energy costs in businesses, create a more comfortable environment for their customers and staff and ultimately reduce their carbon footprint. Why not contact us call us now on 01202 554200 to see how we can help you save between 20-50% on your energy expenditure.
Dobrich Hospital is an 8 storey public medical facility located in Dobrich city centre in Bulgaria.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, maintaining a clean and safe environment for both patients and staff was a top priority for the hospital.
Executive Director Dr. Georgi Zhelyazkov and his team were investigating solutions to the challenge of reducing patient to patient transmission and protecting the medical staff who were performing emergency surgeries on COVID-positive patients.
An additional layer of difficulty is present for those running busy medical facilities. Due to the number of people passing through these buildings during working hours, any one of them capable of introducing infectious pathogens, it is important that any solution continuously eliminates viruses, bacteria and pathogens in the environment, while not requiring the closure of the area being treated.
The solution also needed to be chemical-free to protect the health of patients and employees.
Furthermore, budgetary constraints and the lack of a HVAC system within the Dobrich Hospital meant that the solution had to be quick and simple to install – and be able to work immediately.
“Continuing to maintain a safe, clean environment was a top priority in the Hospital’s COVID 19 response strategy,” Dr. Zhelyazkov says.
“A number of different purification systems and technologies were considered, but the Airius PureAir system initially stood out due to its cost and its ability to clean both the air and surfaces.
“Its flexibility and ease of fitting was also an important factor, allowing units to be installed in only a few hours with minimal disruption to the normal operations of the hospital”.
The Airius PureAir system features a Photohydroionisation (PHI) Cell that utilises a type of UV light to create and distribute purifying oxidation cleaning agents in to the local environment.
Integrated as part of the fan unit, the PHI cell projects UV light onto a hydrated quad-metallic target, which acts as a catalyst for a reaction that creates the cleansing hydroperoxides, superoxide ions and hydroxide ions.
Hydroperoxides are what is responsible for the ‘clean air’ smell outside after a thunderstorm. Because they are naturally-occurring they are completely safe for humans to breathe and create a fresh outdoor feel even in indoor environments.
These oxidants circulate continuously throughout the space, neutralising up to 99%+ of pathogens in the air and on surfaces.
After conducting some in-house tests and being impressed with the results, Dobrich Hospital immediately installed the PureAir PHI system in their Orthopaedic department.
This was later extended further to include their Surgical and ER departments as well as to other high traffic areas.
Because Airius PureAir systems can be installed and active within just a few hours, the installation process did not drastically affect the normal operation of the hospital.
Dr. Zhelyazkov comments on the immediate improvement in air quality in the areas that the systems were installed, saying: “There was an immediate effect each time a system was turned on, freshening the air and replacing unpleasant odours with a reassuring clean aroma.”
Directors, staff and patients at Dobrich Hospital have all been impressed with the benefits of the PureAir.
Since the system was installed, every member of staff at the hospital has been tested for COVID 19 a total of 26 times, with 0 positive results.
The added benefits of improved air circulation and destratification (the balancing of temperatures within a room) have created a more comfortable environment for staff and patients alike, even without the presence of an HVAC system in the hospital.
Dr. Zhelyazkov remarked: “The hospital now plans to install Airius PureAir units throughout the rest of the facilities as part of a financially staged roll-out.”
The PureAir PHI series used Photohydroionisation to produce and release ionised hydroperoxides, a safe, healthy cleaning agent that is naturally present in the atmosphere.
Hydroperoxides efficiently neutralise viruses, volatile gases, bacteria and mould spores by attaching to them, creating a chemical reaction that alters the particles at a cellular level and leaves behind only harmless oxygen and hydrogen molecules and compounds.
Airius’ PureAir PHI Air Purification and Odour Control System is an effective way to improve indoor air quality, a benefit that is magnified during the current pandemic.
The system works in buildings with ceilings up to 14 metres and more, making it ideal for commercial environments, hospitals, airports and more.
For those trying to ensure the safety of their workplaces throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this purifier offers the next level in air purification. Please visit www.airius.co.uk or call us on 01202 554 200 to find out more.
As with the Hospitality Industry as a whole, The Hotel Porta do Sol has faced many challenges during the 2020 COVID19 pandemic. Although restricted trading and periods of lockdown have placed the hotel under significant pressure, concerns for customer and staff safety were at the top of their agenda, especially within their luxury Spa facilities.
The Hotel’s Director General Dr. Gonçalo Nunes had become aware of the Airius PureAir system following a referral from a colleague and invited Airius to visit the hotel to discuss their application. After carrying out a detailed survey of the Spa facility a series of PureAir units were specified for installation surrounding the pool area, positioned to achieve maximum coverage without causing any draught issues.
By using the time during lockdown to install purification systems, the Hotel’s Candle Spa is now ready to reopen its doors to guests, reassured in the confidence that occupants are protected from COVID19, as well as 99% of other communicable diseases. The system also reduces staff sickness absenteeism, whilst the increased airflow dries wet floors rapidly and eliminates damp, condensation and mould problems.
“In order to increase the safety and comfort of our guests, the Hotel Porta do Sol Conference Center & SPA selected Airius PureAir technology for installation in our Candle SPA in the summer of 2020.
Highly recommended by several international institutions, the technology has allowed the reinforcement of protection measures and raised the level of confidence and well-being felt by our guests.”
Dr. Gonçalo Nunes – Director General, Hotel Porta do Sol
Choosing an Airius PureAir Series system is a simple, cost effective way to reduce bacteria, viruses and odours in your environment.
In the REMA 1000 store in Korsør, Denmark, Jørgen Nordtorp and his team were looking for a solution to the costly food waste generated by the supermarket.
Every day, a substantial amount of fresh produce, including fruit, vegetables and flowers, were going bad and had to be discarded by the store.
The challenge faced by the team at REMA 1000 is faced by countless other supermarkets.
This is because many of the contributing factors to food decay are caused by the retail environment – and even the produce itself.
Temperature and humidity are two of the main issues affecting the shelf-life and quality of fresh fruit and vegetables. Different produce often requires different temperatures to stay fresh and too much humidity promotes mould growth.
Another factor which contributes to shelf-life is air quality.
Bacteria, mould and ethylene gas in the air all contribute to faster decay in unprocessed food.
Ethylene is a hydrocarbon gas, occurring as part of the natural ripening process of fruits and vegetables.
Ethylene gas can build up in supermarkets, warehouses and cold storage facilities due to the volume of produce being stored there.
This creates accelerated ripening in ethylene-sensitive produce such as berries, broccoli and cabbage, which gets worse over time due to the high turnover of stock making it impossible to fully decontaminate the space between deliveries.
In October 2020, the REMA 1000 store installed the Airius PureAir system in their fresh produce, bakery and florist departments to tackle the challenges of temperature, humidity and air quality.
Of the outcome, Jørgen Nordtorp said:
The Airius PureAir Series incorporates two optional technologies, BiPolar Ionisation and Photohydroionisation to create ions and Hydroperoxides – which are both safe, naturally occurring elements often referred to as ‘Mother Nature’s Cleaning Agents’.
These purifying cleaning agents are continuously circulated by the destratification fan, bonding with mould, germs, bacteria and ethylene gas and inactivating them – making the area treated by the unit safe, odour free and ideal for food storage.
As an example of how the Airius PureAir Series works to inhibit decay in fresh produce, Airius produced two time-lapse videos showing the difference between environments protected by the PureAir and those without.
In a five day study, two identical sets of fresh produce including fruits, vegetables, bread and meat were kept in equivalent environments, save for one environment incorporating a PureAir system.
Within the PureAir protected environment, the fresh produce showed little sign of decay even by the end of the 5 days, while the produce in the other group quickly spoiled.
The second test used the same conditions for two identical bowls of fruit over the course of 7 days.
By day 3 the fruit in the environment not protected by a PureAir system was already showing signs of decay and was almost entirely decomposed by day 7.
All of the fruit in the PureAir group remained completely fresh at the end of the test.
At the REMA 1000, Jørgen Nordtorp is happy to report the same results, saying that the PureAir fans
Jørgen says that he is looking forward to the upcoming strawberry season now that the store is using Airius PureAir fans, as the berries struggle to withstand the temperature changes they are exposed to throughout the day – often being discarded in large numbers.
Danish grocery stores usually store all of their fresh fruit and vegetables in cold rooms overnight to protect them from the stale air of the store rooms. Staff at the REMA 1000 were spending 20-30 minutes each day moving goods in and out of overnight storage.
Now that the Airius PureAir system is installed, the fan provides continuous air circulation, balancing the temperature gradients within the store.
As a result of the successful installation of the Airius PureAir at the Skovejj store in Korsør, REMA 1000 are now in discussions regarding rolling the PureAir system out throughout the rest of their stores.
For those trying to ensure the safety of their workplaces throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Airius PureAir Series offers the next level in air and surface purification. Please visit www.airius.co.uk or call us on 01202 554 200 to find out more.
When customers are considering buying a product – particularly ones with high price tags such as vehicles and machinery – it is essential that they’re able to browse and explore items in a comfortable environment. A relaxing atmosphere is proven to increase browse time, leading to more customers and increased sales.
Comfort is also important for workers too. If your staff are able to carry out their daily duties in a comfortable working environment, then productivity will improve, ultimately leading to a boost for your bottom line.
In certain building types, however, consistently keeping the temperature at an appropriate level can be a difficult balancing act. Glazed buildings such as showrooms, dealerships and modern offices, often suffer from extremes of temperature.
Glass-walled car showrooms with high ceilings, for example, have a tendency to ramp up energy bills as the heat rises from ground level and away from staff and customers on the shop floor. Showrooms and offices also suffer from the ‘greenhouse effect’, leading to uncomfortably high temperatures.
At Airius, our showroom destratification systems help solve this issue by redirecting trapped hot air back to ground level during the winter months. In summer, meanwhile, our market-leading fans circulate air throughout the building to deliver a natural cooling effect, helping to reduce costs and improve a business’s carbon footprint.
If your business is based in a glazed or glass-walled building such as a showroom, dealership or modern office space, you’re probably aware that existing air conditioning HVAC units can be ineffective and inefficient.
At Arius, however, our showroom destratification units help companies significantly reduce their energy expenditure by offering an affordable and efficient energy solution. And, with up to 70% of an average business’s energy bill spent on heating and cooling, this offers a significant saving.
With a typical return on investment within just two years, our range of robust and adaptable fan units solve the problem of variable air temperatures by recycling rising hot air and falling cold air to produce more efficient, economical and comfortable levels of heat distribution throughout glass-walled businesses.
We supply a wide range of destratification fans for glazed showrooms, dealerships and office spaces that can be effortlessly installed with the minimum amount of fuss or technical know-how. Our market-leading air circulation system also helps to reduce – and in many cases, eliminate – condensation and fogging forming on windows and glass-fronted display areas, making sure your products are always on display.
Air conditioning and heating is a significant cost for any business, let alone ones with glazed frontages. Energy consumption can account for up to 50% of a businesses total energy spend so in order to reduce costs and increase productivity, it’s important to find an efficient heating and cooling solution.
At Airius, our destratification systems solve this problem. By recycling internal airflow to optimise temperatures, our fully guaranteed fan units provide a consistent level of comfort throughout glass-fronted buildings and retail premises, whilst reducing the costs associated with existing air conditioning and HVAC systems.
Working with a wide range of UK businesses including high street brands, Airius have helped thousands of companies dramatically cut their energy spend. What’s more, our robust destratification units are recommended by the Carbon Trust as a top energy saving measure.
If you are looking to improve comfort levels for your customers and staff – resulting in increased browse time and productivity, respectively – and reduce your carbon footprint, energy bills and usage, our market-leading destratification systems offer the perfect, and most affordable, solution for the job.
What’s more, all our fully guaranteed destratification fans are expertly engineered to recycle the warm and cool air generated by your existing air conditioning and HVAC systems, making sure air is distributed evenly and efficiently throughout your building. Airius destratification fans provide a wealth of benefits for businesses with glass-fronted premises, including:
Whatever the size of your glass-walled business – whether you’re a small garage or a large chain of car showrooms – at Arius our destratification fans are designed to be easily installed. In addition, our systems – which carry a five year guarantee – require very little ongoing maintenance.
When you purchase an Airius showroom destratification system, our team of skilled and knowledgeable installers will work with you to fit your units, whatever the size of your business and whatever industry you’re in. As mentioned, all our destratification fans are designed to work alongside any existing HVAC systems, eliminating the need for any costly reconfiguration work.
Airius are leaders in providing efficient, fully guaranteed destratification systems for a wide range of retail businesses and workspaces, both large and small. By purchasing one of our destratification heating and cooling systems, your business can benefit from significant cost reductions to your energy bills.
In addition to providing a pleasurable environment for both customers and staff to browse and work in, our market-leading fan units can help you reduce your energy usage and carbon emissions significantly.
