January 2025 - CASPR Technologies

Rethinking ASHRAE 241: Should Emergency Air Standards Become the New Normal?

In recent research on ASHRAE 241, we came across a thought-provoking article titled “Pandemic-Proofing Our Air: How Standard 241 Makes Indoor Air Safer” (Occupational Health & Safety, 2024). While much of the discussion around ASHRAE 241 focuses on emergency preparedness, it raised an intriguing question: What if these enhanced air quality standards became the daily norm rather than just an emergency response?

Beyond Emergency Preparedness

ASHRAE 241 was designed to help buildings operate safely during pandemic-type events. However, consider this: If a school building were to maintain these elevated air quality standards year-round, wouldn’t this significantly reduce the daily risk of illness transmission among students? The potential benefits for student health and attendance could be substantial.

Addressing the Practical Challenges

The immediate concerns that arise are operational costs and disruption to normal building functions. Traditionally, achieving higher air quality standards meant either:

Increasing outside air intake
Reducing occupancy levels

Neither option is particularly appealing for everyday operations. However, ASHRAE 241 introduces an innovative solution: the concept of “equivalent clean air.” This approach allows facilities to use air cleaning devices instead of relying solely on increased ventilation or reduced occupancy.

Making It Work: Modern Solutions

Thanks to advances in air purification technology, implementing emergency-level air quality standards full-time is becoming increasingly feasible. The standardized testing protocols outlined in ASHRAE 241 provide the framework for evaluating these solutions. For instance, the CASPR Medik X demonstrates impressive capabilities:

Reduces MS2 virus by 70-80% within 4-12 minutes
Enables buildings to maintain minimal pathogen transmission rates
Operates on just 30-60 watts per unit

A New Paradigm for Building Design

As we design new buildings and retrofit existing ones, perhaps it’s time to shift our perspective. Instead of viewing enhanced air quality as an emergency measure, we should consider making it the default standard. The question becomes not just about meeting minimum requirements, but about optimizing for occupant health and well-being every day. The technology exists. The standards are in place. The only remaining question is: Shouldn’t we be designing all our buildings to operate at the lowest possible transmission rate as a matter of course?

For more details on ASHRAE 241 testing protocols, see our previous blog post [ASHRAE 241: Understanding the Standardized Testing Protocol].

CASPR Technologies to Launch New Residential Product Line at 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference

CASPR Technologies to Launch New Residential Product Line at 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference

Company’s Chief Medical Consultant to Present Groundbreaking Paper on Indoor Air Quality Standards

Orlando, FL – (Jan. 16, 2025) – CASPR Technologies, a leader in continuous air and surface disinfection technology, is excited to announce its breakthrough advances in science and air cleaning technology for the 2025 ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo this February in Orlando, Florida.

At the ASHRAE Winter Conference, CASPR’s Chief Medical Consultant, Dr. Margaret Scarlett, and EVP of Operations & Engineering, Brett Duffy, will present their groundbreaking paper, “Assessing Indoor Air Quality in a Comparative Study Among ASHRAE Ventilation Standards Compared to a Control with a Continuous Active In-Room Air Cleaning Device.”

Presentation Details:

Date: February 9, 2025
Time: 2:50 PM during Paper Session 10, 1:30-3:15 pm, Presentation 5
Location: ASHRAE Winter Conference, Hilton Orlando, LL, Orange F, Orlando, FL.

CASPR will also showcase its innovative solutions at the AHR Expo from February 10-12, located just next door to the ASHRAE event at the Orange County Convention Center, West Building, 9800 International Dr., Orlando, Florida. Visitors to the CASPR booth, #9042, will have the exclusive opportunity to explore the launch of their latest product line, the CASPR Home PRO Elite. CASPR’s technologies are designed to bring advanced air purification and surface disinfection, customized for both residential and commercial indoor spaces.

“We are thrilled to unveil the CASPR Home PRO Elite, which represents a new frontier in home air and surface disinfection. Our technology is designed to provide families with cleaner, healthier indoor environments,” said Brett Duffy, EVP of Operations & Engineering at CASPR Technologies. “Engineering company representatives, architects, and building engineers that plan on attending the ASHRAE or AHR meetings are encouraged to set a convenient time for us to meet to review your needs for providing next-generation indoor air quality in new and renovated spaces.”

Attendees are encouraged to visit CASPR at the AHR Expo, Booth 9042, to experience how CASPR’s continuous disinfection technology revolutionizes the industry.

For more information about CASPR Technologies, our presentation at ASHRAE, or our booth at the AHR Expo, visit https://casprtech.com/ahr/

About CASPR Technologies:
CASPR Technologies is dedicated to improving indoor environments by providing innovative air and surface disinfection solutions. Using our patented continuous disinfection technology, CASPR reduces pathogens in real-time, ensuring cleaner, healthier spaces for homes, businesses, and healthcare facilities worldwide.

About the Presenters:

Dr. Margaret Scarlett – https://events.rdmobile.com/Speakers/Details/2613702

Brett Duffy – https://events.rdmobile.com/Sessions/Details/2613669

Stay connected with CASPR Technologies:
www.casprtech.com

Info@casprtech.com

844-717-8819

Indoor-air-Quality-sensors-for-commercial-buildings-2

Leveraging Smart Sensors for Better Indoor Air Quality: A Facility Manager’s Guide

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a critical focus for facility managers and engineers, as it directly impacts occupant health, comfort, and productivity. Smart sensor technology is revolutionizing this effort by providing real-time data on air pollutants, humidity levels, temperature, and ventilation performance. Let’s explore how these powerful technologies can transform your facility’s air quality management strategy, ensuring a healthier, safer, and more sustainable environment for everyone.

The Power of Real-Time Monitoring

Modern IAQ sensors act as your building’s environmental watchdogs, continuously monitoring key indicators including:

Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels
Temperature and relative humidity

What makes these sensors particularly valuable is their ability to provide real-time data, enabling immediate responses to changing conditions. When integrated with your building automation system (BAS), this creates a dynamic, responsive environment that automatically adjusts to maintain optimal air quality.

Smart Automation in Action

Consider this scenario: A conference room designed for 20 people suddenly hosts 40 for an all-hands meeting. Without smart sensors, the rising CO2 levels could go unnoticed. However, with an integrated sensor system, the BAS automatically detects the elevation in CO2 and increases outdoor air ventilation to maintain a healthy environment.

Similarly, during external air quality challenges like wildfires, these sensors can trigger your BAS to minimize outdoor air intake, protecting occupants from harmful particulates. This intelligent response system works continuously, requiring no manual intervention.

Solutions for Every Facility

Don’t have a modern BAS? No problem. Even in older facilities, standalone sensors can provide invaluable alerts to your maintenance team, enabling manual adjustments to maintain healthy indoor air. This flexibility makes IAQ sensors a worthwhile investment for facilities of all ages and technological capabilities.

Monitoring Electronic Air Cleaning Devices

The role of sensors becomes even more crucial when facilities employ electronic air cleaning technologies such as ionization or photo-catalytic oxidation systems. These sensors serve a dual purpose:

Monitoring device effectiveness
Ensuring safety by detecting potentially harmful byproducts like ozone

For facilities using ozone-based purification systems, continuous monitoring is particularly critical to ensure that any ozone is properly filtered before air returns to occupied spaces.

Safety Standards and Certification

While sensors provide valuable monitoring capabilities, it’s worth noting that many modern air cleaning devices now meet stringent safety standards:

CARB certification
UL2998 standards for ozone emissions
ASHRAE 241-2023 safety testing protocols

These certifications can provide additional peace of mind, though many facilities still opt for sensor monitoring as part of a comprehensive air quality management strategy.

Conclusion

Implementing IAQ sensors is more than just installing monitoring devices – it’s about creating a responsive, healthy indoor environment. Whether your facility is state-of-the-art or more traditional, these tools can significantly enhance your air quality management capabilities and help ensure occupant well-being.

Efficacy and Safety: Critical Partners in Disinfection Technology

When selecting disinfection methods for mechanical systems, both efficacy and safety demand equal attention. While many focus primarily on a system’s ability to eliminate pathogens, the safety implications of these technologies can make or break their real-world viability. The ASHRAE 241 standard addresses this crucial balance by providing comprehensive testing protocols for both effectiveness and safety of disinfection systems.

Understanding Safety Requirements Under ASHRAE 241

Ozone Production Control

Electronic air cleaners frequently generate ozone as a byproduct, which poses significant respiratory risks in occupied spaces. Despite its historical use as a disinfectant, ozone is now recognized as hazardous in inhabited areas. ASHRAE 241 mandates compliance with the UL2998 standard, limiting ozone production to 0.005 ppm or less during UL testing procedures. Some facilities may alternatively adopt the California Air Resources Board (CARB) standard of 0.05 ppm for occupied spaces. Both standards utilize UL867 Section 40 testing methodology, measuring ozone levels 2 inches from potential emission sources. It’s important to note that ozone concentrations decrease significantly with distance – readings taken 2-3 feet away in a duct will show markedly lower levels due to rapid dissipation.

Secondary Reaction Prevention

A critical concern with electronic air cleaners is the potential formation of harmful byproducts during the disinfection process. Technologies that effectively eliminate pathogens might simultaneously create more dangerous compounds. ASHRAE 241 addresses this risk through chamber testing that measures formaldehyde production following limonene injection.

Particulate Generation

Indoor air quality depends heavily on particulate control. ASHRAE 241 requires verification that disinfection technologies do not generate additional particulate matter during operation – a crucial consideration for maintaining clean air environments.

Acoustic Considerations

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us an unexpected lesson about safety compliance: noise levels matter. When disinfection devices generate excessive noise, occupants often disable them, negating their protective benefits. Many portable units deployed during the pandemic were ultimately abandoned due to their disruptive noise levels. ASHRAE 241 recognizes acoustic performance as a key factor in sustained operational effectiveness.

Unified Testing Protocol

A distinctive strength of ASHRAE 241 lies in its integrated testing approach. Safety and efficacy testing must be conducted on the same device in the same chamber, preventing manufacturers from using different variants to achieve separate safety and efficacy certifications. This unified protocol ensures that performance claims reflect real-world operation.

Making Informed Selections

For mechanical engineers, choosing disinfection technologies tested to ASHRAE 241 standards represents an investment in comprehensive protection. These systems are designed to: – Minimize exposure to hazardous substances – Maintain compliance with rigorous safety protocols – Ensure long-term operational sustainability While alternative disinfection methods may demonstrate effectiveness in isolated metrics, ASHRAE 241-certified technologies offer validated performance across both safety and efficacy parameters. This comprehensive validation makes them particularly suitable for critical environments where reliability and safety cannot be compromised.

CASPR Technologies