Honeywell today announced the launch of its Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitor, which alerts building owners and operators of potential issues to proactively improve indoor air quality, thereby potentially decreasing the risk of transmitting airborne contaminants.
A Make in India offering, the compact, touchscreen-enabled device measures key IAQ parameters including temperature, relative humidity, and indoor air pollutants, and provides an IAQ index based on the readings, it said in a statement.
Viruses spread faster in stale air, reveal studies
Studies show that viruses can spread faster in stale and compromised air, and poor IAQ can also cause symptoms such as asthma, fatigue, irritation or headache. Honeywell’s IAQ monitor can be installed in buildings to help provide actionable insights, portfolio analytics and contribute to the site’s Healthy Buildings score, enabling building owners to make informed decisions to increase occupant well-being and comfort, the company claims.
A recent survey by Honeywell shows that an overwhelming majority of surveyed workers in India (86 percent) say it is very to extremely important to be kept informed of their building’s air quality, a 20-percentage point increase from the global average of 65 percent, and 82 percent of office workers in India say the will leave their jobs if employers do not provide a healthy workplace.
Pandemic brings renewed attention to indoor air quality
Ashish Modi, President, Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT), Asia, said, “The pandemic has brought renewed attention to indoor air quality, which remains a significant yet invisible threat to building occupants. The ‘new normal’ demands building owners to constantly monitor IAQ and course-correct in real time.”
Developed by engineers at Honeywell Technology Solutions (HTS) in India, Honeywell’s IAQ monitor uses an array of sensors for better accuracy. Optional sensors for formaldehyde (HCHO) and ozone (O3) can be added to the unit. In addition to analyzing the air and displaying readings on the device’s touchscreen, the monitor can also communicate to any building management system (BMS) via Modbus protocol, further providing actionable insights to facility managers.
“Our engineers incorporated customer insights to develop an intuitive IAQ device that can be used as a standalone product or be integrated into an existing BMS. It provides facility managers with insights to make informed decisions on how to adjust key systems to create a healthier environment,” said Rajeev Bhandari, Senior Director of Engineering, HTS-HBT.
The monitor, available in white and black housings, is easy to install and can be mounted on the wall, ceiling or placed on a table. It comes with two options: with complete display and with color-coded LED lights, the press release said.
