Advanced Ventilation Strategies

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ), a critical component to hospital’s air conditioning and ventilation systems, if not maintained at optimum effifiency, hospitals can be exposed to a variety of microbes and airborne contaminants.

 
Hospitals and health care facilities are those that are most impacted by the constant challenge of regulating optimal room conditions. All facilities pertaining to the medical industry must be air conditioned. Unfortunately, the high energy cost of air conditioning can sometimes lead to inadequate and improperly designed systems that don’t provide enough ventilation. Since many hospital patrons are patients who are ill, and more susceptible than the general public to developing adverse reaction from poor IEQ, the quality of the indoor air is paramount. Additionally, a hospital’s air conditioning and ventilation systems can be exposed to a variety of microbes and airborne contaminants. In the absence of the right ventilation strategies, these illness and disease bearing pollutants can negatively impact the health and comfort off all the hospital’s occupants – visitors and employees – and not just the patients. Hospitals also use materials that, if broken or improperly disposed of, can result in the release of harmful airborne contaminants such as mercury and dioxin. Mercury can be found in thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, older thermostats and fluorescent lamps, and dioxin can be emitted when products containing PVC, such as some IV bags and surgical tubing, are burned.

In addition to these harmful environmental toxins, hospitals must consider how airborne particles influence overall IEQ, since these particles can form fine particle aerosols that transport disease-causing microbes. Without efficient ventilation and filtration systems, a hospital could be seriously limiting its operational safety. Hill York’s Performance Group, hygreen, offers a solution.

Multiparameter Demand-Controlled Ventilation

We work hand in hand with facility managers and esteemed members of FHEA, Florida’s leading healthcare facility management organization. When you find yourself proactively investigating green – that is, sustainable and energy efficiency — air conditioning and ventilation solutions, you should consider the advantages of implementing a multiparameter demand-controlled ventilation system.

How it works?

This dynamic method of ventilation senses a variety of airborne contaminants and increases the ventilation rate to dilute and purge the affected spaces. The system utilizes multiple sample points or sensors that are placed in various areas of the hospital to measure contaminants in real time. Air samples are collected from each area every few minutes and analyzed locally or transported to a centralized sensor array for analysis. Several hospitals have begun implementing safer and more energy efficient ventilation strategies throughout Florida.

In addition to the new construction of energy-efficient HVAC systems, you can also retrofit your air conditioning and ventilation systems to accommodate a safer, more efficient approach to ventilation and cooling.

Multiparameter demand-controlled ventilation systems, can affordably be built into your facility management/operational budget. Hill York can help ensure all code specifications are met and our project managers are experienced in customizing environmental IEQ solutions.

In fact Hill York is the notable leader in the quest to
partner with and support sustainable initiatives.

We are:  

  • MSCA Green Star certified
  • An Energy Star partner provider
  • Have a LEED accredited professionals on staff
  • Have a demonstrated understanding of the relationship between ventilation/filtration and healthcare acquired infections.
  • We offers full-service air conditioning and energy solutions including Energy Management, Sustainable AC Services Design/Build, Facility Equipment Maintenance Agreements.