Indoor Air Quality In Hotels: 2 Good Reasons To Monitor
Jim Croghan
Spa & Wellness Consultant - Founder & CEO Identity Hospitality - Luxury Spa & Wellness Consulting
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indoor air quality is often 2 to 5 times more polluted than that of outdoor air and included in this pollution is a variety of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and indoor particulate matter.
As commercial buildings go, hotels have a particularly high bar to meet when it comes to the occupant experience. As a “home away from home,” hotels are expected to maintain a pleasant, comfortable indoor environment in all aspects, including indoor air quality. And while “bad” air isn’t necessarily something guests will complain about, it is something that could prevent them from returning.
Today, thanks to the easy availability of advanced technology and greater awareness of the negative health impacts of an unclean breathing environment—an increasing number of hotels are prioritizing indoor air quality monitoring.
1. Improve The Guest Experience
Air quality is about more than temperature and humidity; it’s also about indoor contaminants that could have serious health effects on your guests (and employees), as well as cause discomfort.
? An excess of carbon dioxide (CO2) could cause drowsiness or feelings of stuffiness.
? Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are actually the main contributors to poor indoor air quality, could cause headaches; eye, nose, and throat irritation; fatigue; and, in the long term, damage to organs such as the liver, kidney, and central nervous system.
? Dust and particles (called particulate matter, or PM), especially those small enough to be inhaled, could cause a range of allergic symptoms in the short term; they could also aggravate people with asthma and impact peoples’ respiratory systems.
Other indoor air pollutants are also of some concern, but those listed above are the most common. There are a range of potential sources of these pollutants, including cleaning products, carpeting, engineered wood furniture and treated fabrics (all of which could release VOCs). Carpets and surfaces, as well as cigarette smoking, could also produce dust and particles. All you need to be proactive about identifying and addressing these issues is a reliable indoor air quality monitoring system.
2. Increase Operating Efficiency (& Save Money)
Years ago, when studies were first done showing the effects of a high concentration of CO2 on human health, it was clear there needed to be guidelines around permissible levels of CO2 in large buildings. The more occupants there are in a room or building, the more CO2 is released into the air. To prevent CO2 levels from rising too high, outside air needs to be brought into the building through a ventilation system. And since there was no way to measure indoor air quality all those years ago, the guidelines were focused on the thing that could be measured: the amount of outside air a building should bring in based on a building’s total occupancy rate. We recommend 15 to 20 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per person, for a steady-state CO2 concentration of about 700 parts per million (PPM) above outdoor air levels (which are usually around 300 to 500 PPM).
The problem with this approach is that buildings aren’t usually fully occupied—some spaces are vacant while others are not. As a result, hotel ventilation systems often bring in more outside air than necessary, which then has to be conditioned (heated or cooled) before being introduced into the environment. That means your hotel’s air conditioning and heating units, as well as the motors and fans that are part of the air handling units, are working harder than they need to in an effort to bring the outside air temperature down or up.
Regardless if it is a commercial building or residential home, we can help you better protect your environment and investment and be able to legitimately claim tangible enhanced air quality in our post COVID19 world. Helping you build trust with past and future clients.
Please take a look at the below 3 minute video to see how it works.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP. CONTACT US TODAY TO FIND OUT HOW!
Email - [email protected]