Take A Breather: Improving Air Quality in Commercial Buildings With Building Automation Systems

Help the people in your building take a breath of fresh air with building automation systems and other tips and tricks to improve air quality.

The Okanagan has a pretty unique climate in Canada: sunny and dry. With temperatures that can creep into the 40s in the summer and dip below freezing in the winter, keeping adequate airflow and quality around your building can be tricky. Particularly if you operate a big building with many occupants like a law firm or school, it’s difficult to know how to control the ventilation. Enter: building automation and controls. 

Demand Control Ventilation

A big deciding factor in a building’s ventilation is how many occupants are in the building and where. Empty auditorium but full classrooms? Does your conference room sit empty most days? These are all details that impact how the ventilation system is running, and you can’t have a person sitting in front of the controls altering them constantly. Demand control ventilation automatically adjusts how much airflow is needed and where to save energy and keep clean air where you need it. 

Air Quality

Monitoring air quality is key to making sure the air quality in your building is always top-notch. Kimco uses air quality monitoring sensors that keep you up to date on any harmful pollutants that may make it indoors. Sensors monitor for things like fine particles, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde to keep the safety of your occupants top of mind. 

The Basics of Air Filtration

Beyond smart building technology, there are some simple basics around air filtration that can keep you breathing clear. 

Don’t block air vents:

It seems obvious, but keep any air vents clear of blockages so they can perform as intended. 

Maintain a sanitary work environment

Be sure that garbage and other possible contaminants are disposed of properly and work areas are cleaned regularly.  

Maintain proper maintenance

The best way to keep high air quality is to have regular maintenance performed on your building’s HVAC system. This keeps everything running as intended, air filters replaced, and avoid any surprise issues down the line. 

Learn more about Kimco’s preventative maintenance solutions.

Breathe easy all year long. Kimco Controls can install the proper building automation integration and solutions to keep your building running smoothly. Learn more about what building automation can do for your business.