Dive Brief:
- R-Zero announced its acquisition of sustainable HVAC firm SecureAire, bolstering its ability to cut energy use for building owners and operators aiming to comply with climate regulations and net-zero emissions, the company said Tuesday.
- SecureAire’s electrically-enhanced media filters offer the lowest pressure drop for filters with a MERV 13 rating or higher, compared with conventional high-efficiency filters that require more energy to maintain airflow, R-Zero said in a news release. With filters that last two to three times longer and decrease energy use, building owners can boost overall building efficiency and reduce maintenance costs and material waste, R-Zero CEO Jennifer Nuckles said.
- The integration of SecureAire’s HVAC filtration technology into R-Zero’s energy efficiency portfolio comes amid rising energy costs and decarbonization pressures that are causing building owners to “closely evaluate their energy usage,” Nuckles said.
Dive Insight:
A growing awareness of indoor air quality in the wake of the pandemic and updated U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that recommended at least five air changes per hour in occupied spaces and upgrading to MERV-13 rated filters has prompted many building owners and operators to prioritize air quality and ventilation.
Due to the additional energy required for maintaining airflow caused by air pushing through more dense filter media, or pressure drop, raising air changes and improving filters can result in increased energy use by HVAC systems, R-Zero said. Higher-rated MERV filters are also often incompatible with existing air handling systems and load more dust in a short interval of time due to its media density, requiring more frequent filter changes, Deepak Sridhar, business strategist and research and development scientist at Zentek, said at the ASHRAE Annual conference in June.
This increased resistance makes the system’s fans work harder, driving up energy consumption to deliver adequate airflow, R-Zero said.
In contrast, SecureAire’s electrically-enhanced media filters allow air to move freely through an HVAC system, minimizing energy use and strain on fans and filters, while maintaining high air quality levels, according to the release. As a result, the system achieves a payback period of two years, offering a quicker return on investment compared with traditional mechanical air filters, R-Zero said.
Effective immediately, R-Zero customers now have access to SecureAire’s HVAC filtration technology, R-Zero added.
