By: Sam Molyneux, Marwa Zaatari and Kalyan Kottapalli
2023 was the year ASHRAE Standard 241 was developed with the sole purpose of controlling airborne diseases. After almost 400 Poppy Certify tests, an unexpected finding has been come about: a majority of Class A office buildings measured exceeded the standard, leading to a potential for energy savings.
In this blog, we’ll review the findings of the study, discuss Poppy Certify and offer opportunities to learn more.
The Study
Our joint study with Daikin Comfort’s Mark Jackson, covered 395 tests in 21 cities, 5 countries and 3 continents. The tests were split between 198 Class A offices and 197 schools.
Measuring buildings against ASHRAE Standard 241 is not only the gold standard for indoor health, but it provides a measurable understanding of how the ventilation is working in any room in any building. Poppy Certify follows the particle decay method outlined in ASHRAE Standard 241 Normative Appendix C. The testing also benchmarked against the CDC’s guidelines for indoor air quality, 5 Air Changes per Hour (ACH).
Key Insights
Class A Offices:
80% of offices met ASHRAE Standard 241 for clean air.
A majority of those offices are actually overventilating, meaning they could dial it back and save energy without sacrificing the health and safety of occupants.
With access to the data, operators are able to optimize their ventilation, reduce their HVAC and see significant energy savings. This is important not only for sustainability and operating costs, but in locations mandating emissions reductions for buildings, it would also mean reducing hefty fines.
Schools:
72% of classrooms didn’t meet ASHRAE 241 Standard, with identified but treatable ventilation problems.
Gyms did better, with 53% meeting ASHRAE 241 Standard, though many still missed the higher CDC guidelines.
Schools need more investment in ventilation. The majority of schools testes had minor improvements to make, including replacing filters, fixing outdated ventilation systems and/or installing purifiers.
How Poppy Certify works:
Traditional ways of measuring indoor air quality—like monitoring CO2 levels—just don’t cut it. They don’t account for the different ways air moves, how effective your systems are at filtering out bad particles or whether in-room purification methods are used. Poppy Certify fixes that by testing in-room ventilation through particle decay.
This gives you a clear picture of how well your space is handling air quality and whether it meets the standards for reducing infection risks.
Wrap up:
ASHRAE Standard 241-2023 has the potential to transform how we manage buildings—saving energy, improving air quality, and protecting occupants from infectious aerosols. By implementing these methods, you can position your facility at the cutting edge of building management, achieving both health and sustainability goals.
Looking to learn more? Watch the webinar now and learn how to bring these innovative strategies to your building.
Need more details? You can read the full column here.