How smartIAQ® Achieves Compliance to Standard 62.1 Indoor Air Quality Procedure

Despite these benefits and ASHRAE support, the leading reasons for low adoption have been: a perception of more risk, more work, and lower air quality. This is likely based on outdated information. In reality, there is less risk, a consistent workflow, and verifiable results when applying the IAQP with smartIAQ®.

Following the -2019 version of Standard 62.1, the IAQP is now highly precise. The table below summarizes the impact of recent developments and references to the content. With these changes, updated IAQP guidance is driving adoption of the approach.

Selecting the IAQP for the ventilation design requires an engineer to configure the system using a calculator to determine the zone outdoor airflow and air cleaner configuration. The  smartIAQ® IAQP calculator applies ASHRAE requirements and generation rates with mass balance analysis for smartIAQ. Because it uses the same algorithm as the ASHRAE calculator, the smartIAQ calculator will deliver matching results to the ASHRAE tool. Calculator interface shown below.

Evaluating concentrations of contaminants, to determine if a design will pass requires selecting outdoor air contaminant concentration, generation rates from occupants, materials, activities, and the air cleaning capacity of the air cleaner. The algorithm for this is iterative, evaluating one contaminant at a time via a mass balance calculation. There are two calculations within the smartIAQ calculator, one for distributed units (standalone air cleaning for 1 to 4 zones) and the other for centralized units where smartIAQ cleans a portion of the HVAC system return airflow. The equation is the same for both.

smartIAQ® cleans air with Standard 52.2 (particle) and 145.2 (gas phase) rated filtration. Therefore, smartIAQ meets the requirements for air cleaner under all versions of Standard 62.1, the most stringent being 62.1-2022 Addendum N.

Plan inspectors require documentation justifying selected outdoor airflow rates. Screen captures of the calculator output applied to mechanical drawings (outdoor airflow, air cleaner configuration, contaminant test, contaminant mixtures analysis, and outdoor air quality analysis) are typically sufficient evidence.

smartIAQ continuously monitors air quality, confirming the IAQP ventilation design achieves the calculated result. This on-demand approach confirms air quality, achieves long filter life, and minimizes sound levels. smartIAQ also reports when design compound thresholds cannot be managed; indicating a need for filter service and/or an acute air quality concern. Monitoring and feedback go beyond what is required in the standard to increase confident adoption of the IAQP. As the graphic demonstrates, smartIAQ activates when a space is occupied and modulates cleaning as needed, returning to an idle state once a space is unoccupied. CO₂ is used to determine space occupancy, thereby aligning cleaning to times when people are present.

smartIAQ ships with filters selected for the application for which it is configured. The filters are industry standard size and may be replaced by third party filters. However, if end-users select non-GPS Air filters, they bear responsibility to select filters that have gas-phase contaminant and particle removal values that are appropriate for their application. If after hours of operation, filters are unable to satisfy contaminant thresholds, smartIAQ will provide an alert.

Most state mechanical codes support the use of the IAQP. Section 403.2 of most state codes (and the IMC) allows a registered design professional to specify a ventilation system with reduced outdoor airflow rate (compared to the VRP). Most state codes do not define the alternative ventilation system as the IAQP. However, the de facto approach is to follow the IAQP. The logic is as follows: since the VRP is the basis for IMC Section 403.3 (Mechanical Ventilation), then the allowed alternative ventilation design would be the IAQP from the same ASHRAE Standard 62.1. Therefore the state code allows application of the IAQP, and it is the most documented and association-supported approach.

smartIAQ simplifies IAQP implementation through its standards-based approach and standards-driven design tools. The system’s low maintenance and closed-loop air quality management brings increased confidence to applying the IAQP standard. With the standard becoming more prescriptive and evaluation criteria more specific, smartIAQ and the enhanced IAQP is a low risk approach to indoor air quality. It is easier than ever to apply the IAQP and achieve up front savings and ongoing operating savings.