by Brianna Crandall — July 19, 2019 — Aircuity, creator of “measurably better” environments, just announced that its exhaust fan application was installed at University Health Network (UHN), the largest research hospital in Canada. Aircuity was chosen for its accurate intelligent building platform in order to reduce energy costs and improve the indoor environment.
Affiliated with the University of Toronto, University Health Network (UHN) operates four major hospitals and one teaching institute: Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto General Hospital, Princess Margret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and The Michener Institute.
Aircuity creates smart airside solutions through its intelligent building platform, monitoring the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of buildings and informing building ventilation controls to provide optimal airflow levels. As a result, commercial, institutional and lab building owners can lower operating costs, protect occupants and verifiably reduce energy use by as much as 60 percent, says the company.
At UHN, Aircuity was first installed in the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, with a resultant reduction in energy usage. Graphic courtesy Aircuity. Click to enlarge.
At UHN, Aircuity was first installed in the Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower (PMCRT). The platform’s DCV control of the labs’ supply air saves approximately $800,000 annually, claims Aircuity.
A powerful complement to Aircuity’s platform in lab buildings is the exhaust fan application, but the previous exhaust system had produced a continuous discharge plume wasting energy when the air exhausted was clean, notes the company. Aircuity and channel partner AirGenuity implemented Aircuity’s exhaust fan application for maximum savings within the building.
Newly installed variable frequency drives allow fan speeds to be ramped up or down according to building needs. When Aircuity detects any contamination in the exhaust plenum, fan speeds are increased until the air is clean again. This intelligent platform ensures not only energy savings but also a clean, healthy space for researchers, patients and staff, as well as occupants of surrounding buildings in downtown Toronto.
Aircuity and channel partner AirGenuity implemented Aircuity’s exhaust fan application for maximum savings within the building. Image courtesy Aircuity
While the exhaust fan application was being installed at PMCRT, University Health Network also installed Aircuity to optimize supply and exhaust air in its Krembil Research Tower to incur additional savings. Once Aircuity’s exhaust fan application was implemented, annual savings are expected to amount to 1,550,000 kWh (equivalent to 160 houses in Ontario), with electric peak demand savings of 111.7 kW (equivalent to running 1,400 flat screen TVs simultaneously), for $200,000 in savings annually. Coupled with savings from the previous Aircuity lab project in PMCRT, utility cost savings should total $1,000,000 annually.
Ian McDermott, senior director, Research Facilities, UHN, remarked:
We wanted to create the best research spaces possible but in an environmentally and fiscally responsible manner. We looked for innovative solutions, and partnering with AirGenuity/Aircuity was absolutely the right choice.
For more information about Aircuity’s intelligent building platform, its exhaust fan application, and solutions specific to healthcare and other industries, visit the company’s website. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Newton, MA, Aircuity says its solutions have benefited over 400 organizations such as Google, Amazon, Eli Lilly, Masdar City, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California-Irvine.
