It is well known that heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems play a vital role in creating healthier and more comfortable indoor spaces. However, HVAC systems can also be very energy-intensive, and new EU regulations risk making obsolete technology even more expensive to maintain.

This is an important issue. Experts say that in the EU, buildings use 40% of energy. They also produce 36% of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from construction, use, renovation, and demolition.

When renovating or retrofitting existing buildings, facility managers face a timely opportunity to improve their indoor environmental quality and reduce operating costs. To do this, managers must look beyond just replacing old systems by investing in modern technology that offers quick benefits and long-term value.

When designing and selecting HVAC systems for new buildings, engineers should consider technology that meets today’s high standards of indoor environment quality (IEQ) and evaluate its impact on the building’s carbon footprint. But while “building from scratch” provides designers with immense choices, renovation projections are often for more limiting and challenging to address. Improving energy efficiency in existing and old buildings presents even more challenges when people need higher indoor air quality.

Balancing IEQ and energy efficiency
There are multiple interventions facility managers can take to reduce energy waste and improve efficiency – from improving the building envelope to harvesting and re-purposing waste heat from other sources in the building. However, these interventions have a limited effect on improving indoor environmental quality. This is why updating the building’s ventilation system is always important.

Typically, ventilation systems will operate continuously in order to replace “stale” air with fresh air. These mechanical systems often need to work harder to compensate for leaks and overcome large pressure drops from filtration devices. The higher the filtration grade, the higher the pressure drop… and the higher the energy costs. These costs increase even further when the air needs to be pre-conditioned, e.g. dehumidification, heating or cooling.

In addition to higher operating costs, these inefficient systems also increase the carbon footprint of the building. Considering many old buildings in Europe still operate with fossil fuel boilers today, this also has a negative impact on the direct emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution.

Modern, energy-efficient ventilation and air conditioning systems are an effective lever for sustainably reducing a building’s energy costs and carbon footprint. And just as importantly, air handling units (AHU) are the “lungs” that help buildings breathe better.

Integrating the best of AHU and heat pump technology
For buildings requiring fully centralized AHU systems, opting for an air-handling unit with an integrated heat pump package can be a more cost-effective solution. Heat pumps are highly versatile units which provide mechanical heating or cooling. They are ideal for any range of comfort applications and can be 3 to 4 times more efficient compared to a modern boiler. The technology has improved significantly over the past decades and is today a no-brainer alternative to fossil fuel technology – and a critical step to help owners decarbonize their building stock.

Trane, a brand of Trane Technologies, has been at the forefront of innovation in thermal management systems since 1913. A few years ago, the company enhanced its portfolio by acquiring AL-KO Airtech, a German-based manufacturer with over 50 years of expertise in ventilation technology. Thanks to this synergy, R&D engineers have developed a new integrated solution which combines the AL-KO AT4 air handling unit with a Trane Leaf heat pump into a single, factory-tested unit.

Trane Leaf, an air-sourced heat pump that uses R290, a natural refrigerant with zero GWP, features an inverter scroll compressor and EC fans to provide better temperature control, maximum efficiency, and quieter operation. Thanks to variable speed technology and the excellent thermodynamic properties of R290, the ALKO AT4 + Trane Leaf system boasts a wide operating map, providing reliable operation down to –20°C ambient and delivering hot water up to 78°C.

Talk to any planner, engineer or architect, and they will tell you… there is no one project the same, because there is no one building the same. Renovation projects usually have even more constraints like weight, size and compatibility with the existing infrastructure. That’s why modularity and configurability is becoming more prevalent in equipment design. The AT4 ventilation unit, for example, comprises over 100,000 different components. This lends to its highly customizable design, adaptable to virtually any building or architecture - another important factor for renovation projects.

While replacing old machinery with high quality equipment is core to achieving efficiency and IEQ goals, it is not enough.

Assess, Mitigate, Manage
The phrase “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” is often associated with management philosophies in business and quality control. However, it also applies to buildings.

As mentioned earlier, ventilation strategies which require high fresh air intake can quickly become very energy intensive. Whether it’s a new build or renovation project, incorporating sensor technology and HVAC plant controls will go a long way in enabling energy savings, without compromising on indoor environmental quality.

Sensor technology and system-level controls, like Trane Chiller Plant, allow the HVAC system to work in a more energy-efficient way, for example by controlling fresh air ventilation based on occupancy levels (e.g. CO2 concentration) and outdoor air temperatures. Thanks to variable speed technology and smarter control systems, ventilation units can deliver the “right” amount of air needed to maintain IAQ, reducing the need for additional heating or cooling systems to kick in in order to maintain comfort.

In conclusion, while sensors are a must-have requirement to improve energy efficiency in buildings, they are useless if not combined with a high efficiency air handling system – and vice-versa.

Understanding HVAC carbon footprint to make sustainable choices
Nowadays, with so many different technologies and competitors in the marketplace, it is easy to become quickly overwhelmed. How do you know you’re choosing the right technology that will help you deliver your environmental and economic goals?

Failing to demonstrate the environmental impact of an HVAC system is no longer a nice to have for planners and engineers. In fact, failing to do so can stand in the way of obtaining construction permits to advance with a project, and even prohibit access to additional decarbonization funding often made available by national and local bodies.

Understanding this need, Trane Technologies is continuously adding more products under the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) framework. EPD is a third-party verified document in accordance with the ISO 14025 which transparently reports the environmental impact of a product or material, based on a product life-cycle assessment (LCA).

Additionally, in partnership with ALKO Airtech, Trane is launching an LCA tool which combines economic and environmental assessments into a single report. The tool computes operating and maintenance costs throughout the entire product’s lifecycle, taking into account the impact of waste heat recovery when applicable. It also takes into account location-dependent factors such as electricity price, energy sources, and grid factors. The goal is to make these interdependencies transparent and support decision making around technology and design as early as the planning stage.

In conclusion, investing in modern, energy-efficient HVAC systems with sensor technology and smart controls isn’t just good for the environment – it’s good for your bottomline, the planet and society.

Want to learn more about strategies to build healthier and more efficient indoor spaces? Check out the Healthy Spaces podcast, available across all podcast streaming platforms.