Honeywell has introduced a first-of-its-kind solution that combines early warning smoke detection with advanced indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, advancing its efforts to make buildings safer and healthier.
The VESDA Air solution, based on the flagship VESDA-E line of aspirating smoke detectors, has a unique five-in-one IAQ sensor within a single box, which can help improve building safety by identifying life safety, asset protection, or IAQ issues before they become problems.
VESDA Air complements Honeywell’s ready-to-use Healthy Buildings solutions, which can help improve occupant well-being, meet energy efficiency targets, and, most importantly, change the way occupants interact with a building.
Instead of passively waiting for the smoke to reach traditional spot sensors, Honeywell’s VESDA technology actively samples the air to detect trace amounts of smoke and enable early intervention before it disrupts operations.
Honeywell engineers have integrated a highly sensitive IAQ sensor into the same VESDA system, which measures critical IAQ parameters such as volatile organic compounds (total VOCs) listed by ASHRAE as ‘contaminants of concern,’ fine particulate matter of 1.0 micron (PM1.0) and PM2.5 or larger with unprecedented accuracy, CO and CO2 concentration, temperature, and humidity. The new sensor, which is ideal for premium commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, hospitality, manufacturing, and schools, provides instrument-grade IAQ sensing for data uniformity and accuracy.
“The emphasis on indoor air quality isn’t going away – and that’s a good thing,” said Udaya Shrivastava, vice president, and chief technology officer at Honeywell Building Technologies.
“We challenged our engineering teams to find a way to supplement our aspirating smoke detection systems’ capabilities with highly sensitive IAQ monitoring. The system detects not only the presence of minute amounts of smoke but also the presence of potentially hazardous air quality contaminants, allowing building operators to react and respond to out-of-bounds parameters quickly before they escalate into dangerous situations.”
The cartridge-based IAQ sensor works similarly to replacing an ink-jet cartridge in a printer, avoiding costly calibration and other maintenance. This convenience aids in lowering total costs, reducing waste, and providing accurate IAQ data.
The scalable solution can be applied to both new and existing buildings. When compared to installing and maintaining standalone smoke detection and IAQ monitoring systems in new construction, installing an integrated VESDA Air solution can reduce the total cost of installation (TCI) and total cost of maintenance (TCM).
A’smokeless’ IAQ-only system can be installed in buildings with a fully functional smoke detection system to provide accurate, actionable data for adjusting ventilation parameters.
