BSRIA evaluates the IAQ Market in North America & Europe June 2021

As the world emerges from a pandemic which has severely impacted the global population, a return to the workplace will require some adjustment to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) practices, as staff require assurances that it is safe to return.

Many studies have been conducted into how the virus spreads, what measures needs to be taken to prevent it from spreading, and how to eliminate it from the indoor environment.

Key strategies recommended by industry bodies such as ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) and the UK’s CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) include redesigning layouts, zonal HVAC controls, dilution ventilation, VRF with DOAS (100% fresh air), cleaning of air ducts, filtration, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), smart sensors and smart controls.

Although the benefits of IAQ to building occupants have been known for some time, in practice its application has been neglected and not necessarily integrated with wider building services. Therefore, the market is in its infancy with many new solutions and products being marketed as IAQ solutions.

BSRIA’s new study on IAQ in North America has put numbers on the main products and solutions in key commercial segments and includes a forecast by product segment for the next five years. The focus is on filtration, DOAS, UV-C, MERV-13+, BPI and IAQ controls for education, healthcare, hospitality & Leisure, offices, and other applications.

Some of the findings from the North America study are:

  • The US market for IAQ technologies (excluding ventilation) is set to more than triple in value between 2020 and 2025, largely due to growth in mechanical filtration (Merv 13+) and UV-C. 
  • Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems and conventional ventilation will also grow in value from a higher base, but their CAGR will be lower than for other technologies due to greater market maturity. 
  • IAQ controls, from a very low base, will have the highest CAGR, from a combination of increased demand and supply.
  • Bipolar ionisation growth should soften after the post Covid boom, due to the lack of certification and dwindling trust in its effectiveness. 

The IAQ for North America study is available now from BSRIA, here.

BSRIA will also produce an IAQ study in Europe. The study will focus on the same commercial products and solutions as in North America but will include additional data and trends on key products, for example HRV units, for residential applications.

IAQ North America Study 2021

To find out more about the study and sponsorship options, please download the flyer.