Our US team, Smarter HEPA, installed almost 1,100 air cleaners in Los Angeles as part of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) funding for clean air in schools.
Schools were identified based on elevated levels of air pollution and economic conditions with much of the eligible schools exposed to heavy vehicular traffic.
School/nursery requirements:
- H13 HEPA filters for high particulate filtration
- Activated Carbon filters to adsorb harmful gases
- With a ‘typical’ school ventilation of 1.5 air changes, an additional 4 Air Changes per Hour (ACH) was required from portable air cleaners
Smarter HEPA worked with each school to determine the dimensions of each classroom and the best location based on socket availability and optimised air filtration. This data helped them select from the Blast, the Blast Mini or the Sqair; and the quantity.
Where two air purifiers were used in the same room, these were placed on opposite sides of the room. Where sockets were unavailable, multi-outlet surge protectors were also provided.
Outcome:
Over the 1-year SCAQMD funding period, Smarter HEPA delivered, unboxed and set-up almost 1,100 air cleaners at 177 schools in areas with elevated levels of PM2.5, CO, SOx, NOx. As well as reducing the exposure to outdoor air pollution, staff and students also benefited from reduced exposure to allergens and airborne diseases such as COVID 19 and influenza.
Smarter HEPA also delivered 7,000+ replacement HEPA and Carbon filters to cover 5 years of filtration.
- The average upfront cost per square foot to provide 4 air changes an hour was US$1.81 or US$0.36 over five years of filtration.
- Based on the number of students and faculty staff, the cost is US$90.69 or only US$18.14 per person over the five years with supplied filters.
Continuous use of the air purifiers beyond the initial five years would further lower the cost per sq. ft. and cost per person benefitting from clean air.
