Integrated ASD and indoor air quality monitoring system introduced by Honeywell

Built on the flagship VESDA-E line of aspirating smoke detectors, the VESDA Air solution boasts a 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 can escalate into problems.

VESDA Air complements Honeywell’s Healthy Buildings solutions that can help to improve occupant well-being, meet energy efficiency goals and, importantly, change the way in which occupants experience a building.

The VESDA technology actively samples air – rather than passively waiting for smoke to reach traditional spot sensors – in a bid to identify trace amounts of smoke and enable early intervention before operations are disrupted.

Honeywell’s engineers have integrated into the same VESDA system a highly sensitive IAQ sensor that measures critical IAQ parameters, including volatile organic compounds listed by ASHRAE as ‘contaminants of concern’, fine particulate matter of 1.0 micron and PM2.5 or larger with unprecedented accuracy, CO and CO₂ concentration, temperature and humidity.

Ideal for premium commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, hospitality, manufacturing and school settings, the new sensor provides instrument-grade IAQ sensing for data uniformity and accuracy.

Complementing ASD systems

“The emphasis on indoor air quality isn’t going away and that’s a good thing as more organisations work to create safer and healthier environments that help boost occupant well-being and productivity,” explained Udaya Shrivastava, vice-president and CTO at Honeywell Building Technologies.

“We challenged our engineering teams to find a way in which to complement the capabilities of our aspirating smoke detection systems with highly sensitive IAQ monitoring,” added Shrivastava. “The system identifies not only the minute presence of smoke, but also the presence of air quality contaminants of concern. This allows building operators to react and respond to out-of-bounds parameters on a swift footing before they escalate into unsafe situations.”

The plug-and-play, cartridge-based IAQ sensor works in much the same way as replacing a printer’s ink-jet cartridge, thus avoiding costly calibration and other maintenance. Such a degree of convenience helps to reduce total cost, minimise waste and, importantly, provide accurate IAQ data.

The scalable solution can be used in both new construction and existing buildings. In new construction projects, the installation of an integrated VESDA Air solution can reduce the total cost of installation and total cost of maintenance when compared to installing and maintaining stand-alone smoke detection and IAQ monitoring systems.

In those buildings with a fully functional smoke detection system already present, a ‘smokeless’ IAQ-only system may be installed to provide accurate and actionable data that can inform the adjustment of ventilation parameters.

*Further information is available online at www.honeywell.com