The indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring market stalled during the recession but is predicted to recover starting this year, says Navigant Research. A new report, Indoor Air Quality Monitoring and Management, forecasts that global revenue for IAQ monitoring and management technologies will increase from $3.1 billion in 2013 to $5.6 billion in 2020.
Many new technologies are being adopted because they typically improve building operations while reducing energy use and improving IAQ. New standards are also driving the market, the report says.
However, an uneven global economic recovery has stalled wider adoption. Due to new standards and regulations, as well as a rebound of the global economy, some of these technologies are being accepted for use in more buildings. However, this adoption is still limited by the rate of the global economic recovery.
Newer technologies are being adopted because they typically improve building operations while reducing energy use and improving IAQ.
Specific technologies include:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors are entering the IAQ market due to the huge potential market, but uncertainties of sustainable accuracy still hinder the application of this IAQ monitoring technology for providing feedback on actual ventilation performance of HVAC systems.
- Demand-controlled ventilation has the potential to improve the operations of HVAC systems and buildings. However, growth is being hampered by the data quality limitations of typical approaches to monitoring DCV systems.
- Energy recovery ventilators are being used for more applications because of new standards and the benefits of providing more generous amounts of ventilation and enabling reduced energy consumption.
- Dedicated outdoor air systems solve the typical problems that arise when HVAC designs that attempt to provide good IAQ and thermal comfort end up doing both poorly.
- Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation applications are expanding because UVGI results in improved IAQ and favorable economics due to reduced energy and labor costs.