Energy-Efficient Air Purification: Balancing IAQ and Sustainability in 2025

In an exclusive interview  with Industry Outlook Magazine, Deepak Nanaware, Head (Engineering & Marketing),  AAF, sharing about IAQ equipment and HVAC systems, how these were incorporated with smart sensors and monitoring Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) which is on the rise. In India, the regulatory organizations such as Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) are supposed to apply their energy performance ranking to the air handling units (AHU) in the future. Deepak Nanaware is recognized for his strategic expertise and leadership in the HVAC and air filtration industry. With a strong foundation in data-driven decision-making, Deepak blends technical knowledge with a collaborative mindset to drive innovation and operational excellence. 

With India’s urban buildings under rising IAQ scrutiny, how are facility managers adopting energy-efficient air purification systems without compromising sustainability goals or operational budgets? 

The significance of indoor air quality (IAQ) in urban buildings, especially in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bangalore, as well as developed resources, has become extremely exceptional in the post-COVID period. New IGBC, USGBC, ASHRAE, and ISHRAE guidelines have specifically highlighted an increased importance of improved air filtration systems. Such requirements suggest a minimum two-stage filtration procedure whereby a 2nd stage involves filters that have a MERV 13 or ePM 2.5 rating. Although upgrading IAQ by use of sophisticated filters may increase energy used in HVAC systems, high efficiency filters offered by global manufacturers such as AAF and Camfil can curtail the expense. These filters have less pressure reduction and greater sustainability that complies with the energy labels all around the world and Eurovent certification.

In India, the regulatory organizations such as Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) are supposed to further apply their energy performance ranking to the air handling units (AHU) in the future. More energy efficiency can be realized by facilities that upgrade EC or plug fans that use VFDs, as well as evaluating needs of airflow with the help of IAQ monitoring equipment. The Portable air purifier can be employed as localized solutions in some geographical locations. Although advanced filtration systems cost a little more to install, their use can be justified by long-term energy cost savings, efficiency of operation, and achievement of sustainability objectives.

What are the key performance trade-offs Indian HVAC integrators face when choosing low-energy air purification technologies for high-occupancy commercial and industrial spaces? 

In commercial and industrial buildings where there is a high occupancy rate, like in shopping malls, cinema theatres, and schools, maintenance of indoor air quality (IAQ) becomes a major challenge, as there is a high demand of fresh air. Greater occupancy increases the demand on oxygen and outdoor air supply, which in due process results in an increase in cooling capacity as well as increase in dust capacity on the HVAC system. To rectify this effectively the application of Treated Fresh Air (TFA) units or Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) is advised. These systems are specially developed to manage outdoor air intake and spend as less energy as possible. When combined with heat recovery or energy recovery wheels, the energy removed in the cooling process can often be used to save operating costs, restoring cooling or heating to the exhaust air. Also, there should be multi-stage filtration (process of removing harmful particles such as PM10, PM2.5, and harmful gases) in proper TFA systems, and the pollutants and contaminants should be adequately filtered in outdoor sources. The strategy can be utilized to minimize the load on the central heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system (such as air handling units) that control occupants in larger areas. As an example, a 10,000 sq.ft. space with 200-250 occupants might require 50-70 TR (15,000-20,000 CFM) of cooling, but due to the high outdoor air load at the TFA level (approximately 2000 CFM), it is much more energy and cost-effective to deal with that load locally rather than centrally in the volume.

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How are air purification manufacturers balancing MERV/HEPA-level filtration demands with reduced energy loads, especially for retrofit projects in India’s aging commercial infrastructure? 

Retrofitting older HVAC systems, which in many industries lacked adequate static pressure or had insufficient space to retrofit, became one of the major challenges of enhancing indoor air quality (IAQ) during and after the pandemic. These constraints were not possible in many existing air handling units (AHUs) in order to accommodate multi-stage filtration systems. In response to this, manufacturers have created lower-initial pressure drop filters, e.g, 40 Pascal instead of 60 Pascal, and can be integrated without overloading in-service systems, and using less energy. In the case of retrofits with two stage filtration (such as MERV 8 and then MERV 13) outside the realm of possibility, upgrades to an equivalent MERV 13 filtration were encouraged. This worked especially well in commercial office settings where the indoor air can recirculate, and so little dust is produced. Such high efficiency single-stage filters facilitate more effective improvements to PM2.5 filtration with a minimal additional energy burden. Where system changes could not be implemented owing to the building ownership structure, e.g., taking leased office spaces in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore, standalone air purifiers were suggested as viable substitutes. These were customised to various zones such as conference rooms, open offices, and cafeterias, availing customised, portable and affordable IAQ solutions. This means of implementation demonstrates how manufacturers are going innovative in the face of a retrofit in the Indian environment of complex commercial infrastructure.

In what ways are real-time IAQ monitoring and smart sensor technologies influencing energy optimization strategies in air purification systems across Indian green buildings? 

Incorporation of smart sensors and monitoring Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is on the rise, and modern buildings are shifting past simple demand-controlled ventilation, which was historically based on CO The current IAQ monitors offer real-time information about such pollutants as PM2.5, VOCs, and others that remote facility managers can use to discover the hotspots and place portable air purifiers in particular areas on the fly. As an example, places with high specific occupancy can indicate high pollutant levels at lunchtime or mid-morning in times when people get many occupants at one time. New of advanced purifiers have started to react to these alterations, putting into presetting automatic control of fan speeds as per the level of pollutants detected and protecting themselves and consumers. This move will allow more intelligent control of the pollutants, the equipment will increase the rate of airflow when there is a lot of activity, and vice versa. Also, you have less energy wastage and longer equipment life when it comes to this real time automation. By means of connection to Building Management Systems (BMS) and facility software, the centralized control is increased. Another application of AI and IoT at startups is to monitor the movement patterns of people within the buildings, detecting the areas where there is high traffic, such as exits, cafeterias, or print rooms. The information is useful in reengineering or optimizing air purification in a given systems. On the whole, these innovations represent a change in the intelligent, demand-based system of IAQ management adjusted to real usage and occupancy patterns.

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How do India's upcoming ECBC norms and state-level decarbonization policies affect procurement decisions for energy-efficient air purification in public infrastructure projects? 

The trend towards sustainable building and energy efficiency operations has heated up as India aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 to 2060. Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is progressively accommodating this vision by coming up with new provisions that motivate energy-conservation factors like the application of materials, civil infrastructure, and MEP facilities, particularly in HVAC. It promotes the use of superior technologies, including variable speed chillers, high EER rated AHUs, and the efficient filtration systems. States such as Maharashtra are proactively gearing towards such objectives with measures such as the Clean Air Action Plan that requires companies to have air quality monitors at the construction sites in order to mitigate dust pollution. Simultaneously, lifecycle cost (LCC) analysis is increasingly being placed in the center of design and operations, an indication of evolving beyond a CAPEX-oriented decision-making framework towards OPEX and sustainability in the long term. Sustainability consultants are also being employed by developers and the end-users to fill the carbon footprints of a project at the project lifecycle stage, and they are also compliant in accordance with the global standards, including those by the USGBC and the EU. Moreover, product certification concerning energy rating and its impact on the environment is getting vital in the process of procurement. This unified strategy policy-informed, design-informed, and lifecycle-oriented is assisting India to match the global decarbonization targets and restoring the infrastructure so that it is not only cost-effective and efficient but also sustainable.

Looking ahead, how will next-gen filtration materials and AI-driven system controls shape the future of energy-efficient air purification in India’s fast-growing urban environments? 

There is a growing number of research and innovation startups and incumbents in air filtration technologies in India. Advanced filtration media based on textiles, as well as other purification processes like ionization and corona discharge, are gaining a lot of interest. To satisfy the more challenging standards of production across the world, manufacturers are spending money to develop energy efficient and environment-friendly materials, particularly as they face cost limits on the traditional materials in the U.S. and Europe. The glass fiber industry is graduating to newer high-tech media such as membranes, PP / PET synthetics, and coatings made out of materials like zeolites and graphene. Such innovations are meant to increase the performance and lower the pressure drops. Moreover, filter management is being changed with the help of AI and IoT integration. Intelligent sensors have come to forecast the life of filters, check the present-day pattern and load of pollution and govern proactive maintenance to save energy and enhance the quality of air inside buildings. AI can also be used to determine where to find high-dust areas, when the filters should be replaced, and the changes in system pressure during daily operations. This will allow the optimal operation of the HVAC systems depending on the occupancy and tendency of pollutants. The Indian manufacturers now concentrate on the conditions of the environment in India instead of trying to obtain only the Western standards. The trend indicates a wider change toward data-driven, sustainable air management solutions aimed at taking into consideration the individual needs of India. The industry will only continue to grow as a result.