Several buildings in the Nordic countries have problems with dry air, which has well-documented side effects and can contribute to the spread of viruses. What can we do about it?
The discussion around humidification of supplied air in commercial buildings is large and complex, and I will not take on the experts on this — but I would like to try to shed some light on the conversation from a Proptech perspective, and how we now have better technology that may allow us to reconsider old solutions.
In the Nordic countries we have significant challenges with dry indoor air. This is largely due to dry outdoor air in winter, which is further dried out as it is heated through the ventilation system. The problem tends to be greater the newer the building.
In these times of emergency measures and closed offices, it may be time to consider whether we can do better in our buildings.
After having been involved with 100 buildings with sensors in 2019, I have always seen the same challenge — warning lights flashing on humidity sensors in winter.
Normally in buildings we often have control of temperature and CO2 in meeting rooms or larger zones. But control of humidity tends to exist only where there is protected building fabric, artwork, or in hospitals. So why do we not focus on humidity when we have so much research on the health aspects of this topic?
Even though we have all these disadvantages, and that significant correlations are seen between productivity and temperature — where humidity also has a major impact — humidity control is not normally present in buildings. The time when I was programming building management systems, it was only in exceptional cases that I even had humidity sensors — at artwork, drying rooms, hospitals or listed buildings. The reason was generally that we were not controlling anything based on this data.
In 2019 the "Proptech" wave (real estate technology) arrived in full force, and we now have a large variety of sensors available. Most building owners have truly invested in various sensors that have given us a great deal of insight.
After having been involved with 100 buildings with sensors in 2019, I have always seen the same challenge — warning lights flashing on humidity sensors in winter.
In hospitals, museums or buildings with special requirements, humidification systems — either in the ventilation unit or as standalone units — have been available for quite some time. But we have never had this in ordinary offices. There is generally a logical reason for this. There are significant costs, and the risk of mould growth in buildings and technical systems is a real consequence if this is not done properly. In addition, where ventilation systems only run during the day and not at weekends — as is typical of office buildings — the risk is much greater.
What has changed in recent years is that we now have a great deal of sensor technology available. This means we could most likely measure humidity and condensation at all necessary locations, minimising risk — but this will again involve costs at the installation stage, as well as for service and maintenance.
So what can we do in all existing buildings and offices out there? One solution is local humidifiers. This is quite simple to do and does not cost very much. We chose to do this locally at Proptech Bergen for some tenants who did not want to work from home, so that we at least have an indoor climate that is right for the employees. In this graph, you can see that we reached the recommended humidity level within a short time. But is it right to take such measures?
Humidity in buildings — Illustration: Tommy Hagenes
At home, one is sceptical of this, as there are different rooms. For example, you risk raising the humidity to 35-40 percent in a living room at 23-24 degrees. If this air moves into a cold bedroom, there is a risk that it rises to 60-80 percent there, which can cause mould growth on the walls.
But in our offices, there is normal office temperature which is the same throughout all zones. We also have over 3,000 sensors across 4,000 square metres, so there are not many square metres that are not under our control. It is of course important to have good management of this, and ideally "double security" so that there are also other sensors used for calibration.
But in these times — should we bring back the discussion around humidity? Every day we proclaim new smart buildings that can think for us. But they are dry and unfavourable for us humans to inhabit. What should we do? And should we go for short-term solutions or look at the bigger picture? Is it the people or the building itself that matters most?
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