Building Ventilation and IAQ Market Will Grow to Nearly $14 Billion by 2031

• Content
• Building Services
• Building Ventilation and IAQ Market Will Grow to Nearly $14 Billion by 2031

10 May 2022

Research suggests that the global market for commercial building ventilation and indoor air quality is set for huge growth, as businesses demand the creation of “healthy buildings”.

The report, from Guidehouse Insights, suggests that the main market barriers to growth will be pricing, technical limitations, and the difficulty of implementing a holistic system design approach.

Global commercial energy efficiency ventilation and IAQ revenue are expected to grow from $6.5 billion in 2022 to $13.6 billion in 2031 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6 per cent.

The report provides a market outlook through 2031.

Disinfection Technology and Indoor Air Quality Under Renewed Focus Due to COVID-19

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the spotlight on virus risk has led to a significant focus on disinfection as a key component of improving indoor air quality. Facilities managers found themselves on the front tline of procuring disinfection technologies, such as ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and ionisation.

While pre-pandemic IAQ solutions focused on reducing indoor air contaminants caused by outdoor air pollution, for the past two years, public concern regarding virus risk has led to a significant focus on disinfection as the key to IAQ.

However, Guidehouse’s report suggests that IAQ solutions must be considered “holistically rather than focusing on standalone disinfection solutions”. As the report states:

“For instance, UVGI is effective for surface disinfection rather than for killing viruses traveling quickly through the ventilated airflow. UVGI will likely be much more effective combined with filters in air purifiers to disinfect the filter’s surfaces. Likewise, ionisation is effective in virus risk mitigation when the technology is attached to HVAC equipment or air purifiers. Other considerations for occupants’ comfort and safety include humidity control and pollutant sensing.”

Market Barriers to Building Ventilation Market Growth

One market barrier is a marked decrease in the public interest in complementary solutions such as infection, as the perceived risk of COVID-19 drops down the business agenda as lockdown restrictions reduce.

Other barriers include high prices, technical limitations, and the difficulty of implementing a holistic system design approach, according to the report.

“Even though air pollution reduction is still at the core of IAQ management in certain regions or during specific periods, IAQ solutions need to be considered as part of a holistic approach to addressing these issues, rather than focusing on standalone disinfection solutions,” says Young Hoon Kim, Senior Research Analyst with Guidehouse Insights.

Picture: a photograph of a wall-mounted air quality indicator showing a green "thumbs up" icon, with the words "air quality" above it. A person's finger is hovering over the button. Image Credit: Adobe Stock

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 10 May 2022

Share

Related Articles