Using High Efficiency Air Filters, Hospital System Gains $2 Million in Savings

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

Working with Camfil, New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation was able to maximize indoor air quality in 18 facilities — while minimizing costs

For health care facilities, one goal is paramount: to provide optimal patient care, comfort, and safety. Yet at the same time, hospitals need to keep a sharp eye on costs, particularly as expenses increase and reimbursements decrease. One area where this dual mandate – and pressure – is readily apparent is in air filtration.

Clean, healthful indoor air is essential to keeping infections at bay, but many low-cost filters actually turn out to be surprisingly expensive over time. The good news is it doesn’t have to be this way.

That’s something New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) discovered when it set out to revamp the air filtration systems at 18 facilities. Its existing filters – like many ‘low-cost air filters’ – required frequent changes, which meant added product, maintenance, and disposal costs. But working with Camfil – the world’s leading provider of clean air solutions – HHC discovered that high efficiency air filters, which typically cost more upfront, mean lower overall costs. By maintaining their peak efficiency far longer, these filters require less energy to move the air through the filter, and less frequent change-outs. Energy, replacement, installation, and disposal costs are all reduced.

Indeed, using Camfil’s innovative Life Cycle Cost (LCC) software, HHC discovered that over a five-year period, it could reduce the combined air filtration costs of its 18 facilities by almost $2 million.

The switch to Camfil filters then became an easy decision. Significant savings would quickly offset the higher price of high performance filters over the filters’ lifespan. Meanwhile, because Camfil’s cutting-edge filters maintained their peak efficiency longer than traditional filters – which degrade quickly – optimal indoor air quality (IAQ) could be achieved, as well.

Helping hospitals and other organizations that depend on optimal IAQ – from manufacturers to educational institutions – has long been at the core of Camfil’s mission. Leveraging an industry-leading network of six global research centers, Camfil has led the way in developing a new generation of ultra-efficient, sustainable air filters that not only perform better and longer than traditional designs, but are more environmentally friendly. Indeed, Camfil’s ‘5-Star’ filters can reduce energy usage –by 20 to 40 percent.

The result isn’t just a better air filter but one that wins on multiple fronts: providing more healthful air, a lower cost of ownership, and a path to a more sustainable future. The complete case study can be downloaded here.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections — all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil customers go green without ever sacrificing performance. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.us or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.

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Air Filtration Leader Camfil Highlights ‘Quick Wins’ for Energy Savings

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

Camfil explains how optimized air filtration can be an easy ‘energy win’ for businesses. Among its key – and for many readers, perhaps, surprising – findings are the following:

With high-efficiency air filters in place, a building’s energy costs can be significantly reduced – and indoor air quality improved

In the average commercial building, roughly half of all energy costs can be attributed to the HVAC system. While that makes air-handling units a major cost center for businesses, it also provides a big opportunity for savings, as systems that use energy more efficiently can sharply reduce a company’s outlays. In a new white paper entitled “Quick Wins for Energy Savings in Buildings,” Camfil air filtration products highlight how a new generation of sustainable, efficient air filters can optimize both energy use and indoor air quality.

The white paper, which was published by Camfil’s UK subsidiary but pertains to all markets, is available as a free download at http://bit.ly/1Y4sA09.

In the paper, Camfil explains how optimized air filtration can be an easy ‘energy win’ for businesses. Among its key – and for many readers, perhaps, surprising – findings are the following:

• Nearly a third of HVAC energy use is related to air filtration, yet air filters are often overlooked as a source of energy savings. Moreover, since switching to new air filters doesn’t typically require infrastructure changes – such as modifying the air-handling units – these savings can usually be achieved without expensive up-front capital investments.
• While low-cost air filters may seem like a route to savings, they typically wind up costing far more than expected. That’s because these filters tend to clog quickly, causing a higher resistance to airflow and requiring more energy to move the air through the filter. High-efficiency air filters, on the other hand, may cost more initially, but because they maintain their peak efficiency longer and last longer (requiring fewer change-outs), total cost of ownership is generally less with these more advanced products.
• In 90 percent of cases, low-energy air filters can be retrofitted into a company’s existing HVAC system, leading to an energy savings ‘payback’ within just 1 to 3 months. But even if modifications do need to be made, the payback typically can be achieved within the first year of use.

With an industry-leading network of six global research centers, Camfil has led the charge to energy-efficient air filters developing a new generation of filters that last longer, use less energy, and do a better job removing harmful airborne particles than traditionally designed air filters. The result: cost savings even as indoor air quality – and comfort – is improved. In the U.K., Camfil has already delivered savings of over £2 million to sites that have switched to low-energy air filters in their HVAC systems.

Indeed, in the typical building, low-energy filters like those from Camfil can reduce labor and waste by 50 percent, since users need to change and dispose of only half as many filters as they did previously. And those savings come in addition to energy reductions of up to 20 percent – per filter.

As the white paper demonstrates, energy-efficient air filters aren’t just an easy win for businesses, but a win on multiple levels, improving the bottom line, productivity, and the well-being of those who work in and visit the building. Best yet, switching to this new generation of air filters is a remarkably – and surprisingly — simple step to take.

The world leader in air filter systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections — all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil customers go green without ever sacrificing performance. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.us or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.

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Sweden’s Olympic Athletes Partner with Camfil a Leader in Clean Air Solutions

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

In partnership with the Swedish Olympic Committee, Camfil is countering the negative impact indoor air pollution can have on athletic performance.

It is the ‘invisible’ problem in sports: poor indoor air quality (IAQ) that can negatively affect the performance of athletes. And it is a problem of particular concern in Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympic games, which has experienced significant air quality issues in recent years.

To help minimize the impact of pollution on Sweden’s delegation to the games, Camfil – the world’s leading provider of clean air solutions – is working with the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOC) to improve IAQ in the facilities where athletes will be competing and living.

“We can’t do anything about outdoor air pollution, but we can improve indoor air quality in the facilities where our Olympic athletes will be spending much of their day in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Summer Olympics,” says Stefan Lindeberg, Chairman of the SOC. “The human body functions better in clean air than in air that contains pollutants and high concentrations of particles. If clean air helps our athletes recover better, they will perform better.”

Prior to the Olympics, Camfil — which has engaged in a ten-year dialogue with the SOC on how to improve air quality to maximize athletic performance — will be equipping Swedish training facilities with the company’s high efficiency air filters. It will also install its next-generation air purifiers in the homes of athletes in Sweden, and later, in their rooms at Rio’s Olympic Village.

The program also entails the measurement and analysis of air quality, to better understand the connection between high IAQ and sports performance. To this end, the Centre for Allergy Research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm will work with the SOC’s medical team.

Of course, optimal indoor air quality doesn’t just benefit athletes, but all individuals, by minimizing the risk of serious health conditions — from asthma to heart disease — that can be heightened when harmful particles are not effectively removed from the indoor air. Boosting IAQ has long been a priority for Camfil, which utilizes its global network of research centers to continually develop and refine cutting-edge air filters – products that last longer, require less energy, and perform better than more traditionally designed filters.

The gold medals may still be down the road, but the gold standard in achieving high indoor air quality is already here – and Camfil is helping Sweden’s best athletes reap the benefits.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections — all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil customers go green without ever sacrificing performance. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.com, or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.

Media Contact
Lynne Laake
Camfil Air Filters USA
News Provided By: Submit Press Release 123
Media Contact: Lynne Laake, Camfil, 888-599-6620, Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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7 Million Annual Deaths From Air Pollution by 2050 Reports Camfil

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

With today’s toll expected to double, clean air solutions will be more important than ever

The numbers are staggering today – and they are only going to grow. Across the globe, more than 3 million people die each year due to air pollution. But a new study forecasts that by 2050, the figure will more than double, with 6.6 million deaths traceable to prolonged exposure to polluted air.

In the study – published in September by the journal Nature – researchers in Germany, the United States, Cyprus, and Saudi Arabia examined how an array of emission sources – including residential and commercial energy use, agriculture, power generation, industry, biomass burning, natural causes, and automobile traffic – impacted air pollution.

The researchers found that key sources of pollution varied from country to country. In India and China, for example, residential energy emissions, such as those produced by fuels used for cooking and heating, had the largest impact on deaths. In the United States, emissions resulting from agriculture production were – perhaps surprisingly – a major contributor to pollution-related deaths.

The health risks of exposure to air pollution run a wide – and troubling – gamut, from heart disease to cancer to respiratory conditions like asthma. But the problem isn’t just exposure to outdoor air. Harmful particles in the outdoor environment can often easily seep indoors, vastly increasing the exposure – and risk – individuals face, as most people spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The good news is that the risk can be minimized – today. Innovative air filtration technology – from companies like Camfil, the leading provider of clean air solutions – can effectively remove harmful particles from the air before they ever enter the indoor environment. Yet not all air filters are equal. Traditionally designed filters often degrade sharply soon after their initial use, decreasing their efficiency. Not only does that enable harmful particles to seep into the indoor air, but it means that filters need to be replaced frequently, increasing filter, installation, and disposal costs. And because inefficient filters require more energy to push the air through, energy costs rise, too.

A new generation of energy-efficient, sustainable air filters changes that. Leveraging a half dozen global research centers, Camfil has led the way in developing that last longer and perform better than traditional designs, while requiring less energy and less frequent replacement and disposal. Indeed, Camfil’s ‘5-Star’ filters can reduce energy usage by 20 to 40 percent. So while individuals benefit, so too, do budgets and the environment.

Air pollution is a growing worry – and justifiably so. But the means for attacking it, and limiting its dangerous impact, are growing, as well. Healthful indoor air is critical – and with the proper air filtration in place, it can be achieved, more easily and more affordably than most people expect.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality, and reduce airborne infections — all while lowering total cost of ownership. Camfil customers go green without ever sacrificing performance. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.us or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.

Media Contact
Lynne Laake
Camfil Air Filters USA
News Provided By: Submit Press Release 123
Media Contact: Lynne Laake, Camfil, 888-599-6620, Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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ER’s Need to be Kept Clean—Including the Air—to Keep Patients and Employees Safe

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

Camfil Filtration Systems Help Hospitals Help Their Patients

If you go to your local hospital’s emergency room (ER) it’s probably because of an accident, serious illness or other healthcare crisis. You have enough going on and don’t want to contract an infection from the hospital or those around you. Hospitals can take many precautions to prevent infections, one of them is keeping the air patients, visitors and staff breathe as healthy as possible with the help of Camfil air filtration systems.

In addition to being where urgent health care is given ER’s often are places of primary medical care for the indigent and those without health insurance. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that in 2011 there were 136.3 million visits to the nation’s emergency departments (out of an estimated population of 311 million).

With this massive demand for services and millions of unhealthy people passing through the doors of these departments it should come as no surprise that hospital acquired infections have become a serious issue. The CDC surveyed hospitals and found that in 2011,

• On any given day about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI).
• There were an estimated 722,000 HAI’s in U.S acute care hospitals.
• About 75,000 hospital patients with HAI’s died during their hospitalizations.

The use of Camfil air filtration systems can help reduce the risk of HAI’s by controlling the amount of airborne pathogens breathed in by patients, visitors and staff, according to Camfil air filtration expert Charlie Seyffer, “Your exposure increases as the number of occupants with maladies are in close proximity to you. Unfortunately, part of the nature of an ER is that people are there because they have a problem.”

Those problems could include potentially fatal infectious diseases being spread by people who easily travel around the globe. “The ER’s in the U.S. have developed reactionary plans to address what should happen to protect patients, employees and visitors if an Ebola case or something along those lines comes to an American city.”

Seyffer says once someone is diagnosed with a highly contagious disease the patient is often isolated within the ER “ER’s are like a city unto themselves,” Seyffer says, “With all sorts of precautions in place to protect us but we should also take precautions to protect ourselves.” He suggests if we sneeze or cough to cover ourselves to protect others.

Seyffer says modern hospital air filtration systems have many parts. MERV 8 pre-filters can catch bacteria and dust before they get into the main HVAC systems. That’s important because those system create water, in which bacteria can spread. Downstream there should be MERV 14 filters capable of stopping 78% of very small particles .3 microns in size (about one three-hundredth of the width of a human hair). It’s also become more common that hospitals are using HEPA filters to clean the air.

“Viruses are so small that these filters cannot capture them but normally viruses attach themselves to other things and that’s how we remove them.” Seyffer says the filtration is not simply the use of a filter but sending air through it. “The common office area has about six air changes per hour. The fans in these emergency suites are very high level. They can have thirty to fifty air changes per hour.”

Seyffer says hospitals should use Camfil air filters with a MERV-A rating to ensure that the filter maintains its efficiency.

If you have a choice, Seyffer suggests you may want to use a newer or renovated hospital because the chances are better it will have a more modern HVAC system with a wide range of air quality controls. One tool you can use to see how well your local hospitals address HAI’s is through a rating system by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Seyffer says, “Most hospitals, 99%, are doing the right thing. We want to go to the hospital to be cured, not leave the hospital with something we didn’t go to the hospital with.”

You can learn more about how Camfil helps hospitals and medical facilities keep their air safe and their patients and staff healthy by visiting their website.

The world leader in air filtration systems, Camfil provides clean air solutions for hospitals, hotels, office buildings, educational institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We provide the tools to achieve sustainability, maintain high air quality and reduce airborne particulates, all while lowering total cost of ownership. For more information, visit us online at www.camfil.us or call us toll-free at 888.599.6620.

Media Contact
Lynne Laake
Camfil Air Filters USA
News Provided By: Submit Press Release 123
Media Contact: Lynne Laake, Camfil, 888-599-6620,Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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Did You Know Poor Air Quality Can Affect Your Health?

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

Camfil clean air solutions provider discusses research findings that show poor air quality can negatively impact the health of those exposed to pollution.

Researchers have discovered there is a link between being exposed to auto emissions and an increased risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A study conducted by Swedish researchers at Umeå University found that individuals who live in homes that are exposed to air pollution have a 40 percent higher risk of developing these conditions than people who live in areas with significantly cleaner air.

Researchers Find Link Between Air Quality and Alzheimer’s Disease

“As scientists learn more about the consequences of air pollution, the list of health risks have been growing. Asthma and other respiratory diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases have long been the top worries, but researchers in Sweden have now added a new – and equally troubling – condition to the list: Alzheimer’s Disease.”

To read more visit http://bit.ly/1KmnFmD.

Using High Quality Air Filters for Better Indoor Air Quality

According to leading clean air solutions provider Camfil, hearing such news is disconcerting to individuals who live in areas where there is heavy environmental pollution particularly because they don’t feel they can do anything to protect themselves. The company says that although the problem isn’t one that can be fixed overnight, there are steps that can be taken to make sure that certain outside pollutants don’t pose such high risks to individuals while living or working indoors.

The company says of the air filtration products now available for owners or operators of commercial and residential buildings, or residents concerned about their indoor air quality, “Camfil – the world’s leading provider of commercial air filters – has developed a new generation of air filters that retain their peak efficiency longer than more traditionally designed filters, while requiring less energy. As a result, they do a better job of removing harmful particles from indoor air, while lowering lifetime costs. Leveraging its network of a half dozen global research centers, Camfil has designed air filters that last longer and require less frequent change-outs – lowering installation and disposal costs – without ever sacrificing performance.”

About Camfil, a World Leader in Air Filtration Products

Researchers have long studied the health risks associated with both indoor and outdoor air pollution, and continue to find surprising facts that are points of concern for many. Camfil is a leading global provider of air filtration products that help tackle the challenges linked to pollution for reducing related risks to human health.

In addition, the company is well known for producing products that assist hospitals, educational institutions, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hotels, and office buildings with maintaining high quality air and reducing airborne infections. By providing tools that help owners and operators of various types of buildings achieve sustainability of their HVAC systems, total cost of ownership can be dramatically lowered. The use of Camfil premium air filters has been shown to reduce HVAC energy costs by 20 percent, costs of installation and labor by 50 percent and costs linked to waste disposal by 70 percent due to their extended life cycle.

For more information about choosing the right air filter products for any building type please visit http://bit.ly/1ObCTJS today. Camfil also provides HVAC evaluations and life cycle costs analyses for those seeking to optimize the performance of their system and achieve the best value for their total investment, in part by reducing costs linked to unnecessary expenditures.

Media Contact
Lynne Laake
Camfil Air Filters USA
News Provided By: Submit Press Release 123
Media Contact: Lynne Laake, Camfil, 888-599-6620,Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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Does Your Air Filter Provide the Best Economic Value?

Clean Air Solution by Camfil USA. Leader in Air Filters for Commercial and Industrial applications.

Clean air solutions provider Camfil discusses the cost-savings benefit of choosing the right air filtration products.

The steps required of a number of large companies to maintain the high quality of their HVAC systems may come at a price, but failing to do so always comes at an even higher one in the long run, according to clean air solutions provider Camfil. A number of companies seek to reduce costs by waiting to change building air filters until after the recommended time, or engaging in other actions that lead to more distress on their HVAC system (which could shorten the life of the system as a whole). This in effect, leads to higher expenses.

As opposed to cutting corners to try and create higher economic value in an air filter, Camfil suggests that companies invest in filters that are of a higher caliber. However, not all claims made by producers of air filtration products are accurate in terms of the true nature of their costs savings and sustainability. Therefore, it is important to examine various characteristics of air filters to effectively distinguish those that truly offer economic value from others.

Three Ways to Tell If an Air Filter Passes the Quality Litmus Test

Camfil, a known industry leader, has outlined three considerations that can help companies determine whether an air filter will yield them a desired cost and energy savings benefit.

• Total Cost of Ownership – The total cost of ownership of an HVAC system that is well maintained includes costs for energy consumption, installation, labor, and waste disposal. The right air filters can save companies in each of the categories significantly.
• Ratings Tests – Air Filters like those offered by Camfil have undergone strict processes to determine their value and efficacy. Therefore, paying attention to the ratings given to air filters can be helpful for determining the benefit of their use.
• Energy Efficiency – Energy efficient air filters help reduce energy costs and well as the amount of pressure put on HVAC systems that lead to unnecessary wear and tear.

About Camfil Air Filters

Camfil air filters have proven effective in helping a number of companies reduce costs on maintaining the quality of their HVAC systems. As evidence, the company cites a case study in which a large computer manufacturer with more than $56 billion in annual sales and 65,000 employees saw significant savings in annual filter costs with the use of Camfil 30/30® Panel Filters.

Source: Case Study “The 30/30 Extended Life Provides Manufacturer Significant Savings in Annual Filter Costs”

“Due to this manufacturer being an extremely high profile company and a large user of air filters at its corporate campus, air filtration companies frequently called on the account claiming to have the best product, price, and service. The company decided to put an end to the speculation and test multiple products in real use to determine the best economic value, and not just “first cost” comparison.”

To read more visit http://bit.ly/1NM0L8c.

According to Camfil “the extended life of the 30/30 saved the company $34,786 annually, and also reduced labor costs significantly.”

The company details other success stories like this one on its website http://bit.ly/1ObCTJS, where a listing of Camfil air filter products is also available with detailed descriptions for each.

For more information about Camfil products and services please visit http://bit.ly/1ObCTJS. Companies may also contact Camfil to inquire directly about getting assistance with the development of a customized energy savings plan using a combination of Camfil’s quality air filtration products.

Media Contact
Lynne Laake
Camfil Air Filters USA
News Provided By: Submit Press Release 123
Media Contact: Lynne Laake, Camfil, 888-599-6620,Lynne.Laake@camfil.com

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