Ellis Hospital Solves Emissions Complaints With New AHUs

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — The last place you need to make you sick is the hospital.

When Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, N.Y., a part of the Ellis Medicine health care system, faced vehicle exhaust emissions entering through fresh air intakes, administrators sought out a solution to the challenge.

The existing six-story facility, which was rebuilt in 2010, includes a fresh air intake under a covered area that serves a primary pick-up and drop-off point for patients entering and leaving the facility.

The intake supplies fresh air to a 30,000 cfm air handling unit which serves several areas within the Ellis Medicine-owned hospital.

In spite of signs urging visitors not to idle by the entrance, patients and staff complained about the vehicle exhaust odors, with the most complaints coming in during the winter months. Patient comfort and wellness were also concerns, according to the hospital staff.

To address the issue, the hospital installed Dynamic V8 air cleaning systems in the air handling unit to filter indoor return air and incoming ventilation air.

The systems eliminated the odors and the complaints, and also feature a longer filter service life.

Prior to the installation of the systems, hospital maintenance personnel were replacing two-inch passive pleated filters every few months. The Dynamic V8 Air Cleaner replacement media will not require replacing for years instead of months, according to the company.

Based on the success of the installations, the hospital plans to install more cleaners.

Latham, N.Y.-based Trane served as the consultant and mechanical systems provider on the project, with Albany-based Colonie as the mechanical contractor and Darren Schaperjahn, the hospital’s in-house facility manager, as the utility manager.