C35 -- Airborne Infectivity Control by Proper IAQ while Minimizing its Environmental Impact

The concentration of airborne pathogens in confined spaces can be kept under control by guaranteeing the proper Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The Air Handling Unit (AHU) is the heart of the ventilation system, and it is designed to achieve that goal, which may come, regretfully, with higher energy consumption and indirect CO₂ emissions. This document, starting from a literature-based tool that estimates the probability of indoor infectivity vs. air changes and thermo-hygrometric conditions, proposes a technological solution for AHUs based on three key principles: Hygiene, Energy Saving and Digitization. The integration of energy recovery, heating & cooling, humidification & dehumidification, system control and continuous monitoring of operating conditions, is a beneficial solution that ensures healthy environments by introducing 100% outdoor air, while simultaneously reducing both operating costs and indirect CO₂ emissions, even at different climate conditions, to values close to those associated to 20% outdoor-air supply.