IN-24-A004 - ASHRAE Standard 241 and Graphene Silver-Coated MERV-A 9-A Filters: A Case Study

ASHRAE Standard 241-2023 introduces equivalent clean airflow per person (ECAi) necessary to substantially reduce the risk of disease transmission during infection risk management mode (IRMM). This study compares the efficacy of a novel silver-graphene oxide (AgGO) coated MERV-A 9-A (M9AZG) filter to commonly used filters through Std. 241's approach. Theoretical analyses across the office, gym, classroom, and supermarket scenarios reveal M9AZG's comparable performance to MERV-A 13-A, especially in high occupancy density settings. Furthermore, reducing occupancy alongside M9AZG adoption emerges asa useful strategy for improving indoor air quality and avoiding HVAC modifications. Using lower MERV-rated filters with an enhanced viral filtration efficiency (VFE) technology could remove concerns associated with higher resistance to airflow, energy consumption and maintenance costs.