Having already secured significant savings across other areas of the campus, Dublin City University (DCU) turned its focus onto the life-cycle running costs of the air-handling units in all buildings on the campus. This initiative was taken after Camfil provided an introduction to energy-efficient filter products and life-cycle cost software to Liam O’Reilly, facilities co-ordinator at DCU Estates Office. Camfil offered a trial on site in conjunction with Lynch Interact, which is the facilities management partner on campus. Part of the Interact contract is to maintain the air-handling units, which includes the installation of filters on a preventive maintenance schedule. The Camfil 30/30 Panel Filter and XLT Bag Filter were installed for six months in the Library Building alongside some standard products. Comparison tests were carried out, which showed dramatic differences weighing in favour of the Camfil product (see below). After six months of trial install in Library Building:

• Pressure drop of competitor’s product: 144 Pa.
• Pressure drop of Camfil product: 94 Pa.
• Particle efficiency of competitor’s bag filter in accordance to EN.779.2012: 57.46%
• Particle efficiency of Camfil’s bag filter in accordance to EN.779.2012: 69.64%

The results showed that DCU could achieve significant savings by using this filter configuration in all air-handling units across the entire Campus. The Camfil software can show the savings and project lifetime of different products based on a huge database of information on various different types of filter products. After a site survey carried out by Camfil to ensure that the filters were suitable for all units, Interact began installing in January 2014. By May of 2014, it was concluded after some monitoring that no filter changes would be required – which would have been the norm when previous products were used. Reducing the amount of filter changes dramatically reduces the carbon footprint of the campus. Before the changeover to the new filters, up to 500 bag filters and 1,500 panel filters were dumped annually. This will now be reduced by over half of that amount. Energy savings are now also realised due to the much-reduced pressure drop of the Camfil products when compared to the competitor’s product. In addition, indoor air quality, which is of huge importance to all occupants of the buildings, is also improved by over 20%. After endorsement by Liam O’Reilly, DCU estates officer Richy Kelly Interact’s Jennifer McCullagh, Paul Flanagan from Camfil proposed to enter this case study into the Facilities Management Awards 2014 for the ‘Client Service Provider Collaboration’ category. This case study won the award at the event in July and was also put forward as a finalist in the Overall Excellence Award. This case study continues to be endorsed by DCU and Interact. Further information on the case study is available by contacting David Cruise, Camfil Ireland, at 01 848 4977 or see www.camfil.ie.