The University of Manitoba has undergone heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) improvements over the last few years resulting in optimal quality of air and comfort for students, faculty, staff and visitors to UM campuses. More upgrades are planned in the months to come.
In fact, 100 per cent of recently tested campus spaces meet the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) ventilation standards in optimal conditions.
UM's improved and robust HVAC system is not only providing thermal comfort and fresh air - which has been shown to improve learning outcomes and work performance - it's also supporting overall COVID-19 safety by removing and diluting aerosols that may contain viruses from indoor spaces.
In June 2022, Architectural & Engineering Services conducted an air flow measurement study to review existing ventilation rates and air changes per hour in its most utilized learning spaces. Air flow and filtration data were collected from 140 learning spaces (114 at the Fort Garry Campus, 21 at Bannatyne Campus and 5 at William Norrie Centre). The results found 93 per cent passed the ASHRAE ventilation standards under optimal conditions. Air purifiers were added to the rooms that didn't pass to ensure they were also meeting the requirements.
"These HVAC improvements contribute significantly to creating a healthy working and learning environment at UM," said Naomi Andrew, Vice-President (Administration). "We want all members of our community to feel comfortable and safe whether they are studying in classrooms and labs, working in offices or meeting in common spaces."
In Sept. 2022, UM conducted a further review of the 140 learning spaces to find additional opportunities for improvement. These improvements include rebalancing, upgraded thermostats for demand control ventilation, fan power terminal units and installation of CO2 sensors to return ducts for system level demand-controlled ventilation. These improvements will be complete by Fall 2023. UM will complete the same assessment on the remaining 341 learning spaces across campuses and make upgrades as required.
Click here to see a copy of the full Campus Ventilation Improvements report.
While the improvements to the 140 learning spaces will be complete by this autumn, assessment on the remaining 341 spaces at UM will take approximately a year to complete, after which improvements will begin on those spaces. The university is committed to meeting or exceeding ASHRAE guidelines that relate to building ventilation and air filtration in schools and universities. ASHRAE standards are supported by the Government of Canada and are part of the guidance for ventilation created by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
