WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) announced that Knauf Insulation, Inc. has expanded its portfolio of products that have earned the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification. The newly Certified Knauf Performance+ insulation products include the Performance+ Earthwool 1000˚ Pipe Insulation, Pipe & Tank Insulation, and KwikFlex Pipe & Tank Insulation with Ecose. These additions build on Knauf’s previously Certified HVAC and residential insulation products, making the Performance+ portfolio an ideal solution for a wide range of building environments. “Expanding our portfolio of Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certified products to include pipe and tank insulation reinforces our belief that every part...

Since I first entered the lodging industry in 1989, I have come across thousands of new products and technologies. It must have been around 2002 that I first encountered Excel Hand Dryer’s XLERATOR Hand Dryer. I will never forget the first time I placed my hands below it. It was unlike any other hand dryer experience I had up until that time. The air power seemed jet engine strong and unforgettable. I walked away impressed, knowing that company owner Denis Gagnon and his son William had a winner on their hands. I suspect you have experienced one of the XLERATOR Hand...

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—For almost a quarter of a century, Excel Hand Dryer Inc. has been producing XLERATOR Hand Dryers—a game changer in the hand drying space that dries hands completely in 10 seconds while using 80 percent less energy than conventional hand dryers. Excel Hand Dryer Executive Vice President and COO William Gagnon said there are now approximately one million XLERATOR Hand Dryers in use around the globe. “We just put 1,000 XLERATOR Hand Dryers in the largest airport in the world in Turkey,” Gagnon says. XLERATOR Hand Dryers can help facility managers save thousands of dollars annually by eliminating the...

LEBANON, N.H.—FreshAir Sensor, a leading innovator in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, found that four out of five travelers have experienced discomfort due to exposure to cigarette or marijuana smoke, perceived chemicals, and other pernicious odors during their stay. More than 90 percent of respondents said they saw value in the ability to choose a room that hotels can guarantee to have a higher standard of air quality. These trends show a rising number of travelers who value enhanced indoor air quality (IAQ) as an integral feature of the guest experience—and they’re willing to pay more to get it. FreshAir...

Today’s design decisions for the hospitality industry, and the built environment generally, will have an impact on human health, ecosystem health, and planetary health for generations. So, it’s important that “cost” is appropriately defined and understood. This is made more complicated by a lack of published information (the majority of products used in the built environment do not fully disclose their contents and only a small minority of HPDs are prepared by an independent third party) and the prevalence of greenwashing. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or simply “vinyl”) is very familiar to many designers and has been for decades, so understandably,...

LEBANON, N.H.—FreshAir Sensor, a leading innovator in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, announced it is partnering with the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection to elevate guest experiences and open new revenue paths for Curator properties by enhancing IAQ through molecular air quality monitoring technology. The new partnership enables Curator member properties to ensure higher standards of air quality for guestroom environments and allows them to drive new revenue streams with the new FreshAir Certified solution. Under the partnership, Curator member hotels across the portfolio will have access to preferred terms and choose to implement FreshAir Sensor’s proprietary indoor air quality solutions to...

LEBANON, N.H.—FreshAir Sensor, the leading innovator in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, launched FreshAir Certified, a low-cost, high-margin bookable room attribute that allows hotels to leverage air quality as an exclusive guest purchase option. While odors and lingering smells remain a common guest complaint, hoteliers are often challenged to pre-empt any complaints before they arise. FreshAir Certified addresses these challenges by enabling hotels to offer guestrooms with scientifically verified, high-quality indoor air, meeting the growing demand for personalized, wellness-focused accommodations while creating a new, effortless revenue stream. FreshAir Sensor’s molecular air quality monitoring solutions are installed directly in the hotel guestroom...

NATIONAL REPORT—The importance of indoor air quality (IAQ) has never been more pronounced. In an age where health, wellness, and sustainability dominate industry trends, HVAC professionals are looking for ways to offer more holistic solutions to their clients. One of the most impactful ways to achieve building wellness, while keeping efficiency in mind, is by incorporating localized air purification systems alongside HVAC setups. Indoor air, in which people spend 90 percent of their time, has been shown to be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air, especially in commercial or industrial buildings. Research has revealed the troubling correlation...

NATIONAL REPORT—Fellowes, a company that provides product solutions to fulfill a broad range of WorkLife needs, announces the results of its third annual 2024 Annual International Day of Clean Air Survey. Fellowes conducts this proprietary survey each year as part of its commitment to understanding workers’ needs and concerns to better help building owners and employers meet those needs. “Indoor air quality (IAQ) literally impacts people’s every breath,” commented Arti Lyde, Global General Manager, Air Quality Management at Fellowes. “Our yearly survey allows us to understand global pain points related to IAQ, follow developing trends in worker IAQ knowledge...

CHICAGO—Air wellness pioneer Blueair unveiled its most advanced and powerful air purifier to date—the Classic Pro. Building on the award-winning Classic family of air purifiers, the new model is re-engineered with first-of-its-kind multi-layer filtration technology to deliver 40 percent more performance than before and cleanse the air in rooms up to 1,413 square feet in as little as 30 minutes. Blueair artfully engineered Classic Pro to provide long-lasting, advanced protection against indoor air pollutants that can adversely affect consumers’ quality of life. Equipped with Blueair’s proprietary HEPASilent dual filtration technology, the Classic Pro can quickly capture 99.97% of particles as small as 0.01 microns...