Johnson Controls, a specialist in smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, announced the launch of OpenBlue indoor air quality as a service. The new offering is the first dedicated “as-a-service” Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) solution for buildings. According to the company, it will deliver energy-efficient, turnkey clean air outcomes with an innovative financing model.
“Johnson Controls believes the best healthy buildings strategy is a holistic one,” Ganesh Ramaswamy, vice president and president, Global Services at Johnson Controls, says. “This suite of offerings delivers the market’s most comprehensive portfolio of solutions, plus expert guidance, to help customers cut building costs, raise productivity and exploit new revenue opportunities—all while delivering on their sustainability goals, resulting in healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet.”
OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a service provides customers with a long-term proactive approach to IAQ to meet ever-changing health and safety compliance standards. At the same time, it leverages the OpenBlue technology to optimize IAQ and energy costs.
The offering includes five key components:
- IAQ assessments – Together with UL, a global safety science company, Johnson Controls will use a combination of science and technology to assess indoor air quality, pinpoint areas of risk and determine benchmarks and KPIs that support better IAQ, energy efficiency and cost savings.
- Solution application – Based on the results of the assessment, Johnson Controls will apply IAQ sensors, products and services required to meet customers’ desired outcomes. The OpenBlue technology breaks down data silos and delivers all critical indoor air quality information in one centralized place. This makes it easy to control devices, display IAQ data and identify trends. It also helps optimize energy costs and indoor air quality levels with AI-powered recommendations for improvements.
- Remote monitoring & advisory – To ensure desired outcomes are met, Johnson Controls will also leverage its global Remote Operations Centers (ROCs) to provide 24/7 monitoring of critical IAQ values and recommendations for improvements from its team of experts.
- Annual IAQ reassessment – Acknowledging the dynamic nature of all buildings, Johnson Controls will provide annual IAQ reassessments. It will also work with clients to enhance their operations as needed to maximize return on their IAQ investments.
- Financing – OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service will be offered through an optional, predictable monthly financing model. Through this model, customers will not have to worry about making large upfront capital decisions. Since the model is scalable, Johnson Controls can help organizations shift their operational models from being COVID-19-reactive to productivity-proactive to meet longer-term goals.
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According to Johnson Controls, the OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service will launch globally in February.
Industry research continues to demonstrate the benefits of a holistic approach to indoor air quality control and management, per a statement. In a survey of Johnson Controls customers, 60% are actively investing in indoor air quality-related measures. Even a 1% improvement in air quality can have a financial impact equivalent to an average building’s annual utility bill, according to Harvard research. Moreover, improved indoor air quality can reduce the aerosol transmission of COVID-19, acting as effectively as a population that is 50-60% vaccinated, according to peer-reviewed research published in Nature.
Tyler Smith, executive director, Healthy Buildings at Johnson Controls, acknowledges that enhancing indoor air quality is a critical business need as employees and students return to their respective environments.
“…Our OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service offering not only enables organizations to keep building occupants safe and healthy indoors in the face of evolving health and compliance regulations, but also empowers organizations to commit to more environmentally sustainable projects by delivering a solution that will also reduce energy use,” Smith concludes.
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