In the age of working smarter, filtration has emerged as the next opportunity to reduce building costs while also improving air quality and energy efficiency.
Today a filter upgrade isn’t just about quick ROI, it is a strategic opportunity to optimise building performance.
It is also timely as there has been a number of significant standard updates that will make compliance a priority in 2026.
In broad terms the Australian Sustainability Reporting Standard (ASRS) which covers air quality in the workplace as well as scope 2 and 3 emissions, is mandatory from December 1, 2026.
This standard includes limits for workplace contamination specifically airborne contaminants. Current research shows, that without good filtration, viruses like COVID can be transported through mechanical ventilation.
For mechanical ventilation, the key standard is AS1668.2 which was updated in late 2024 and will be introduced in May this year as part of the latest National Construction Code (NCC) revisions.
For HVAC professionals and facility managers these updates are good news as they replace a standard that is decades old, according to Philipp Schluter, Sustainability and Efficiency Specialist at Camfil Australia.
“The new AS16890 is the Australian standard for testing and classifying air filters for general ventilation. It replaces the old AS1324 standard series which was very crude,” he said.
Previously filter efficiency was determined by how much dust the filter captured whereas the new standard focuses on specific particulate matter sizes (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10).
“This is important because the size of the particle determines the level of damage,” Schluter explained.
“For example, a 10 micron particle is heavy but disappears after a few hours whereas a 2.5 micron particle will stay in the air for days and can enter your bloodstream.
“Half a micron can go into your lungs proving the smaller the particle the greater the damage.
“Filter efficiency is important to achieve better health outcomes in buildings,” Schluter said.
Under the revised AS1668.2 standard filters efficiency is 40 times more effective than the old standard which will be phased out at the end of this year.
“In the past we were using filters that didn’t do the job. It was like being in a car and wearing a seat belt made out of paper, tug on it and it falls apart,” Schluter said.
“At the same time filter upgrades were routinely forgotten because they were such a small line item but that is no longer the case. Now they are seen as an opportunity to generate savings.
“It is similar to LED lighting upgrades, another no brainer where energy is slashed by as much as 90 per cent and compared to incandescent bulbs LED lighting lasts 5 to 25 times longer often paying for itself in under a year.”
Filter savings are achieved through Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCC) which predicts total ownership costs including energy consumption, waste disposal and filter acquisition cost.
For example, a standard business will use 5W of energy per square meter. Effective filtration can reduce that energy use to 2.5W per square meter. Calculate that over 100,000 square metres and it is an impressive result.
“Our filters last twice as long which means less waste going to landfill and its better air, the business case is a no brainer,” Schluter said.
“The LCC process begins with simulation analysis as every building is different. We need to assess business hours, location and the operating environment, for example an events centre will be dustier than a data centre.”
Schluter said a holistic view of the building is even more relevant in Australia where the procurement landscape is different to the rest of the world.
“The building owner hires a facility manager who hires a mechanical contractor to change the filters. The upgrade process is so far removed from the person who pays the bills or even the ESG person overseeing ratings and sustainability.
“Even worse the contractor is on a tight budget thinking of nothing but acquisition cost, not holistic outcomes and overall building performance.”
This is where LCC modelling comes in. Details at camfil.com