Air Purification For MEP Consultants - What's Important?

The conversation is shifting from “Does the system meet the code?”to “Does the building actually perform as intended?”

MEP consultants sit at the centre of building performance. You translate client intent into technical reality, balance standards with budgets, and carry long-term responsibility for how systems perform once the building is occupied.

Yet air purification is still frequently misunderstood or under-specified at the design stage—not due to lack of competence, but because it is often treated as peripheral rather than integral to HVAC strategy.

As expectations around indoor air quality (IAQ) rise, particularly across healthcare, hospitality, education, and commercial developments, these gaps are becoming more visible. Here are the most common pitfalls - and how MEP consultants can address them.

1. Treating Air Purification as a Vendor Add-On

Air purification is often left to the contractor or introduced late as a “nice to have” product substitution. This approach removes consultant control over:

• System compatibility

• Performance validation

• Energy impact

• Long-term maintenance implications

When purification is not embedded in the basis of design, it becomes reactive rather than engineered.

For MEP consultants, air purification should be a design decision—not a procurement decision.

2. Equating IAQ Compliance with IAQ Performance

Meeting ASHRAE or local code requirements is essential - but compliance alone does not guarantee healthy air.

Ventilation rates and filtration efficiencies are static design values. IAQ performance is dynamic and influenced by:

• Occupancy density and behaviour

• Air distribution effectiveness

• Recirculation patterns

• Localised pollutant generation

Consultants increasingly need to design beyond minimum compliance and consider exposure reduction, not just airflow volumes.

3. Over-Relying on Outside Air in Hot and Humid Climates

In the GCC, increasing outdoor air comes at a significant cost:

• High latent loads

• Increased chiller capacity

• Greater energy consumption

• Humidity-related comfort complaints

While fresh air remains important, it is not always the most efficient or effective way to manage IAQ.

Integrating air purification allows consultants to safely clean recirculated air, reducing dependency on outside air while maintaining health and comfort - particularly critical in extreme climates.

4. Designing Only for the AHU, Not the Occupied Space

Many specifications focus purification at the air handling unit, assuming downstream effectiveness. In practice, contaminants exist:

• Within the occupied zone

• On surfaces

• In terminal units and ductwork

If purification does not actively treat air within the space, performance can fall short of expectations - despite correct AHU design.

Effective strategies consider the entire air path, from intake to breathing zone.

5. Underestimating IAQ as a Risk and Liability Issue

IAQ is often presented to clients as a comfort or wellness enhancement. In reality, it carries significant risk implications:

• Healthcare-associated infections

• Guest satisfaction and reputation in hospitality

• Productivity and absenteeism in offices

• Complaints and post-handover disputes

MEP consultants are increasingly expected to advise clients on risk mitigation, not just system sizing.

Air purification is now part of that risk conversation.

6. Focusing on CapEx Instead of Whole-Life Performance

Air purification systems are frequently value-engineered out due to perceived upfront cost, without considering:

• Reduced filter pressure drop

• Lower fan energy

• Extended equipment life

• Fewer IAQ-related callouts

From a consultancy perspective, whole-life cost analysis strengthens design justification and aligns with sustainability and ESG objectives.

7. Not Specifying Measurement and Verification

Many projects still lack meaningful IAQ monitoring, making it difficult to:

• Validate design intent

• Demonstrate performance to clients

• Optimise systems post-handover

Modern IAQ strategies should include sensors, data visibility, and performance benchmarks.

What cannot be measured cannot be defended—or improved.

Air Purification For MEP Consultants: A More Strategic Role

Air purification is no longer a secondary consideration. It is now a core component of:

• Healthy building standards

• Energy-efficient HVAC design

• Climate-responsive solutions

• Long-term building resilience

MEP consultants who integrate air purification early, specify it clearly, and tie it to performance outcomes position themselves as trusted technical advisors—not just system designers.

The conversation is shifting from “Does the system meet the code?”to “Does the building actually perform as intended?”

And air quality is at the centre of that shift.