Compliant systems can still be quietly wasting energy...

Most facility managers operate buildings that are fully compliant. Airflow targets are met. Ventilation rates are correct. CO₂ levels sit within acceptable limits. From a regulatory and audit perspective, the building performs as expected.

And yet, operating costs remain high, and continue to rise.

Globally, buildings are becoming more expensive to operate. According to the International Energy Agency, building energy use has increased consistently in recent years. HVAC is a key driver.

This is where compliance and cost begin to diverge. Compliance focuses on how much air moves through a building. Most HVAC systems rely on recirculation to save energy costs, but do not look at the particulate matter in mixed and recirculated air. The smallest particles slip straight through standard HVAC filtration. Over time, they deposit on heating and cooling coils.

As coils load with fine PM and mould, heat transfer efficiency drops and system resistance increases. This process is gradual and rarely triggers alarms or comfort complaints, so buildings remain compliant while systems quietly work harder to deliver the same desired output.

Standard performance checks confirm that systems meet requirements, but they don’t show when efficiency is quietly being lost. Industry maintenance guidance and data from the U.S. Department of Energy indicate that dirty coils can increase energy use by up to 30%, depending on local operating conditions and cleaning intervals.

Addressing the issue does not require re-engineering HVAC systems or increasing airflow. The airflow already exists. What’s missing is control over what pollutants the air is carrying. HiboScreen is designed to address this gap.

HiboScreen uses an electrostatic field, installed upstream of existing G4 filters, to neutralise mould, bacteria, and viruses while causing fine airborne particles to agglomerate into larger structures. These larger particles are then more effectively captured by standard filters, reducing the amount of fine particulate matter that reaches coils and remains airborne within the building.

By keeping coils cleaner for longer, systems maintain their designed heat-transfer efficiency, pressure drop remains stable, and energy consumption is reduced, without increasing fan power or changing airflow rates.

Compliance keeps buildings operational and auditable. Efficiency determines what they cost to run. Many buildings already meet the first requirement. The real opportunity lies in closing the gap between compliant airflow and the costs that quietly build up over time.