Airius have become a trusted supplier of Air and Surface Purification systems across the globe.
Airius systems are known to significantly reduce levels of mould, viruses and bacteria in any space in which they are installed.
It would be natural to assume that these benefits are solely due to the advanced active cleaning agents emitted by PureAir systems. However, they incorporate another technology which enhances their air and surface purification effectiveness – an internal destratification fan.
As well as ensuring the cleaning agents are distributed evenly, Airius fans make sure there is a continuous airflow throughout the environment, contributing to the elimination of hot and cold spots, a reduction in heating and cooling bills and a smaller carbon footprint.
These dual benefits – the generation of purifying cleaning agents and the temperature stabilisation that comes from destratification, make Airius PureAir systems ideal for a supermarket setting.
The safety and comfort of staff and customers has always been a top priority for supermarkets and retail stores.
Following the global outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide, many stores added new safety features in order to allow their businesses to remain open safely.
Physical distancing measures, masks and Perspex screens have helped to keep employees and customers protected to an extent.
However, central to the safety of customers and employees is the effective disinfection and distribution of air throughout stores.
Additionally, research has found that retail stores that are too hot or cold are linked to shorter customer browse times and reduced employee productivity.
Balancing the temperature of the environment is necessary to ensure a comfortable atmosphere in which to shop and work.
Airius destratification systems provide a solution to these challenges.
The Airius PureAir NBPI, PHI or Pearl Series are suitable for commercial environments – and the benefits of destratification are well-recognised within the retail sector.
Airius has worked with a number of retail’s biggest names, including Morrisons and Marks & Spencer, to help them to reduce their energy costs and optimise the comfort level of their stores.
Destratification is also endorsed by the Carbon Trust, who recommend it as one of their top cost and carbon saving measures.
Jørgen Nordtorp runs the Skovejj branch of REMA 1000, a supermarket chain in Norway and Denmark.
In 2020, Nordtorp had been investigating solutions to the issue of food waste – trying to reduce the amount of fresh produce that needed to be discarded every day.
The store was then faced with the added challenge of creating an environment with optimal customer protection amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2020 the store installed two Airius PureAir fans in their fresh produce, bakery and florist sections. PureAir fans incorporate ionisation technology which neutralises up to 99% of all bacteria, viruses and moulds.
Discussing the system, Nordtorp says: “The result is surprisingly good! Fruits and vegetables stay fresh for 1-2 days longer than before”,
As hoped, the PureAir fans also keep bread and flowers fresh in the store, greatly reducing the amount of food waste generated by the supermarket.
“In this way, the fans contribute to both reducing food waste and making the store more green.” Nordtorp adds.
Supermarkets often store fruit and vegetables in cold rooms at night to keep them fresh, moving them onto the shop floor the next morning.
With the Airius fans installed, the staff at the REMA 1000 in Skovejj no longer have to spend time moving produce into and out of the refrigerated storage areas at the beginning and end of each day.
Nordtorp says: “We save a small hour a day, because most fruits and vegetables are no longer refrigerated overnight. It is a relief, especially because it is typically inexperienced employees who would otherwise have to carry out the work during the evening”.
One of the main challenges facing grocers like Jørgen Nordtorp when managing their stores is maintaining a constant temperature and comfortable environment for patrons and team members.
Supermarkets typically have significant temperature disparities from aisle to aisle due to chiller/freezer sections, deli and hot food counters and often old or inefficient heating and cooling systems.
As heat rises away from ground level, retail stores can often feel uncomfortably cold on the ground floor, and uncomfortably hot on upper floors.
HVAC (air conditioning) systems can be used to ease the problem but the excessive costs of running these systems in larger spaces such as supermarkets often makes it impractical to maintain a consistent climate.
The Airius PureAir’ internal destratification fan provides an effective solution as it circulates air continuously, balancing temperatures within the store.
This reduces how hard the HVAC system has to work, saving stores an average of 35% on their energy costs.
The destratification fan works continuously and silently to maintain a comfortable environment.
Air doesn’t push out in gusts or streams or feel unnaturally cold or warm as it can with some air conditioning systems.
“The air has simply become fresher,” Jørgen Nordtorp notes.
REMA 1000 are now making plans to install the PureAir system throughout the rest of their stores.
The results of Airius’s work with the REMA 1000 store in Skovejj outlines some important points about the benefits of purification in retail and grocery store environments.
Airius PureAir systems do provide necessary protection against bacteria, mould and viruses.
But the value of the systems isn’t limited to disinfection. The REMA 1000 case study shows that the systems also:
There are three PureAir series’ that are suitable for retail and commercial environments.
The Airius PureAir+ NPBI Series is an active air and surface purification air circulation fan system.
It features the latest Needlepoint BiPolar Ionisation (NPBITM) technology, which releases positive and negative ions in to the environment to provide continuous air purification, odour elimination and neutralisation of up to 99.9%+ of all known pathogens, VOCs and odours, in both the air and on surfaces.
The Airius PureAir PHI Series uses a patented PHI (Photohydroionisation) cell which creates ‘Ionised Hydroperoxides’ by projecting a broad spectrum HE/UV light onto a quad metallic target inside the body of the fan.
Hydroperoxides are known as ‘Mother Nature’s Cleaning Agent’. These ionised particles are distributed throughout the space where they bond with harmful particles, reacting in an advanced oxidisation process that renders the particles harmless and makes the air feel fresh and clean.
The Airius PureAir Pearl Series incorporates BiPolar Ionisation technology to generate positive and negative ions. UL2998 certified as an Ozone free technology and clinically demonstrating a 99% reduction of a standard SARS Covid surrogate, the PureAir Pearl Series is specifically designed for offices and smaller settings with ceilings up to 5.5 metres high.
The PureAir Pearl, PHI and NPBI systems all feature the destratification and airflow circulation fan that balances temperatures, reduces heating and cooling costs, cuts carbon emissions and creates unbeatable comfort levels in indoor spaces.
To find out more, or if you have any questions, please call us on 01202 554 200 or visit us at www.airius.co.uk.
