Honeywell releases smoke and IAQ detector

Honeywell has released a new smoke detector that incorporates indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, in what the company says is a first-of-its-kind solution designed to create safer and healthier buildings.

The VESDA Air combines a five-in-one IAQ sensor within a single box. According to the company, the technology actively samples air – rather than passively waiting for smoke to reach traditional spot sensors – to identify trace amounts of smoke and enable early intervention before it disrupts operations. 

Honeywell says its engineers integrated a sensor that measures critical IAQ parameters, including volatile organic compounds (total VOCs) listed by ASHRAE as “contaminants of concern”, fine particulate matter of 1.0 micron (PM_1.0) and PM_2.5 or larger, CO and CO₂ concentration, temperature and humidity.

“The VESDA Air is ideal for premium commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, hospitality, manufacturing and schools, and the new sensor provides instrument-grade IAQ sensing for data uniformity and accuracy,” says the company.

“The emphasis on indoor air quality isn’t going away – and that’s a good thing as more organisations work to create safer, healthier environments that help boost occupant wellbeing and productivity,” says Udaya Shrivastava, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Honeywell Building Technologies.

“We challenged our engineering teams to find a way to complement the capabilities of our aspirating smoke detection systems with highly sensitive IAQ monitoring. The system identifies not only the minute presence of smoke, but also the presence of air quality contaminants of concern, allowing building operators to react and respond to out-of-bounds parameters quickly, before they escalate into unsafe situations.”

The plug-and-play cartridge-based IAQ sensor works much the same as replacing a printer’s ink-jet cartridge, which Honeywell says helps to reduce total cost, minimise waste and provide accurate IAQ data.

The scalable solution can be used in both new construction and existing buildings. The company says that in new construction, installation of an integrated VESDA Air solution can reduce the total cost of installation and total cost of maintenance, compared to installing and maintaining standalone smoke detection and IAQ monitoring systems.

In buildings with a fully functional smoke detection system, a “smokeless” IAQ-only system can be installed to provide actionable data to adjust ventilation parameters.

Image shows Udaya Shrivastava, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Honeywell Building Technologies.