With a flood of information about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technologies to combat the spread of airborne viruses such as COVID-19, the consulting engineer might ask, “How do I select systems and equipment to best meet the owner’s requirements and specific project goals?” The following list of variables should be considered:

• Permanent vs temporary.
• Acceptable level of maintenance is acceptable.
• New construction or renovation project constraints.
• Equipment requirement to achieve published “effectiveness” or “kill rate.”

The consulting engineer should look at a few of the specific questions/criteria that make the difference between doing something and being effective when designing HVAC systems to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

In a recent article for Consulting-Specifying Engineer, Erick Phelps, PE, and Rick Wood, PE, explore many of the technologies available for HVAC systems to combat the spread of COVID-19 and detail why not all systems apply to all building types. (The article begins on page 12.)

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