Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) units utilize a significant amount of energy in our buildings, hence improving energy efficiency and reducing the cost of ownership is particularly important. The importance of energy savings is reflected globally. For example, the European Union has agreed on a set of measures to make Europe a carbon neutral continent by 2050 (1). As 40 % of the annual energy-consumption in Europe is generated in the building sector (2), it is no surprise that one set of initiatives of the European Green Deal is built around energy efficient buildings. In an HVAC system, savings can come from better fans, better heat exchange or energy efficient air filtration. In this paper, we will address solutions to improve the energy efficiency of the filtration media using novel nonwoven solutions.

Traditionally, single layer and dual layer media have been used to achieve efficiency and capacity of pocket filter media. However, for energy savings, pressure drop of the filter is the key parameter. Hence, 3D composites using waved media have been developed to reduce pressure drop and increase capacity. An example from our data analysis showed that waved 3D filter media can achieve up to 4 times higher Dust Holding Capacity (Lifetime) at 250 Pa filter element pressure drop compared to traditional pocket filter media. In summary...