Smith + Andersen installs Canada’s first commercial CO2-reducing air scrubber

Screen capture from Smith + Andersen video.

On June 3, Canada Clean Air Day, consulting engineering firm Smith + Andersen celebrated the installation of what is reportedly the first carbon dioxide (CO₂) reducing air scrubber in a Canadian commercial building.

The installation is located on the 10^th floor of Smith + Andersen and its sustainability-focused subsidiary Footprint’s new offices at 100 Sheppard Avenue East in Toronto, which they moved into last year. It marks Canada’s first deployment of enVerid Systems’ HVAC load reduction (HLR) ‘smart scrubber’ technology, developed in partnership with O’Dell Associates.

Air scrubbers use absorbent materials to remove particles, hazardous gases like CO₂ and harmful chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and formaldehyde. The enVerid HLR smart scrubber uses ‘molecular cleaning’ to reduce the need for outside air by 60 to 80%, potentially saving 20 to 30% in energy costs and reducing maintenance needs.

Smith + Andersen and Footprint began exploring the idea in 2018 when planning to move their teams into the building. Their new landlord, Manulife, also expressed an interest in the technology. The scrubber is connected to a Siemens Desigo building automation system (BAS), enabling them to monitor indoor air quality (IAQ), energy savings and HVAC load reductions.

“Moving into a new office seemed to be the right impetus to test a technology on ourselves, first-hand and as a proof of concept, that we have been investigating for and proposing to our clients,” says Kevin Farbridge, managing principal for Smith + Andersen. “We were fortunate to have a landlord who agreed to help support the initiative financially.”