PRODUCTS & SERVICES Products of the month Rinnai makes emissions pledge in new manifesto Company sets out steps to becoming carbon neutral through innovation W ater heater manufacturer Rinnai has published its Innovation Manifesto, which sets out a pathway to carbon neutrality while maintaining high standards of quality. The manifesto has four segments: Background to carbon neutrality; Initiatives and directives to realise low carbon; Decarbonised society: reducing CO2 emissions from business activities; and Investing in carbon neutrality. Its aim is to assess carbon emissions at each stage of the production and procurement process (95% are produced during the working life-cycle of a Rinnai product, and 5% during other manufacturing processes) and provide the necessary data to work towards carbon neutrality. The manifesto details plans to halve emissions from Rinnai products and manufacturing techniques by 2030, primarily through the development of hydrogen power technologies. By 2050, further developments in this field will allow products to become carbon neutral from early production through to disposal. Rinnai is actively contributing to international hydrogen development, carrying out combustion tests on 20-30% hydrogen gas blends in the UK, USA and Italy. Rinnai Japan is also developing technologies for 100% hydrogen usage in collaboration with other countries. The company plans to invest 332m over five years, with 200m going into product development in areas such as hydrogen combustion equipment, heat pumps and other next-generation technologies and 100m into manufacturing, to enable a switch to renewable energy sources and fossil-fuel free facilities. In addition, 32m will go towards promoting sales of low carbon alternatives, such as the ECO ONE hybrid water heating system, and the global promotion of energy efficient water heaters. Rinnai is also taking accountability for emissions within its offices and factories through efficient use of electricity and directed energy. By 2030, in-house emissions will be reduced by 50% and the plan is for all the companys sites to be carbon neutral by 2050. UK managing director Tony Gittings (pictured) says: Rinnai is taking action to ensure it is carbon neutral as soon as possible. We are a business based on engineering excellence and are employing technological creativity to achieve our goals. Visit www.rinnaiuk.com Carrier OptiClean is a breath of fresh air BRE tests show air scrubber rapidly reduces levels of virus-sized particles C arriers OptiClean air scrubber and negative air pressure machine has been proven to rapidly reduce concentrations of ultra-fine, virussized particles in the air. Research by the UK Building Research Establishment (BRE) demonstrated that OptiClean cuts levels of airborne particulates up to 1m diameter, including virus-containing aerosolised droplets, by two-thirds within 30 minutes and it does so as effectively in the corner of a room as in the centre. OptiClean effectively targets ultrafine, virus-sized airborne particles, and can be installed in buildings as part of a risk-reduction and mitigation strategy, says Matthew Maleki, product manager at Carrier UK. The BRE tests were conducted in a sealed room, into which ultrafine airborne particulates were introduced and their sizes controlled to mimic virus particles. Within 30 minutes of activation, OptiClean reduced the particle concentration in the room by a factor of 50 January 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Jan 22 pp50-52 Products.indd 50 three and maintained this for extended periods. OptiClean has two modes: a standalone air scrubber mode, to reduce exposure to airborne pathogens, as demonstrated in the BRE research; and a negativepressure machine mode, to limit the escape of contaminated air by filtering and expelling it. It has an M5 pre-filter, which prevents the main H13/14 Hepa filter from clogging, to enhance the units effectiveness and durability, with an efficiency rating of up to 99.995%. OptiClean is easy and quick to deploy, and can be moved rapidly to areas requiring treatment. The European version can be specified with internal UV-C lamps to target pathogens and activated charcoal filters to absorb volatile organic compounds. OptiClean was named among Time magazines 100 Best Inventions of 2020, and, in the UK was selected as Air Conditioning Innovation of the Year in the Cooling Industry Awards. Carrier UK has deployed the air cleaner at its offices in Leatherhead and Stockport to protect staff and support its own healthy buildings policy. Call 01323 723 944 or visit bit.ly/CJJan22OptiClean Tel: 020 7880 6245 Email: cibsedirectory@redactive.co.uk 23/12/2021 10:12