Volgren has announced that haas formed a collaboration with Delos, a company it describes as a leader in science-backed solutions for healthier indoor spaces with the aim of enabling bus operators to quickly and cost efficiently install air purification units in their fleet.
The announcement follows a pilot study between Delos, ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia (CDC) and Monash that investigated the efficacy of air purification by portable air purifiers within a standard public route bus whilst located at CDC Victoria’s Oakleigh depot.
Managing director of Delos Australia, Anthony Scarff, said Volgren was critical in integrating the pilot system and, from day one, saw great value in the solution for its own customers.
“Volgren is critical to this partnership because they’re the ones installing it. They understand the buses’ electronics, the roof structure, where you can get a 12-volt line from the main power box… and they designed the bracket system to ease the installation of purifiers. They put a lot of thought into product development and simplified the installation process,” Scarff said.
“Air purification in buses will eventually become like airbags in cars – a non-negotiable. The research has proven that air purifiers work. Bus environments are unique in that you have a lot of people in confined spaces. When the doors are closed, the limited circulation and ventilation can lead to high-risk environments that facilitate disease transmission and exposure to pollutants.
Scarff said that retrofitting buses with portable air purification systems was a “simple and obvious solution”.
“Volgren has designed a retrofittable solution that is inexpensive, quick to install, simple to service and very easy to roll-out at scale.”
“The pandemic has highlighted the importance of indoor air quality, and the benefits that come from using highly efficient air purifiers to reduce the presence of airborne viruses, allergens and particulate matter within confined spaces. And the benefits extend beyond airborne pathogens. The solution we are implementing has health benefits for people with pre-existing respiratory diseases, like asthma, as the purifiers work to reduce a full range of airborne particulates – including those that originate from the outdoors but make their way inside, such as including those that originate from the outdoors but make their way inside,
such as traffic exhaust, dust, pollens and wildfire smoke,” said Scarff.
Volgren’s chief commercial officer, Yuri Tessari, said that Volgren has done a lot of technical work to make sure the system is commercially viable.
“Volgren formulated installation design and componentry to deliver seamless and efficient installation.Volgren can complete installations onsite at an operator’s premises or at any Volgren facility. We can outfit buses with multiple units a day, which means bus downtime is limited for fleet operators. We can also replace the unit filters, which is required at regular intervals.”
Tessari said Volgren was the first manufacturer to offer Delos air purification systems to the market.
“Delos approached Volgren, via a recommendation from CDC, to assist in the installation of the air purification units. Post this pilot study Volgren and Delos have formulated a collaborative partnership to promote air purification on bus.
“This really complements what we’ve been doing for many years: focusing on innovation and safety. Customer safety has always been our very highest priority and this additional service only underlines our commitment.”
