US Commercial Indoor Air Quality Equipment

Commercial Indoor Air Quality Equipment

Demand for commercial indoor air quality equipment – including indoor air cleaning systems, mechanical ventilation systems, and replacement filters – is expected to grow 3.0% per year through 2025 to $1.2 billion. Despite the temporary closure of businesses and a shift to telecommuting for a number of workers because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the commercial market experienced robust gains in 2020 and 2021 – particularly for air cleaning systems – as building owners prioritized improving indoor air quality to mitigate the spread of the virus. Looking forward, continued growth will be dependent on:

• maintaining and growing awareness of indoor air quality issues
• educating end users on ways to improve air quality in both existing and new buildings

This report covers the market for indoor air quality equipment in the US by technology, product, and market. This report also covers replacement air filters used in indoor air purifiers/cleaners. Data is presented in units and US dollars.

Technologies in the study include:

Conventional filtration
Electrostatic
Ionic
Other Niche Technologies
Mechanical Ventilation

Products in the study include:

Central
Local
Replacement Filters

Markets in the study include:

Office Buildings
Retail
Foodservice
Other

Scope of the Report

This report covers the scope, size, and growth of the US indoor air quality market including key trends in products, technologies, and markets. Historical data are provided for 2010, 2015, and 2020 with forecasts for 2025 and 2030, with year by year historical market volatility also addressed. Data are provided in dollar value at the manufacturers’ level and units. Also included in this study are an analysis of industry key players and market shares and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Pandemic Spurred Rapid Growth in Air Cleaning System Demand

The COVID-19 pandemic caused massive growth for indoor air cleaning systems, nearly doubling demand in value terms from a small base in 2020. Historically, building owners in the commercial market relied on heating and air conditioning systems or mechanical ventilation to improve air quality. The pandemic increased the need to install supplemental air treatment systems to enhance the overall indoor air quality and improve safety for building tenants and customers. While demand is expected to slow beginning in 2022, a larger base of installed systems will benefit recurring replacement filter sales going forward.

Growing Awareness of the Dangers of Poor Indoor Air Quality Crucial to Future Growth

Knowledge of the potential dangers of poor indoor air quality has expanded in the past few years, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, commercial building owners are increasingly investing in building enhancements to improve air quality with ventilation or air cleaning systems. General concerns for the health of tenants and customers, compounded by awareness of dangers like wildfires and future proliferation of COVID-19 variants, will help spur further adoption in the forecast. Although the emphasis on indoor air quality related specifically to COVID-19 may wane somewhat as the population continues to adapt to the pandemic and concerns lessen to some extent, future building projects are more likely to have increased measures to improve air quality to provide safe areas for building tenants and guests.

Mechanical Ventilation to Remain Dominant Technology

Despite some of the optimism found in the market for air cleaning systems, the investment by building owners in these type of systems will remain relatively low compared to residential homeowners. As such, mechanical ventilation products will continue to account for the majority of demand. Mechanical ventilation demand will benefit from growing awareness of issues that lead to poor indoor air quality such as limited air exchanges and tight building envelopes. Additionally, a strong outlook for commercial building construction will bolster growth prospects.