Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Georgia Schools Add Ionization Devices to HVAC Systems

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/02/21

The Bibb County School District in Macon, Ga., announced in a press release that it will be adding needlepoint bi-polar ionization devices to the HVAC systems in each of its schools.

Designed to clean the air of normal impurities like dirt, mold, and dust, these devices have also been proven to remove 99.9% of infections pathogens—including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. They had already been added to several schools in the district as part of normal renovations and upgrades, including Appling Middle School, John R. Lewis Elementary, and Hartley Elementary. The district expressed a goal to have all of its schools outfitted with the ionization devices by the end of February.

School district communications specialist Jeremy Timmerman calls them an extra layer of protection. “We have masks in place, we have social distancing in place, we have policies for quarantining both faculty, staff, and students for the case of someone contracting the virus or being in contact with the virus,” he said. “This is just another way that we can keep students safe when they come back to the classroom.”

According to a video released by the school district on Twitter, the device ties straight into a school’s HVAC unit and is mounted on the side. It positively charges the air passing through it to create a plasma field. The positive ions that it emits cause the virus to “try to clump together to survive,” robbing the virus of the hydrogen atoms that it needs to stay alive. “Obviously, the more ions you put in the air, the better the system is,” said Sam Kitchens, executive director of Capital Programs, in the video.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • DFW-Area District Opens New Replacement Middle School

    The Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District near Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new replacement middle school campus, according to a news release. The new facility for Wayside Middle School, originally established in 1964, was built on the site of the former district administration building and funded through Bond Proposition A in 2023.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.