Humidity control at universities and higher education

Get advice on university estate humidity control

Benefits

Humidity control is beneficial in many ways across a university estate

Optimal conditions for research

Humidity control plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of materials and processes.

Healthy conditions for students and staff

Proper levels of humidity protect respiratory health and prevent airborne cross-infection.

Ideal atmosphere for preservation

Archives, libraries and museums all contain valuable materials that are sensitve to moisture.

Universities and higher education

Benefits Top of page Use cases References FAQs

Humidification for universities and higher education

University courses cover a hugely diverse range of industry sectors. So, when the subject being taught deals with materials that are affected by humidity, specialist environmental control is needed.

Medical schools will have MRI scanners that need around 50%RH for accurate imaging. Research labs will need to maintain humidity levels for the processes being undertaken. Veterinary departments will need to maintain humidity in line with the requirements of the animals in question. Photographic facilities need to protect sensitive films and prevent unwanted evaporation of chemicals. Music centres will need to provide environments that protect the integrity of wooden instruments.

Proper humidification in university buildings supports flexible academic use and meets the diverse needs of various faculties. Condair provides advice and engineering support to universities of all sizes to help them maintain the ideal humidity levels no matter what process is being undertaken.

Dehumidification and dehumidifiers for university estates

Excess humidity can cause mould and mildew, which can damage a building’s fabric, make conditions unhealthy for occupants or harm materials and furniture. A university estate often has historic buildings where it can be difficult to control the internal humidity. Archives and storage areas often need proactive dehumidification to preserve historic or valuable assets.

Many fields of study involve materials or processes that need consistently low humidity. These include food or life sciences, electronics, and art conservation and museum studies.

Dehumidification can be applied locally with the use of in-room dehumidifiers or centrally in an air handling unit that treats the air across a building. Condair offers a range of dehumidifiers across condensing or desiccant technologies to help the university facility manager maintain the ideal humidity for any application.

Humidity for human health

The ideal indoor humidity for human health is 40-60%RH. At this level the human respiratory system combats airborne infection more easily and fewer infectious viruses remain airborne. This not only ensures a healthy environment for students but will reduce staff absenteeism and improve operational efficiency.

Lecture halls and office environments bring people together in close proximity so maintaining an environment that mitigates airborne respiratory infection is vital.

A mid-range humidity also helps prevent issues with dry eyes, itchy skin and dehydration, which can all impact an individual’s concentration levels and ability to learn.

Use cases

Discover Condair in action

Projects and references

Hochschule HFF

Condair hybrid humidifiers deliver precise, hygienic humidity control at Munich‚the HFF University of Television and Film, ensuring comfort and ideal indoor conditions.

University of Television and Film (HFF), Munich - Germany

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich is probably the best-known university in Switzerland and secures one of the top positions in the global ranking of universities on a regular basis. Founded in 1855 as the Swiss Federal Polytechnic, ETH is primarily dedicated to the technical, mathematical and scientific fields. Condair steam humidifiers ensure healthy and comfortable air humidity in the labs and classrooms.

ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Cern, Meyrin (Geneva), Switzerland

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is a leading institution in modern physics and nuclear research. It attracts international scientists and engineers to explore the fundamental properties of the universe, notably through its Large Hadron Collider, where atoms are accelerated to nearly the speed of light and collide.

Visitors to CERN can gain engaging insights into particle physics at the Globe of Science and Innovation. This interactive exhibit offers a deeper understanding of CERN's fascinating research projects, while our Condair RS steam humidifiers ensure optimal air moisture levels for a comfortable experience.

Cern Nuclear Research

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established 1636. Its history, influence and wealth have made it one of the most prestigious universities in the world.Condair RS steam humidifiers are helping maintain the ideal indoor humidity at Harvard University.

Cambridge University, UK

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582, is the sixth oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's ancient universities. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city of Edinburgh, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university.Condair is proud to be supporting the University of Edinburgh across various facilities with electric steam and evaporative humidifiers.

Australia Antarctic Division

The Australian Antarctic Division's headquarters near Hobart houses Australia's national Antarctic program research efforts. The Program is highly collaborative, with partnerships across government and more than 150 national and international research institutions. These agencies employ more than 800 scientists and technical staff, making Hobart the world's largest centre of cold climate expertise and research. These institutions also support the development of approximately 150 postgraduate students, who will become the next generation of Antarctic scientific researchers.

National Art School

The National Art School, is a tertiary level art school based in Sydney, Australia. The School is an accredited Higher Education Provider offering specialised study in studio arts practice with study offered at a range of levels in various studio disciplines. The Condair CP3 steam humidifier is helping to maintain the ideal internal humidity in the school.

The University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide is a public university in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia.

The University of Queensland

The University of Queensland, commonly referred to as UQ, is an Australian public research university primarily located in Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. Condair humidification systems are helping maintain the humidity in one of Australia's oldest, most selective and comprehensive university.

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa. Founded in 1847, Iowa is the oldest university in the state. The University of Iowa is considered a Public Ivy, and is organized into eleven colleges offering more than 100 areas of study and seven professional degrees.

Red River College | Motive Lab

Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech) is a college located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the province's largest institute of applied learning and applied research, with over 200 degree, diploma, and certificate programs, and more than 21,000 students annually. MotiveLab&trade is a research facility at Red River College Polytechnic focused on supporting Manitoba's heavy vehicle sector. A unique facility for Western Canada, MotiveLab&trade is capable of supporting on- and off-highway heavy vehicle testing and development requirements for the region.

RUG Groningen Levenswetenschappen

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. The institution's roots can be traced to the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary. Following several years of debate over relocating the college to Syracuse, the university was established in 1870, independent of the college.

Yale University

Yale University is an American private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 in Saybrook Colony as the Collegiate School, the University is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States.

University of Ottawa STEM Building

The University of Ottawa is a top-tier research institution located in the center of the Canadian capital overlooking the Rideau Canal. The newly built STEM Complex features unique lab facilities for world-class physics research.Mechanical and heavy-duty labs for research in building physics take center stage. The building's sustainability is also impressive. An innovative glass rain screen was constructed as the building envelope, which also minimizes the building's energy loss. Waste heat from a nearby heating plant is used for heating, allowing the building to achieve a net-zero energy footprint even during the long, harsh Canadian winters and qualify for LEED Gold.Condair hybrid humidifiers ensure healthy and comfortable room air humidity.

Sirius Education Center, Sotschi

The Sirius Education Center is an educational foundation of Russian scientists and artists for the promotion of highly talented students as well as the professional training of educators.Training staff is populated by prominent sports, physics and math teachers as well as outstanding personalities of Russian art in the field of academic music or classical ballet.The aim is to synthesize science, sport and art and to stimulate the creative development of the individual. The building is located directly on the Sochi seafront and botanical park andcan accommodate 800 students and 100 teachers. Condair steam humidifiers ensure comfortable and healthy room air humidity.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is a private research university located in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. KAUST was founded in 2009 and focuses on graduate education and research.

Universidad de Navarra

Dicle University

Mayfield School

Mayfield School is an independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18. It is in the village of Mayfield in East Sussex.Condair PH15 mobile humidifiers are maintaining an ideal humidity in the music department to help keep the pianos and other musical instruments in perfect condition.

Photographic Facilities, University of Wolverhampton

Students at the Univeristy of Wolverhampton have access to some of the best photography facilities available anywhere in the UK. Both analogue and digital photographic practices are equally represented with traditional darkrooms (for black white and full colour processing), a dedicated digital editing suite and a large photo studio with vehicle access.Condair RS resistive steam humidifiers are helping maintain the ideal humidity for the darkrooms at the site, to protect sensitive materials and prevent unwanted evaporation of chemicals.

The Heinz Wolff Building, Brunel University

The Heinz Wolff Building, named after Emeritus Professor Heinz Wolff, is located at Brunel University London. It serves as the home for The Brunel Institute for Bioengineering, a multidisciplinary research organization focused on creating innovative solutions for health, medicine, and surgery. The building houses offices and facilities for the College of Health and Life Sciences, and central teaching facilities available to all Brunel students, including two classrooms, twelve specialist labs, four classrooms/labs, as well as facilities for PhD researchers.Condair RS steam humidifiers are maintaing the ideal humidity inside the laboratories with associated RO water treatment plant optimising performance and reducing service requirements.

The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics

The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) is a multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Bradford working together to research, develop and commercialise new cancer treatments.Early diagnosis and personalised healthcare are the future to winning the battle against human disease including cancer. The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics fuse genetics, cell biology, medicinal chemistry and pharmacology to take medicines and diagnostics from concept to clinic.Conadir RS resistive steam humidifiers are helping to maintain the required humidity across the research laboratories at the ICT.

The University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and is the world's third-oldest university in continous operation. The university includes 31 semi-autonomous constituent colleges and over 150 academic departments, faculties, and other institutions organised into six schools.All of the colleges are self-governing institutions, managing their own personnel and policies. The largest department is Cambridge University Press Assessment, which has £1 billion of annual revenue and reaches 100 million learners.Condair humidification systems are used in many buildings at The University of Cambridge across research, healthcare and heritage areas, as well as for animal and human health purposes.

University of Brighton

The University of Brighton is a university of 20,685 students and 2,700 staff based on five campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings on the south coast of England.

University of Glasgow

The University of Glasgow is the fourth oldest university in the English-speaking world and was founded in 1451. Glasgow is the largest university in Scotland by total enrolment and with over 19,500 postgraduates and the second-largest in the United Kingdom by postgraduate enrolment.Condair humidification systems are used in many buildings at The University of Glasgow, across research, healthcare, archive and art gallery areas, as well as for animal and human health purposes.

University of Manchester - Engineering Campus

The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) is the size of 11 football pitches and offers a truly innovative teaching and learning experience.As well as creative classrooms, it provides access to world-leading sustainable research facilities.Condair RS resistive steam humidifiers are maintaining the ideal humidity inside the laboratory teaching areas.

Frequently asked questions

How can humidifier energy use across a university estate be minimised?

Energy use can be minimised through the use of lower energy systems, such as cold water humidifiers, particularly if waste heat can be used for pre-heating. Alternatively, hours of operation can be reviewed to ensure humidity is only applied when needed. Seasonal variation of set-points can also help, so humidity levels are allowed to drop lower during the winter than the summer. Lastly humidity recovery units can reduce the overall load or the use of more accurate humidifiers can reduce operating times.

What decarbonisation strategies are available for humidity control?

Which dehumidifier has the lowest energy consumption?

As a general rule-of-thumb, condensing dehumidifiers will consume around 0.5-1.5kW of electricity to remove 1kg of moisture. A desiccant dehumidifier will need 1-3kW of electricity per kg of moisture. However, if effective heat recovery systems are used on the desiccant unit, it can deliver dehumidification at around the same level of energy than a condensing dehumidifier.

Get free expert advice

If you want to explore your options for humidity control, Condair's expert sales engineers will visit your site, review your project and talk you through their recommendations.

Alternatively, if you would prefer a call or online meeting, our team are always happy to discuss possible solutions and offer free technical advice.

Humidity control systems often used in universities

Condair ME

The Condair ME provides low energy humidification and evaporative cooling to an air handling unit or duct. A single unit can provide up to 1,080kg/hr of humidification and 740kW of evaporative cooling to an air stream while operating on less than 1kW of electricity. This system is designed with advanced hygiene technologies, including aerosol-free humidity control and optional UV water treatment.

Condair RS

Innovative scale management removes the separated minerals from the steam cylinder during operation and automatically conveys them into the designated scale collecting tank. Scale deposits are thus continuously removed from the steam cylinder.

Condair DC

Condair industrial dehumidifiers are used in a wide range of applications across the industrial, commercial, and warehousing sectors. They operate on a refrigerant circuit system and are typically applied in areas that require relative humidity as low as 45 % RH.

Condair DA

Condair DA desiccant dryers are designed for applications requiring extremely low humidity, such as in sensitive industrial manufacturing processes, and for environments with very low temperatures or where precise moisture control is essential.