The National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), the trade association for heating, ventilating and air conditioning air filter manufacturers and distributors around the world, has announced the recipients of the Clean Air Awards for 2006. The Clean Air Award is presented each year to building owners and managers that take steps to significantly improve the quality of their indoor air by increasing the level of air filter efficiency and improving the protocol involving indoor air quality components of their HVAC system in 10 categories. Recipients must accumulate a total of at least 52 combined points in the categories.

Candidates are nominated for the award by both NAFA members and members of the facility management community, and must submit detailed and specific steps taken towards cleaning the indoor environment. A NAFA Certified Air Filter Specialist then qualifies the submissions. Awards are judged by the NAFA Clean Air Award Committee and each recipient receives a custom designed trophy and recognition for their efforts.

This year, 21 organizations were recognized at the NAFA Annual Convention in September, including Toyoda Gosei Texas (TGTX). TGTX of San Antonio is a paint operations center and parts supplier for Toyota. The company was recognized for its three-stage make-up-air filtration system designed to remove particulates that might otherwise blemish or damage products manufactured by the company. TGTX installed prefilters of MERV 8 pleats, then MERV 11, MERV 13, and MERV 15 extended-surface pocket filters in series to remove particles prior to product coating.

For more information on the award and recipients, visit www.nafahq.org.