Electrical Contracting News (ECN) May 2017 | Page 34
SPECIAL
FEATURE
HVAC
VENT-ELATION
Ventilation solutions are absolutely essential in order to improve air quality within domestic and
commercial properties. However, for any chosen system to perform as intended it must be installed
correctly, adhere to the required building standards and follow best practice procedures.
Here, John Kelly, marketing manager at Airfl ow Developments, looks at the key points to consider.
The Air Academy
offers seminar and
training facilities
to accommodate
installer courses.
34 | May 2017
I
n recent months, indoor air quality
has been something of a hot
topic, with research continuing
to indicate the importance of
combating indoor air pollutants.
This is because through the
increased use of insulation and
double-glazing our buildings are
fast becoming hermetically sealed. Whilst
this means heat cannot escape – neither
can indoor air pollutants and crucially -
clean air cannot get in. The result of the
increased airtightness is that damp, mould
and condensation can develop, which will
inevitably cause damage to the building
fabric and occupant health over time.
In 2016, a report published by the
Royal College of Physicians highlighted
how children’s attention spans, problem
solving and decision making skills were
all negatively affected when schools failed
to extract stale, humid air. Similarly, in
offi ces that lacked a supply of healthy,
clean air into the premises, productivity
was hindered. Taking into account that on
average 90 per cent of our time is spent
indoors, we begin to understand just how
critical it is that commercial buildings
benefi t from effective ventilation systems
that protect against the harmful effects of
indoor air contamination.
According to Approved Document F,
rooms in offi ce buildings where printers and
photocopiers are in substantial use (greater
than 30 minutes per hour), the required
extract rate is 20l/s per machine during use.
As well as complying with this legislation,
studies have suggested that effective
ventilation can provide other benefi ts for
both businesses and employees.
According to a report by the World
Green Building Council, a study of almost
4,000 workers, showed short term sick
leave was found to be 35 per cent lower in
offi ces ventilated by an outdoor air supply
rate of 24l/s per person compared with
buildings with rates of 12l/s per person. In
addition, a laboratory study in 2011 found
that increasing ventilation from 5l/s to 20l/s
per person improved worker performance
by up to eight per cent.
Variety of ventilation
Effective ventilation
can provide many
benefi ts for both
businesses and
employees.
The good news is that there are a variety
of ventilation solutions available to protect
commercial buildings and their occupants.
However, while the market offers a
plethora of high performance solutions,
selecting the appropriate product and