ENERGY
Nick Heaton,
managing director of
EnviroVent discusses
how changes in
society and a focus
on energy efficiency
has altered the way
building and
refurbishment
professionals
should view their
requirements for
future ventilation
needs.
SUSTAINABLE
VENTILATION VITAL
FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS
he first building control The energy conservation of existing LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY
T
legislation in England dates back buildings is also currently being reviewed Over the past few decades hundreds
to the Great Fire of London in so that there is more of an appropriate of thousands of commercial wall fans
1666. The rapid spread of fire balance between heritage, character and have been installed in our pubs, schools
through the city’s closely built sustainability. and other non-domestic buildings.
timber buildings destroyed 80% of the Legislation such as the smoking ban and
capital. The Government had to act to 50% OF THE WORLD’S ILLNESSES tighter regulation on energy efficiency has
prevent similar tragedies from occurring, ARE CAUSED BY INDOOR AIR slowly made these products redundant.
so in 1667 they introduced the London The right ventilation is a vital Consequently as we push to make our
Building Act which provided surveyors with component of ensuring good health and buildings more efficient we are now left
forcible regulations. Hazardous living creating a more energy efficient building. with the prospect of huge building costs as
conditions created by the Industrial The current “Build tight, ventilate right” we have no alternative but to take out
Revolution forced Disraeli’s Government to mantra puts added pressure on these redundant fans and throw them onto
take measures which resulted in the developers to create and retrofit buildings our fast disappearing landfill sites.
prohibiting the construction of shoddy that save energy, whilst providing a This is a waste because plastic is very
housing. In 1875 the Public Health Act healthy environment for its occupants. sustainable, once made it becomes non
was born, giving the construction industry Older buildings which may have sufficient biodegradable and will last for hundreds
a greater responsibility for Heath and natural ventilation are now considered of years. By selecting a ventilation
Safety, it was replaced (along with a few ‘leaky’ and are losing too much energy. product that has been designed to match
other local building-by-laws) by the Meanwhile, as many newer buildings are the lifecycle of our commercial buildings,
Building Regulations of 1965. built tight they can often suffer from Facilities Managers across the UK can
Fast forward to 2009 and carbon higher levels of humidity, CO
2
and other make a real improvement on the energy
emission levels of buildings are top of the indoor air pollutants. The answer to both performance and the indoor air quality
agenda for our current government with a of these problems is a properly installed, within their buildings, giving them the
new set of challenges to take action on. low maintenance, low energy ventilation opportunity to design out disrepair, save
Through revisions to Part L (Conservation system. on building repair costs and prevent
of fuel and power) of the Building In the case of many buildings the tonnes of plastics from ending up on our
Regulations, the aim is for all new non- ventilation systems are decades old with landfill sites. You can ensure that your
domestic buildings to be net zero carbon the major concerns being the running carbon footprint is kept to a minimal by
by 2019. The new legislation will require costs and noise. With the right product, choosing a product that is manufactured
a 25% reduction in carbon emissions in utility and maintenance bills are reduced in the UK, which in turn gives the
2010 and another reduction in 2013. and the ventilation unit is virtually silent. economy a welcome boost.
16|
SUSTAINABLE FM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
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