INDOOR AIR QUALITY
headaches and nausea. More seriously, it can also affect lung function and exacerbate asthma. Longer term exposure over a number of years, can lead to chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including lung cancer. In addition to the physical effects, there is also growing evidence of the impact poor indoor air quality can have on a person’s mental health, thought to be a factor in conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder. It may also have a detrimental effect on children’s learning ability, patient recovery and workforce productivity. With people spending an estimated 90% of their time indoors, it’s clear that indoor air quality is a serious issue and one to be considered and incorporated in the design of homes, offices, hospitals and schools, with effective ventilation at the core of achieving this.
Fundamentally speaking, ventilation aims to remove stale indoor air and replace it with ‘fresh’ outdoor air. Correctly specified, installed and maintained, ventilation systems – as part of a building’s wider HVAC and climate control system – can work to extract water vapour, airborne pollutants and odours from the internal environment and ensure a constant supply of clean air to occupants, controlling humidity levels and maintaining good indoor air quality as a result.
In order for the ventilation to succeed in its role of delivering a clean and healthy indoor environment, it is important to take a holistic approach when designing a building’s HVAC system, considering both the building fabric and M&E systems and the role of ventilation within. In many ways, achieving effective ventilation is all about striking the perfect balance between energy efficiency and air quality.
In modern buildings this can become an increasing challenge, with the pressure to reduce running costs and energy consumption, combined with the targets set by LEED and BREEAM green assessment schemes, often resulting in high levels of energy efficiency becoming the priority.
While this focus on making a building well-insulated
and airtight is positive in helping to reduce heat loss and lower energy bills, it can make it more difficult for there to be a fresh supply and flow of air around a building. In turn, this can lead to low oxygen levels and the increased potential for allergens and odours, as well as condensation to build-up.
However, through careful design and consideration it is possible to strike a balance between the two, achieving effective ventilation and good indoor air quality without detrimentally affecting the building’s energy efficiency rating. Not only this but there are also ventilation systems and solutions available with various energy saving features, such as the ability to use waste heat from cooling and refrigeration to heat different areas of the building and variable refrigeration temperature control.
Regularly inspecting and cleaning a building’s ventilation system is another way of maintaining energy efficiency, as well as helping to ensure the system works correctly and performs at its optimum level. Daikin has always recommended the regular cleaning, inspection and maintenance of HVAC systems, something that is perhaps just as important as the initial specification,
design and installation. Regularly
inspecting the system’s intake and exhausts for any signs of dirt build-up, pollution or contamination can all help to ensure the system will continue in its role of delivering a clean and healthy indoor environment. The ductwork and indoor units should also be inspected for dust, with particular attention around filters, heating and cooling coils and any change of direction in the ducting. To assist with maintaining and ensuring optimum performance of the ventilation and wider HVAC system, there are a variety of auto-cleaning ducts and cassettes available. For example, Daikin’s auto-cleaning duct can be fitted to both VRV and Split air conditioning units and works by collecting debris from the HVAC system in a dust box, which can then be easily emptied using a standard vacuum cleaner as part of the building’s regular cleaning schedule. For further guidance on designing ventilation, it is recommended that building service engineers and specifiers refer to the UK Building Regulations Approved Document Part F, which sets out the criteria for both homes and non- domestic buildings.
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