HEATING, VENTILATION & SERVICES 63 Healthy energy efficiency
In order to reach the 2050 net zero targets, building designers are faced with some tough choices. Louise McHugh of Vent-Axia explains how heat recovery ventilation can provide the efficiencies plus the right air quality, while avoiding overengineering
D
espite the Government slowing down on its route to net zero, the UK still has the legal target
to meet net zero by 2050. Rather than putting sustainability on the back burner to meet these targets it is important to make changes now to ensure we meet this goal. Buildings account for 40% of energy use in Europe, and approximately 35% of emissions. To meet the Government’s 2050 net zero target, buildings need to decarbonise, which will involve the wide-scale electrification of heating, a move away from fossil fuels, as well as significant improvements to air tightness and building insulation. Heat recovery ventilation is set for significant growth, as it plays its part in helping to deliver the final piece of carbon emissions reduction in buildings. To meet the necessary carbon reductions, buildings are becoming more thermally efficient with greater insulation, and their air tightness is increased to avoid heat loss. However, without considering ventilation alongside these measures a building can end up with condensation, mould and poor indoor air quality (IAQ). Energy efficient heat recovery ventilation therefore supplies a solution that provides healthy filtered air while recovering heat that would be otherwise lost.
Energy efficiency
Designers of low carbon and carbon neutral buildings will therefore be pleased to know that the latest commercial heat recovery units, such as Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Apex, have been designed to be highly energy efficient with industry-leading low specific fan powers (SFP) and low embodied carbon; they also ensure occupant comfort is a priority by operating quietly and effectively improving IAQ. Recovering as much as 93% heat recovery efficiency, this type of unit saves huge amounts of energy that would be otherwise wasted; good news for carbon reductions.
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To ensure a building operates as designed, it is also vital to ensure it is commissioned correctly. To make commissioning simple, the latest heat recovery units therefore feature advanced control systems that provide on-board, in-room and app-based control, where full functionality commissioning and monitoring is provided as standard, ensuring a unit meets its energy efficiency targets as designed.
Energy wastage
When selecting commercial heat recovery, it is vital to choose a unit where every element has been considered to avoid energy wastage. Heat recovery featuring demand control optimises IAQ while minimising ventilation energy consumption, only ventilating when required. Demand ventilation also helps with compliance with Approved Document F which states occupied rooms in commercial buildings
must have means of monitoring IAQ. CO2 demand-controlled ventilation can ensure good IAQ, as per Part F. However, specifiers should be aware when selecting a heat recovery unit that there are some elements that can hamper efficiency. Filters are an important element of a unit – to maximise good IAQ, high level filtration is vital. But filters need to be chosen wisely, since a poor choice might affect the heat recovery unit’s efficiency resulting in a higher SFP.
Another feature to consider when specifying commercial heat recovery is summer bypass. As buildings become increasingly airtight the threat of buildings overheating is growing. As well as IAQ and energy efficiency, thermal comfort is vital for building users. However, a summer bypass is another element that can negatively affect performance. Specifiers should consider an integral automatic summer bypass designed to provide free cooling when available, but ensure that it is sized to eliminate performance loss.
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Sizing in general is an important factor when it comes to heat recovery – overspecification of a unit wastes energy...but there are free cloud-based tools available for specifiers
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