BSEE


VENTILATION


Creating a clean, comfortable and healthy environment


The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Healthy Homes and Buildings recently published a whitepaper with recommendations on how to improve the indoor environment. With most people spending 90 per cent of their time indoors, the paper sets out the numerous health and wellbeing issues in UK buildings. Steve Charles, technical consultant at Jaga UK, explains how building managers can take steps to improve air quality with efficient new ventilation systems


the many problems caused to our nation’s health and economy as a result of people living and working in unhealthy homes and buildings. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been linked to allergies and asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and more recently, even investigated for its links to dementia. It is reported to have an annual cost to the UK of over 204,000 healthy life years, with 45 per cent of those lost to cardiovascular diseases and 23 per cent to asthma and allergy.


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The whitepaper argues that housing and schools should be the initial priority areas for further research and to develop a clear case for further government action to improve standards for new build. For example, one of the recommendations is for a buildings health database which regularly collects information and helps to strengthen the evidence for improved standards of health and wellbeing by linking IAQ in schools to educational performance. It’s interesting that schools are highlighted in the APPG report because research has regularly shown that poor IAQ and the build-up of CO2 in the classroom can impact concentration, productivity and attention span. In fact, the University of Reading has established a link between the classroom environment and pupils’ cognitive performance, with air quality conditions in 35 per cent of classroom hours found to be inadequate.


With the issue of IAQ rising up the political agenda, what steps can building managers in the public and commercial sectors take to ensure their building environment is a comfortable and productive one?


uJaga’s Oxygen system is an intelligent and fully programmable solution ideally suited for education and commercial environments


Natural vs mechanical


Opening a window may marginally improve air quality, but it can be difficult to measure and maintain CO2


ith indoor air


pollution a growing public health concern, the


report by the APPG sheds new light on


levels as well as potentially creating drafts and noise distractions. This also isn’t always practical in environments where safety is of paramount concern, such as schools and care homes. In contrast, a mechanical ventilation system has a proven effect on air quality, and when coupled with a demand control ventilation (DCV) strategy, there is even a potential energy saving, by ventilating at a controlled rate when and where it is needed.


These systems are fitted with intelligent sensors that detect CO2


and only start


to ventilate when levels get higher than a specified point. For example, if a busy meeting room has been in operation for a long period of time, the system kicks in and ensures that the IAQ remains at the optimum level.


. Because fresh air is only vented when and at the rate required (hence ‘Demand Controlled’), DCV can be as much as 23 per cent more efficient than fixed rate ventilation practices. In addition to controlling CO2


Once the sensors are triggered, the system automatically introduce a flow of fresh, and more often than not, filtered air into the room, as well as extracting the air contaminated by CO2


levels,


a well-designed ventilation system can also help control warm, summertime temperatures by utilising secure night-time purge ventilation, drawing cool air in overnight. This lowers the temperature within the space when external temperatures are lower.


Reaping the rewards


By taking steps to deliver better IAQ, building managers can not only improve the health of employees, residents or students but also the productivity of the building occupants. This is important because the issue of productivity is currently a hot topic in the UK after the Bank of England recently warned that total productivity (i.e. output per worker) since 2007 was the worst since the late eighteenth century, around the time of the industrial revolution.


Numerous studies show that indoor air quality is an important contributing factor to a productive working


environment. However, research now proves that rising air pollution, combined with poor ventilation and high carbon dioxide levels in commercial buildings, can have a negative impact on employee productivity.


Clean, comfortable and safe


As buildings become increasingly energy efficient, they are also becoming more airtight. This means that less air is exchanged through the building envelope and air pollutants can be trapped inside.


In this context, ventilation is essential for boosting indoor air quality, but its importance can often be overlooked because owners and managers of commercial buildings are under pressure to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Ultimately, the environment in which we live and work has a huge impact on our physical and mental health. But, healthy buildings create happy people. Investing in an effective DCV solution means that you can maintain a clean, comfortable and safe environment for all.


www.jaga.co.uk 12 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2019 Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


uJaga’s Oxygen system works with any of its Low Surface Temperature (LST) and wall­ mounted products


uThe Jaga Oxygen system is comprised of CO₂ sensors which are able to constantly monitor the IAQ of an environment, and can bring in fresh, filtered air from the outside, when required


‘


A mechanical


ventilation system has a proven effect on air quality


’


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