AIR CONDITIONING, COOLING & VENTILATION
The Government has said that more data is required on IAQ to help make an informed decision about a nationwide ventilation strategy. Installing IAQ monitors presents an excellent opportunity. If provided by manufacturers and approved by users, the data accumulated by Wi- Fi-enabled monitors could provide the Government with valuable insights into air quality and ventilation trends and fluctuations across the country.
What action has been taken so far?
Action on IAQ and ventilation by the Government has been minimal. They announced in August 2021 that around 300,000 CO2 monitors would be installed in schools to help monitor levels of ventilation more effectively and alleviate fears of COVID transmission. Yet this treated the issue in isolation rather than at a broader and long-term level. Scotland has started this process by making CO2 monitors compulsory in new builds, which is welcome. However, this needs to be replicated more widely and go further. Most recently the Government has published its revised Part F (Ventilation) of the Building Regulations in England. Although it stipulated that certain types of occupiable rooms in non-domestic buildings should have a means of monitoring IAQ, this was not extended to dwellings. The Government did however recognise that ‘a consistent indoor CO2 value of less than 800ppm is likely to indicate that a space is well ventilated’, and this will be an important reference point for defining
a quantifiable measure of good IAQ and ventilation moving forward. The Government’s recent Heat and Buildings Strategy stressed the importance of effective ventilation and good IAQ for our health and wellbeing, and that improvements to energy efficiency must be matched by ventilation improvements. The emphasis on adopting a “whole-house”, “fabric-first” and “no regrets” approach, highlighted that ventilation improvements are intrinsic to the strategy. However, we have not seen a concrete plan put in place to deliver this yet.
What is required?
We are calling for the mandatory installation of air quality monitors in new builds across the UK and the implementation of a scheme to retrofit homes with air quality monitors. This will ensure IAQ and in-use ventilation performance is measured and occupants are alerted when levels rise above acceptable levels. One of the incorrect notions surrounding monitors is that they present IAQ levels as a private concern. For example, high CO2 readings appear to be the responsibility of homeowners rather than housebuilders, installers or manufacturers. A nationwide policy would help address this imbalance by providing a framework that drive standards amongst all responsible parties. Delivering guidance on how to reduce risk alongside an air quality monitor is important. Research has shown that the public can be sceptical of smart technology and unaware of its cost-effectiveness, or application. Therefore IAQ monitors and accompanying
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guidance must be interlinked and delivered as a package. To help drive improved IAQ, ventilation and ultimately better health, the Government should ensure the wider installation of air quality monitors inside UK homes. These monitors, such as those measuring CO2, present a performance
tool which empowers home occupiers to consider their air quality and take appropriate action.
Additionally, IAQ monitors can generate comprehensive data that will highlight trends and performance gaps across the UK, and help to better inform our future ventilation strategy.
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