Sustainability
Decarbonising buildings through ventilation heat recovery
Louise McHugh, product manager at Vent-Axia, explains how heat recovery ventilation is set to be a key technology for helping achieve this by carbon avoidance and preventing heat loss
T
he built environment accounts for 40% of energy use in Europe and approximately 35% of emissions. To meet the UK Government’s
2050 Net Zero target, buildings must decarbonise. This will involve the wide-scale electrifi cation of heating, a move away from fossil fuels, as well as signifi cant improvements to air tightness and building insulation. To meet the necessary carbon reductions as we
head towards the 2050 Net Zero target, buildings are becoming more thermally effi cient as they are insulated, 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).
It is essential that a drive for energy effi ciency
and carbon reductions is not at the cost of adversely impacting a building’s IAQ and thermal comfort. Energy effi cient heat recovery ventilation therefore provides a solution that supplies healthy fi ltered air while recovering heat that would be otherwise lost.
Energy effi cient
The latest heat recovery ventilation has been designed to be incredibly energy effi cient with low specifi c fan power (SFP) combined with high levels of heat recovery, making it a technology set for signifi cant growth. For example, Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Apex off ers
the next generation of commercial heat recovery by off ering signifi cant performance improvements beyond design standards, helping create low-carbon buildings. Achieving the holy grail, the Apex delivers the highest level of IAQ and thermal comfort with the lowest energy and noise levels. Off ering up to
93% heat recovery effi ciency (EN308 test method), alongside ultra-low sound levels (independently tested and verifi ed by Sound Research Laboratories), and extremely low SFP, results in a signifi cant performance improvement compared to previous commercial heat recovery units. This level of effi ciency means that the heating
and cooling energy lost through ventilation can be reduced by up to 25% when compared to a 73% effi cient heat exchanger in both heating and cooling seasons.
Avoiding 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. For example, the Sentinel Apex is designed to operate on the principles of demand ventilation. The Apex’s matched range of Sentinel-X sensors allow it to monitor occupancy and air quality and respond by adjusting the ventilation accordingly to maintain the IAQ and thermal comfort within predefi ned limits. To help ensure the highest levels of IAQ, Apex
features ePM10 50% extract and ePM1 55% supply fi lters (M5/F7 equivalent) as standard. By carefully selecting the fi lter media and utilising the latest motors and impellers with better than IE5 effi ciency, Apex maintains extremely low SFP, avoiding energy wastage, whilst maintaining excellent IAQ.
24 January 2024
With overheating an issue in thermally effi cient buildings, the latest heat recovery ventilation features an automatic summer bypass, sized to eliminate performance loss and provision of free cooling when available. Sizing of units in general is an important factor when it comes to heat recovery. For example, the Apex is developed for a wide range of applications, so specifi ers can choose from fi ve sizes, delivering airfl ows up to 4000m3/hr to ensure they select a unit with meets airfl ow requirements. There are also cloud-based tools available, like Vent-Axia’s online fan selector, that allow specifi ers to choose the fans to exact duty points so they will operate in buildings as designed and there is no need for specifi ers to over specify, wasting energy.
Low embodied energy
As energy effi ciency reaches its pinnacle there is greater focus on the embodied energy in our buildings. A low embodied carbon footprint is essential so specifi ers should look for a company that uses the CIBSE TM65 data collection methodology to collect accurate, detailed embodied carbon information, like Vent-Axia. This methodology ensures data is comprehensive, accurate, reliable and up-to-date, making it easier for specifi ers to focus on designing low carbon sustainable buildings. A short supply chain also reduces the embodied
carbon footprint and Vent-Axia has worked hard to ensure the Apex is UK-manufactured with the supply chain involved as short as possible. The third step for reducing embodied energy in a
product is longevity and recyclability. For instance, the Apex is completely serviceable and maintainable with complete access to all internal components so new motors or heating cells can replace old ones, increasing the unit’s longevity. Its design allows it to be repurposed or disassembled and recycled at the end of its life, which all adds up to creating less waste, further enhancing its life-cycle credentials With the pressing need to decarbonise, heat
recovery ventilation is the ideal solution for buildings to meet these pressures head on. Energy effi ciency is just the start, with energy wastage kept to a minimum and a low embodied energy to further ensure it has all the credentials specifi ers need.
www.heatingandventilating.net
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