VENTILATION & HEAT RECOVERY
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Cutting embodied carbon in ventilation: key to achieving Net Zero
Alun Thomas, Nuaire engineering director discusses why reducing embodied carbon in ventilation systems is a critical step towards Net Zero
A
s the built environment accelerates its transition toward net zero, attention has rightly shifted from just operational
efficiency to whole-life carbon emissions. While energy efficiency remains crucial, reducing embodied carbon—the emissions associated with the production, transportation, installation, and disposal of building materials—has become an urgent priority. Among these materials, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems are estimated to account for around 23% of a building’s embodied carbon. As developers, specifiers, and manufacturers align with Science-Based Targets and upcoming regulations, the HVAC industry faces a clear mandate: reduce embodied carbon without compromising performance, reliability, or indoor air quality. For ventilation systems, this challenge is particularly nuanced. These products are essential for indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and regulatory compliance. Their complexity, the materials used, and the necessity for durability make decarbonisation more difficult—but not impossible.
The role of material innovation
Reducing embodied carbon in HVAC systems begins with material choices. Steel, a staple material in commercial ventilation units, is a major contributor to embodied carbon due to the energy-intensive processes involved in its production. Similarly, plastics used in residential systems and ducting often rely on virgin fossil-based polymers. Progress is being made. One promising
development is the transition to low carbon- emissions steel made using recycled content and renewable energy sources. Recycled and renewably produced steel, such as XCarb® from ArcelorMittal, dramatically lowers the carbon footprint of HVAC components. This steel has an embodied carbon footprint of just 0.898 tCO2e per tonne, compared to 2.51 tCO2e for conventional steel. Nuaire is the first UK ventilation manufacturer to switch to this innovative steel across several high- volume commercial products, including our BPS air handling units and XBOXER XBC packaged heat recovery systems. This shift will result in a 64% reduction on the steel proportion of our SCOPE 3 embodied carbon activity within the first year alone, compared with the same steel manufactured via the conventional steelmaking route. Plastics present another opportunity for carbon
14 November 2025
savings. The casing material in our Drimaster-Eco Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) units has switched from virgin ABS plastic to 100% recycled plastic, reducing carbon by 167 tonnes each year. We have also changed to recycled plastic for our ducting, and implemented careful material reduction and other material substitution, which removed 2,000 tons of carbon from our product portfolio in 2024 alone.
Measurement, transparency, and accountability
Reducing embodied carbon is not only about making better material choices - it also requires transparency and standardisation in measurement. Without consistent, verifiable data, designers and clients struggle to assess and compare options across product categories. To support this need, manufacturers need
provide CIBSE TM65-compliant embodied carbon assessments, which estimate the emissions
associated with HVAC products from raw material extraction to end-of-life. These datasheets help customers incorporate embodied carbon metrics into BIM and lifecycle assessments, offering clarity and comparability that have long been missing from HVAC procurement decisions.
From leadership to industry standard
As regulatory pressure grows—such as potential embodied carbon caps and whole-life carbon assessments becoming mandatory in future UK building regulations—early adopters will set the standard for the rest of the market. However, beyond compliance, there is a broader
imperative. The climate crisis demands more than incremental change. By tackling embodied carbon in ventilation systems, the HVAC sector has a real opportunity to lead by example—delivering healthier buildings that don’t cost the earth.
Conclusion
The road to net zero is not a straight one, and it certainly doesn’t end with energy efficiency alone. Reducing embodied carbon in ventilation systems is both a technical and ethical challenge—one that calls for innovation, transparency, and industry-wide commitment. As more manufacturers more toward low-
carbon products, and as demand from developers, architects, and occupants continues to grow, the ventilation systems of tomorrow will be defined not only by how efficiently they move air—but by how responsibly they are made.
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