The new role of ventilation
The new role of ventilation
Strengthening of requirements on energy performance of buildings and the recent awareness of the air quality we breathe inside the premises now provide a new role to ventilation. The reinforcement of insulation and sealing of the housing no longer allows the natural air renewal by infiltration, and the search for savings on heating requires a better control of sources of heat losses, including those generated by the ventilation which represent an increasing part.
Origins of heat loss in an average house - Source: ADEME - Design: Aereco
Most of the components and equipments of constructions directly or indirectly involved in the energy consumption of housing such as windows, insulation, furnaces, etc. have benefited in recent decades for substantial progress to be optimized nowadays. Thus, today, the main source of energy savings is in ventilation. If this represents on average 20 to 25% heating costs for uninsulated or poorly insulated housing, this level can reach 50% of heat losses on a very airtight insulated house. For this reason, it becomes essential to implement an effective ventilation system, advantageously combining energy performance and indoor air quality. Governments are increasingly aware of the role of ventilation, as most European regulations require and specify ventilation systems in housing and take account of their energy impacts through the existing thermal regulations.
Among the available ventilation systems, one system advantageously combines indoor air quality and energy savings: Demand Controlled Ventilation.
See on the same subject “Ventilate: what for?”.
