Natural and mechanical ventilation concepts for climate responsive buildings

More Information

Guidelines, Support

DESCRIPTION:

The guidelines define pros and cons of natural ventilation (NV) techniques in buildings versus mechanical ones. The report lays out the principles, existing standards and guidelines, and perspectives focusing on both energy consumption and indoor well-being. Different techniques of NV are explored and grouped according to the driving forces they exploit. Examples of real buildings using the techniques are also included. Also included are the main purposes NV can be used for and some guidelines to be consulted for developing NV.

BUSINESS ROUTE

Target Users

Architects, Local authorities, Research community, Social, public and cooperative housing providers

VALUE

Recently, buildings are designed considering mainly their energy performance with a massive use of mechanical and building automation systems to control them, often losing the relationship to local climate and the possibility to exploit free and passive solutions. NV can be a good alternative that meets human comfort conditions and increase users’ health, as well as allowing to save energy and greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere (both locally and globally). NV relies on natural forces. For this reason, it is considered as one of the main techniques to lower buildings’ energy consumption. Moreover, NV was observed to significantly enlarge the acceptable range of indoor thermal comfort, with respect to mechanical ventilation (MV) systems and this allowed the possibility to accept an increase of indoor temperature when outdoor temperature is higher. Moreover, it was observed that NV also led to benefits related with symptoms associated with Sick Building Syndrome, satisfaction with the environment, productivity, and job satisfaction. For these reasons, NV techniques are worth analysing in the framework of climate responsive and net positive energy buildings.

APPLICATION

The innovation has been shared with the Habitech network in Trento and presented at a Civil Engineering and Building Engineering-Architecture course at the University of Trento, where the students used it for an annual design exercise related to suitability of building ventilation systems. A possible future exploitation pathway is to continue research activity on NV and MV concerning indoor comfort conditions and energy savings, also by means of extensive monitoring campaign in existing buildings and by the application of the solution included in the deliverable in new buildings design process. The innovation can be uploaded regularly considering scientific progress in the field (if any).