How do ventilate?

Ventilation moves outdoor air into a building or a room, and distributes the air within the building or room.

We need air

Ventilation is mainly used to control indoor air quality by diluting and displacing indoor pollutants, i.e. polluting contaminants from building and everything inside.

Ventilation is also used to control indoor temperature, humidity, and air motion to benefit and provide thermal comfort & satisfaction for buildings' living inhabitants — people, animals and plants.

We need to ventilate buildings and ventiation must satisfy several different criteria. It must be reliable, flexible, well-functioning and adaptable. And above all, it must be responsive to different needs and unusual events.

And typically, ventilation should be intentional and controlled introduction of outdoor air into an indoor space — at the right time and within the right conditions.

How ventilation works?

The air exchange from outside to inside of buildings happens in these ways — naturally or mechanically, or in a combined hybrid way.

Unintentional via air leakages from windows, doors, and various holes such as joints and cracks in the building envelope. This is often uncontrolled and also known as 'infiltration'.
Intentional via natural ventilation, through opening windows/doors and air vents for deliberate venting by people and for people.
Proper mechanical ventilation, to add additional and fully controllable airflow within buildings to provide a good indoor environment.
Hybrid ventilation that combines natural ventilation and powered ventilation. switching between the different systems at different times of the day or season of the year. This is often also referred to as 'mix-mode ventilation'.

Natural, mechanical and hybrid ventilation - A bundle of information for everyone

Important terminology used in ventilation

NV, MV and MM

Natural ventilation (NV) is driven by pressure differences between one part of a building and another, or pressure differences between the inside and outside.

Mechanical (or forced) ventilation (MV) is driven by fans or other mechanical equipment.

Hybrid or mixed mode ventilation (MM), hybrid ventilation systems involve natural ventilation supplemented by mechanical systems to ensure minimal background ventilation. Often involves certain architecture features such as ventilation stacks, chimneys, shafts or cowls, atria spaces or light wells and wind catchers, cowls or scoops, which may or may not involve some automation.

ACH

HVACR

IAQ and IEQ

Indoor air quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Understanding and controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce your risk of indoor health concerns.

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) refers to the quality of a building's environment in relation to the health and wellbeing of those who occupy space within it. IEQ is determined by many factors, including lighting, air quality, and damp conditions.

CAV, VAV and DCV

CAV – Constant Air Volume - Simple method for controlling usually temperature and humidity, using high air flows and high air volumes. Simple method for constant flow, typically could be only switched on or off.

VAV – Variable Air Volume - The most basic demand-control for ventilation system - allows the air flow to be varied during service hours and can be adjusted in response to factors such as temperature or air quality.

DCV – Demand Controlled Ventilation - Advanced demand-controlled ventilation - adjusts the air flow and temperature in response to demand and occupancy status in rooms to cater for differing uses.

Do you know?

Do you know that natural ventilation is historically the most widely used ventiation in residential and other types of buildings? Today, buildings have modern windows that are airtight and efficient, so natural ventilation (via infiltration) is limited to only small amounts of air exchange and natural ventilation (via airing/windows opening) often takes too much effort for building occupants.

Do you also know that the first strategy for ventilation (both for natural and mechanical ventilation, or hybrid) is to eliminate the pollutant source. Because the source control is the most effective and preferred method of providing good indoor quality for people in most cases. And this is usually done via controlled ventilation, i.e. usually changing ventilation rates.

Hybrid ventilation is neither entirely natural, nor entirely mechanical. It is neither the purest , nor simplest strategy. However in some cases, it could be the best solution to meet the ventilation needs of the space, whilst minimising the cost, maintenance and energy consumption implications.

Under the principle of the human right to health, everyone has the right to breathe healthy indoor air.

The Right to Healthy Air, World Health Organisation, 2000