Choosing a Mechanical Ventilation System for your venue.
Which mechanical ventilation approach to choose?
When choosing a ventilation system, it is important to consider factors such as the size of the space, the number of occupants, the type of activities taking place in the space, and local building codes and regulations. It is also important to choose a reputable manufacturer with a track record of producing high-quality systems, as well as an experienced engineer who can properly install and maintain the system.
Some of the key types of mechanical ventilation approaches are listed below:
Extract/Supply Ventilation (Wall Mounted Fans)
This type of system uses fans to remove air from the building without need for a ducted system. It is appropriate for small venues and appropraite number and location of fans must be specified by a competent professional to ensure adequate air mixing across the space. Multiple units with some set to supply and some extract is often preferred to ensure adequate air distribution.
Advantages:
✓ Ability to remove odors and pollutants
✓ Can be used in supply or extract mode
✓ Easy to maintain
✓ Less space is required for installation of kit in comparison to a fully ducted system.
✓ Relatively cheap in comparison to other mechanical options.
Limitations:
✘ Energy costs for heating will increase.
✘ Potential increase in noise in the venue from fans
Mechancial Suppy and Extract Ventilation (Ducted System)
This type of system uses a combination of exhaust and supply ventilation to balance the amount of fresh outdoor air being introduced with the amount of indoor air being removed. A fully ducted system allows air to enter the space at several locations, even the centre of the space to ensure a good supply of outdoor air everywhere. Given the air enters and leaves the space through the same unit it is simple to add heat recovery.
Advantages:
✓ Improved distribution of outside air across the internal space
✓ Energy efficient due to ease of heat recovery
Limitations:
✘ Higher installation costs
✘ Higher Maintenance
✘ Greater amount of space required for associated equipment in comparison to wall mounted options
Wall Mounted Heat Recovery (HR) Fans
These are small, compact units that can be mounted on a wall and used to introduce fresh outdoor air while also recovering heat from the indoor air before it is exhausted.
Advantages:
✓ Ability to remove odors and pollutants Improved indoor air quality
✓ Lower heating bills than a simple wall mounted unit or use of windows.
✓ Less space is required for installation of kit in comparison to a fully ducted system.
✓ Relatively cheap in comparison to other mechanical options.
Limitations:
✘ Lower recovery efficiency (compared to a ducted System)
✘ Limited working capacity (compared to a ducted System)
✘ May result in short circuiting of airflows reducing the mixing of outside air across the full indoor space. Therefore number and location of devices needs to be designed with care.
Module Fusion Systems and Wall Mounted Hybrid Systems
There are many other technologies on the market, including modular fusion systems and wall mounted hybrid ventilation systems that include built in CO2 monitors to modulate air flow. This can be beneficial to reduce air flow during low occupancy periods to reduce your heating bills. Such units also can provide night time cooling in summer to help reduce indoor temperature without the need for expensive air conditioning. The hybrid systems use natural ventilaiton when adequate only switching to fan power when required. These units can often be mounted in windows (e.g. top light above doors), or include additional duct work to circulate the air around the space.
Seek advice from a qualified ventilation consultant or manufacturers on these units to identify whether it is appropriate for your space
Other Important Considerations
The ventilation design needs to take account of fire compartmentation and care should be taken when contemplating formation of holes or openings in the building structure and fire compartment walls.
Planning permission will be required for internal alterations to listed buildings and external alterations, addition of condensing units and duct work will almost certainly require planning permission. Internal alterations to non-listed buildings will not require planning permission.
It is essential that the system is sized for the occupancy of the venue.
You will need to take consideration of fan noise in selection of the units.
It is important to consult with a qualified engineer to determine the best option for a specific application, as the choice of specifications will depend on the specific needs and characteristics of the space.
Choosing a Ventilation Expert
In order to choose a qualified ventilation expert it is recommended to consult the Building Engineering Services Associate Find a Member list. Filtering by Air Conditioning will usually find companies with expertise in ventilation too.