Ventilation in housebuilding is changing. The continued drive to improve the energy efficiency of our homes means buildings are becoming increasingly air tight and thermally efficient. This makes it more important than ever before to ventilate effectively. Housebuilders are therefore looking for a ventilation solution that saves energy, reduces carbon emissions and provides good indoor air quality (IAQ). With MVHR ticking all the right boxes it is no surprise that the industry volume is 50,000 units a year and still growing, with it set to dominate ventilation in most new homes.
For housebuilders energy efficiency is still the most important specification factor when it comes to ventilation as they seek the most cost-effective way to achieve carbon reductions and reduce dwelling emission rates (DER). The 2014 amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations introduced the FEES (Fabric Energy Efficiency Standards) which focuses on the efficiency of the fabric of the building in new homes. As a result of this fabric first agenda there has been a move from intermittent to continuous ventilation since it is important to ventilate effectively and efficiently in airtight thermally efficient homes. This is further driving the adoption of continuous centralised MVHR systems as well as driving design innovation as manufacturers strive to develop ever more efficient units.
As New Build homes become more air tight and IAQ increases in importance, maintenance of MVHR systems is also coming to the fore. It is not only important to specify an MVHR unit that can provide good IAQ, it is also vital to ensure this continues by maintaining the system and changing filters. To help address this, in January 2016 European legislation (ERP) came into force which requires MVHR producers to meet minimum technology requirements. These include an indication of the ventilation unit status (e.g. fault condition) visible to the home owner so that they know if their MVHR system is operating correctly. (This has been available from Vent-Axia since 2008.)
Meanwhile, the NHBC has also issued guidance to housebuilders, which recommends ventilation units are placed in an accessible position in a home rather than a loft where it may be difficult to maintain.
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