Validating natural ventilation strategies that maximize comfort
Ventilation in buildings is important as it provides occupants with a comfortable and healthy environment.
Natural ventilation takes ventilation design one step further by using the forces of wind and buoyancy to help air move naturally through a building, rather than using energy intensive mechanical equipment to move the air around.
Almost all historic buildings were ventilated naturally, although many of these have been compromised by the addition of partition walls and mechanical systems.
With an increased awareness of the cost and environmental impacts of energy use, natural ventilation has become an increasingly attractive method for reducing energy use and cost and for providing acceptable indoor environmental quality and maintaining a healthy, comfortable, and productive indoor climate. In favorable climates and sustainable buildings, natural ventilation can be used as an alternative to air-conditioning plants, saving 10% to 30% of total energy consumption.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) gives in-deep understanding of the air movement within and through a building. With the help of our technical specialists, Novasim proposes to architects and engineers to review, test and validate their natural ventilation strategies to ensure that they maximize occupant comfort in terms of air quality, thermal comfort and safety, while minimizing energy consumption.
Natural ventilation solutions can also be investigated to complement the mechanical ventilation and further reduce the carbon footprint of the development.
