All buildings, whether residential or commercial, require adequate ventilation to protect the health of the occupants under normal circumstances, as well as in emergency situations such as fire or other air pollution.
There are several types of ventilation systems, the two main ones currently in use being natural ventilation and mechanical ventilation. Each of them is clearly different in the way it works, as well as in the advantages and disadvantages it brings to the structure in which it is integrated or installed.
The presence of any of these systems is critical for several reasons, including the removal of stale air and toxic gases, the replacement of fresh, clean air in an environment, the removal of moisture, and the removal of odors, bacteria, and excess. heat.
Natural ventilation basically refers to any system that does not require the use of mechanical devices to move air in the structure, but instead uses organic airflow and openings to draw stale air and contaminants through and out of the building.
Herein lies the first of the top five benefits this type of system offers: potentially reduced installation costs compared to its mechanical counterpart. However, this only applies in certain circumstances: if an effective system is designed as part of the structure prior to construction, the costs are absorbed in construction.
It should be noted that mechanical systems can still offer better value for money where having the maximum available surface area is important for maximum business performance, for example in car parks, some retail environments and other similar locations.
The second advantage of natural ventilation is also related to the budget; mechanical installations can be very expensive to operate, not only because of the need for fans, but also because of the air conditioning units that can increase energy consumption costs by up to 30% per building according to reports.
On the other hand, more organic ways of optimizing airflow in structures can mean this cost is virtually eliminated, making it a financially sound long-term solution for businesses looking to economize in every area they can.
It should also be noted that this type of ventilation is also much greener than mechanical ventilation systems, as it uses much less energy to function efficiently. For this reason, the third advantage of natural ventilation is the fact that it is the much more environmentally friendly solution of the two main options, and therefore also possibly a real solution for the future.
A fourth benefit of using a more organic and already integrated into a building ventilation solution is the fact that its rival, the mechanically driven system, requires regular maintenance to ensure that it is doing its job correctly and that meets the relevant requirements. Health and safety requirements.
This is not so true for natural ventilation systems, which do not have as many essential parts that need regular maintenance and frequent replacement. Although all systems should be regularly inspected to ensure they are working optimally, costly and time-consuming maintenance work is virtually eliminated with this option.
The fifth and final advantage of natural ventilation is that it has proven to be a popular system choice with building occupants compared to the mechanical variety. The reason for this is believed to be due to the level of thermal comfort each option provides, and many find that mechanically operated solutions often make a room too cold or too warm.
By contrast, the other option is often able to maintain an ideal temperature effectively, despite there being no controls other than simply opening or closing a window.
All types of ventilation systems have their good points and their bad points, and the natural solution is no exception. That said, it’s an option that delivers considerable cost savings, not to mention improvements in occupant comfort and less negative impact on the environment, making it a potentially ideal solution for a greener future and a prosperous global economy.
