The link between air pollution and both short and long-term medical illnesses has gained significant awareness in recent years with multiple studies being conducted to measure the connection. As a result, a variety of efforts have been made to decrease the amount of dust, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide released into the atmosphere, specifically in city centres and urban locations.

To curb the impact on residents, multiple cities across the UK have implemented clean air  zones where vehicles that exceed the emissions standards must pay a fee to drive in the area. Meanwhile, updates to Part F of the Building Regulations have come into force for dwellings and other buildings. Through this, it is now a requirement that ventilation systems must extract air pollutants in kitchens and bathrooms alongside minimising the entry of pollution. These are positive steps in the right direction however we have not yet reached out target.

The UK is still 1.8 times the average PM2.5 concentration according to the World Health Organisation annual air quality guideline value². Knowing this, we must continue the charge to reduce air pollution levels, and building service engineers have a key role to play.

Creating Clean Air

Indoor and outdoor air quality can be tackled with different ways. The use of clean air zones helps reduce the amount of pollution emitted outdoors, but what can be done to improve the quality indoors? Good air within homes and businesses depends on several factors including air movement and purification. These measures help improve the levels of pollution by introducing circulation and removing particle matter and airborne toxins that may impact an individual’s health. Overall, ventilation systems are required to implement these measures and ensure that not only indoor pollution levels stay low, but also prevent other hazards such as damp and mould growth.

Retrofitting, upgrading, or installing a ventilation system requires skilled professionals that not only understand building regulations, but also know how to assemble and install a vital piece of equipment.

Making Clean Air a Reality

The efforts to help make air cleaner for all is still ongoing and it is imperative buildings both new and old have correctly specified and installed ventilation systems.

That said, space can be an issue during the construction or retrofit of an inner-city building. Even if specified correctly, ventilation systems are typically delivered to site unassembled, stored for weeks if not months, and then assembled once the build stage allows. In practice, this can cause issues such as damp and mould to damage the fan and ancillaries, parts going missing, or the system being assembled incorrectly. It is due to this that a lot of contractors are turning to offsite methods of designing and building components such as ventilation systems, and then delivering it to site when needed.

Here is where building services engineers can turn to our Prefabricated Solutions to ensure they get the right solution for their needs. Through Elta’s Prefabricated Solutions, contractors have access to over 150,000 customisations of fans and ancillaries, with the systems being as small as 250mm, all the way up to 2m in diameter.

A New Era of Air Movement and Quality

On top of making great strides in prefabricated solutions, we are making significant efforts to help create a new era. Under the new strapline, ‘Air Movement, Air Quality’, we have undergone a major rebrand during our 50-year anniversary, bringing together sister companies Fantech Ventilation in Ireland and Duct Products in Northern Ireland, alongside Elta Fans, and rebranding to Elta. Through these changes, building service engineers and tradespeople will have access to a complete portfolio of fans and ancillaries to ensure they have the right system no matter the project. Alongside this, our team of experts are on hand to ensure regulations are met and the best products are chosen.

Cleaner air is well within our grasp and something that we can achieve using the right solutions. The benefits of removing pollution are too significant to ignore so by optimising ventilation systems, we can make it a reality.

Major investment will be made into our manufacturing capabilities this year and as of this month, the business previously known as Elta Fans will be repositioned as Elta. This is a poignant branding transition for us as it signifies an identity that better represents the company’s full capability beyond fan manufacturing.

As well as our industry leading fan technology, Elta will continue to invest in air handling units, noise control equipment and controls to provide markets with holistic solutions that futureproof against the demanding challenges of modern society. Our engineering expertise and bespoke manufacturing approach are both fundamental to this and will therefore see a significant investment into its factories which will help meet increased demand for full system specifications.

Sister companies, Fantech Ventilation in Ireland and Duct Products in Northern Ireland will also be unified under the Elta brand to create a cohesive presence across the industry and geographically.

‘Air Movement, Air Quality’ is our new mantra which encapsulates our vision, mission and comprehensive range of solutions.

Mark Rickard, CEO at Elta Group comments: “This strapline underscores two pivotal aspects that are at the heart of our business. Air Movement signifies our commitment to engineering excellence, innovation, and precision in every aspect of our products. While Air Quality emphasises the role we play in ensuring cleaner, healthier and safer indoor environments.”

Mark is by his senior leadership team in embedding this new vision across the business. They include Damian Buxton, CEO and Vikrant Bhatt, Director for England, Wales and Scotland, Mark Russell, Managing Director for Ireland, and Chris Schofield, Managing Director for Northern Ireland.

Mark adds: “We’re often described as the sleeping giant of the ventilation industry, which is evidenced by many companies increasing their specifications with us once through the door. Ultimately, we can build any type of fan or ventilation system required which people sometimes don’t realise. We often see a simple enquiry evolve into us delivering a full solution and that’s what this investment into the business is all about.

“We are well known for our industry-leading fans – a critical element of any ventilation system. However, industry professionals well know that there is so much more to ventilation specification and our business is well-equipped with a wide suite of solutions and technical expertise to lead the charge on improving air quality throughout the built environment.”

With the effects of the pandemic placing greater emphasis on ventilation, the high levels of CO₂ across school building stock have become a prevalent concern. Yet, at the same time, saving energy remains a top priority in line with sustainability agendas.

With these two matters in mind, schools have historically relied on natural ventilation methods such as opening windows to maintain low energy usage. However, this approach does not guarantee good quality air. Many schools are located in suburban or heavily urbanised areas where a high count of nitrogen dioxide is in the air, along with harmful particulates such as car brake pad dust, fumes, sulphur dioxide and other pollutants.

Ventilation is one of the building services that should be high on the priority list. Proper ventilation accounts for maintaining a comfortable living environment while minimising energy usage. A well-designed and well-maintained ventilation system can help regulate indoor temperatures, reduce the need for excessive heating or cooling, and ultimately lower energy bills.

While conserving energy is important, this should not take precedence over peoples’ wellbeing – especially as younger individuals are more vulnerable. Furthermore, numerous scientific studies have highlighted that CO₂ and harmful particulates directly hinder pupil’s learning and concentration.

Coinciding with the introduction of the school rebuilding programme, now is the time for indoor air quality to be treated with greater importance through adequate ventilation.

The legislative landscape

While the Building Bulletin (BB101) is in place as a framework for ensuring effective ventilation, the recent changes to Building Regulations reflect growing concerns around management of indoor air quality. With updates to Part F, there is now a firmer guidance to adhere to. Namely that buildings must provide sufficient ventilation to keep CO₂ levels below 800ppm (parts per million).

These regulatory measures highlights the need for measuring and controlling CO₂ as part of ventilation strategy – placing further onus on schools to implement appropriate solutions.

Clearing the air

Alongside acknowledgement of regulatory guidance, there must also be an understanding of what good quality or ‘fresh’ air is. As outlined, good quality air isn’t simply air brought in from the outside. Many harmful compounds can be present that affect both health and concentration levels in pupils.

A Harvard study linked poor indoor air quality with lower cognitive function and found that particulate matter levels as little as 2.5 had significant impact on cognitive performance.

Evidenced by the rising popularity of air purifiers, another misconception is that continuous recirculation and purification constitutes fresh air. In actual fact, this air becomes stale, allowing for CO₂ and VOC (volatile organic compound) levels to increase and subsequently be inhaled. While air purifiers do have their place in a ventilation system, they should not be treated as a comprehensive solution. Such applications will remove pollutants but have no impact on CO₂ levels. As such, a good quality ventilation system is one that extracts all pollutants, brings air in from the outside and filtrates it before reaching the classroom.

Mechanical means

To ensure adequate ventilation, CO₂ should be considered as a proxy for air quality. The CO₂ level rises as a result of building occupants exhaling, while increasing the ventilation rate reduces it. On this basis, measuring CO₂ can allow for effective control of both air quality and energy usage.

Building ventilation systems often operate at constant or pre-determined ventilation rates regardless of the occupancy level of the building. Ventilation rates are normally based on maximum occupancy levels, resulting in consequent energy wastage. This is not only due to the fan operation, but also includes the energy used to condition the air for both heating and cooling modes.

Through MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery) solutions such as Elta Fans’ energy recovery units, the amount of airflow can instead be controlled to suit occupancy levels and delivered through demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). DCV is recognised as a reliable method of ensuring a building is ventilated cost effectively, while maximising indoor air quality.

Closed loop speed control for both EC and AC motor options provides major energy savings as the fan power is proportional to the speed cubed. CO₂ or temperature sensors are used to continuously measure and monitor ambient conditions in the conditioned space and provide real time feed back to the zone controller. From here, fan speed is adjusted – modulating the ventilation rate to match the specific use and occupancy of the building. Significant energy savings are made by effective DCV, which ensures that the ventilation rate continuously matches the current occupancy rate and varying ambient conditions.

Efficient Energy Conversion and Recovery

With all ventilation solutions, it’s important to consider the design properties of the ventilation system itself prior to making a decision. This is where small yet significant long term energy gains, and subsequently cost savings, can be made.

As an example, energy recovery units have a free running, backward curved impeller and special three-dimensional blade geometry that provides reduced rotational tone, which provides greater energy savings through higher performance.

Attention should also be paid to how much thermal energy can be recuperated. With energy recovery units, the thermal energy exchange is enhanced by the large surface area of the heat exchanger resulting in as much as 92% of thermal energy being recovered.

System support

When designing and specifying a mechanical ventilation system, it’s important to always consult with the manufacturers as quite often they can offer best practice and guidance to achieve the desired performance.

For schools, there should be a particular focus on specifying high-quality filtration methods to restrict external pollutants. In line with requirements, all ventilation systems from Elta Fans come with ePM₁ Filters that offer high filtration levels and follows the ISO 16890 Standard.

When specifying mechanical ventilation systems, it must be ensured that the fan has enough power output to overcome any pressure development drop due to the filtration solution. Layout and length of the ducting, as well as any other ancillaries involved in the design will also need to be considered.

Post-installation, any solution must also be well maintained and serviced to ensure they are operating efficiently. Here, consulting with a manufacturer can ensure the right maintenance schedule is created and followed.

The future learning environment

As the school rebuilding programme comes into effect, it’s clear that ventilation and air quality must not be left behind as an afterthought. Schools must have a well-engineered system for ventilation – whether it is mechanical or hybrid – and receive the necessary support to realise such solutions. From designers to contractors, consultants to installers and beyond, the entire supply chain must consider how to deliver good indoor air quality and follow through to enable better learning environments for years to come.

The CCC states the industry lacks urgency in its pace of reaching 2050 targets and needs more help to decarbonise its operations. It stresses the importance of establishing UK Environmental Reporting Guidelines and the Net Zero Transition Plan Standard, both of which will set it as a requirement for businesses to disclose the use of carbon credits.[1]

On top of that, the industry is being encouraged to take action in decarbonising building solutions to futureproof construction for future generations. David Millward, Elta Group’s Product Manager, highlights the importance of collaboration in the supply chain within the construction industry.

“The CCC’s latest report is quite damning in that we’ve lost our global leadership position on climate matters. The report show that planning policies need radical reform, and all decisions must be taken with full regard to the imperative of hitting net zero.”

“Given this, all parties need to come together in order to ensure environmentally responsible choices are being made across all operations. From a ventilation and air movement perspective, carbon emissions can be easily minimalised if specifiers, contractors and manufacturers work together. At Elta, we’re making this one of our critical priorities, and have already moved to release TM65 Embodied Carbon reports, aligned to CIBSE’s methodology, to help specifiers and contractors better compare construction components and opt for most sustainable solutions.”

We’re pioneering the industry toward Net Zero as it becomes one of the first to offer TM65 Embodied Carbon reports for its fans and building services products. Created by CIBSE (the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers) in 2021, it is a calculation methodology that helps assess how much embodied carbon is associated with products.

“The reports are calculated through a number of variables such as material weight and assesses the embodied carbon generated at each stage of a product’s lifecycle,” said David. “This includes going from production to manufacturing, through to transportation, maintenance while in-use, and end-of-life recyclability potential. A key benefit is it helps make it easier to compare products against each other based on the amount of carbon they release in their production through to end-of-life,”

“The working model of TM65 Embodied Carbon reports supplies the construction chain with carbon credit insight to follow regulations and minimise negative environmental impacts, leading the industry towards opting for more eco-friendly design solutions.”

“It is of the highest importance for the supply chain to utilise the available resources to adequately specify building and ventilation solutions. Collaboration is key to meeting the urgent decarbonising responsibilities towards net zero targets.” concludes David Millward.

Join the movement towards Net Zero! Contact us today for information on our TM65 carbon reports and explore Elta’s ventilation solutions and range of products.

[1] https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/2023-progress-report-to-parliament/#intro

Most people expect the air quality in the countryside to be better than that of towns and cities. For the most-part this is true, since emissions and pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds, are significantly greater in urban areas.

However, pollution can drift out from the cities to cover the countryside meaning the difference in air quality might not be as clear cut. Similarly, in much the same way that pollution becomes trapped between buildings in cities, it can also build up in low lying areas such as valleys.

A familiar sight – and smell – for those living in rural and off-grid areas once the cold weather strikes is often the burning of oil, LPG and soot producing wood fires for heating and hot water. All of these in turn generate pollutants and impact on the air quality. The level of air quality then depends upon a number of factors, meaning it is not possible to identify specific places, be it country or town, as having the best air quality.

While outdoor air quality tends to grab the majority of the headlines, just as important is the issue of indoor air quality (IAQ) in rural areas – especially given the amount of time we spend inside.

Is your house harming you?
Good IAQ is a vital part of our health and can be affected by anything from the use of cleaning products, to the levels of moisture in the air leading to condensation. Dust, mould or fungus spores, and pollen all contribute to poor indoor air quality wherever a property in located.

More dangerously, gasses such as carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke or the burning of fuels in flueless appliances, such as paraffin stoves, portable gas heaters, gas stoves and ovens, can also accumulate indoors if ventilation is poor.

Time to take a breath
In most cases, ventilation is the best way to deal with the issue of poor indoor air quality and there is a wide array of options available depending on the property size, specific air quality issue and location. Whether located in a town or rural area, all properties need to carefully consider what sources of particles they are exposed to and install a ventilation system which is able to cope.