How Eco Friendly Are Ventilation Systems

How Eco Friendly Are Ventilation Systems

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Ventilation systems play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy and comfortable indoor environment. But, in a world where we’re all trying to use less energy and reduce the impact of climate change, it is important to ask whether they are environmentally friendly. If you are considering improving your home ventilation, it is useful to explore the impact of ventilation systems on your domestic energy use as well as the benefits they bring to condensation-related issues like mould.

Why ventilation is important

Ventilation involves exchanging fresh outdoor air with stale indoor air. Good ventilation has multiple benefits for your home and family including:

Reduced Condensation: Activities like cooking, showering, and breathing release moisture into the air. Without effective ventilation, this moisture builds up as water vapour in the air that will eventually form condensation on cold surfaces, especially during winter. Untreated, condensation will often lead to damp patches that can damage the fabric of your home and lead to mould growth which can put your health at risk.

Health Protection: Good ventilation ensures that harmful pollutants (from cleaning products, hygiene items, and fabric furnishings) are diluted and removed from the indoor air. It contributes to a healthier living environment. Some ventilation systems that draw air into the property from outdoors – Positive Input Systems – also filter the incoming air to remove some types of air pollution along with allergens such as pollen that can affect respiratory health.

Types of Ventilation Systems

Modern ventilation systems are designed to be energy-efficient and environmentally conscious. Let’s explore some common types:

Extractor Fans are commonly found in bathrooms and kitchens. They quickly remove humid air as it is produced, preventing condensation. Newer models, like the EnviroVent Cyclone 7, even include humidity sensors to adjust fan power efficiently.

Whole-House Ventilation Systems:

Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV): Central units remove air from various rooms, helping to displace stale air. MEV systems also spread warmth, potentially reducing heating costs. Typically, MEV systems are only installed during the initial construction or full refurbishment of a building.

Positive Input Ventilation (PIV): Draws filtered air into the home, displacing stale air. PIV systems consume less energy than extractor fans and contribute to overall energy efficiency. PIV systems like EnviroVent ATMOS can be retrofitted into most properties, with a central unit mounted in the loft that draws air into the property at roof level before distributing it around the home.

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems incorporate heat exchangers to warm incoming air. They recover up to 85% of warmth from outgoing air, making them highly efficient. There are single room systems such as HeatSava which can replace a conventional extractor fan, but whole house MVHR systems are, like MEV systems, usually only installed during initial construction.

Impact on energy use

Different types of ventilation system use different amounts of energy and contribute varying amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. When calculating the amount of CO2 an appliance is responsible for, the total is normally based on the way in which electricity is generated over time. In a home using solar panels, the environmental impact will be reduced.

Extractor Fans typically uses about 13 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, which is equivalent to approximately 2.5 kg of CO₂. Kitchen fans normally run for longer priors to remove water vapour using around 35 kWh each year and resulting in approximately 7 kg of CO₂ emissions.

Highly efficient PIV Systems often feature a heater for incoming air that can be activated in colder temperatures to reduce the impact of outgoing air on the overall warmth of a house.

Without a heater, a PIV system uses about 29 kWh of electricity each year and causes about 5.6 kg of CO₂ to be released into the atmosphere. If a heater was used continuously, the amount of energy used increases to it uses 208 kWh which is equivalent to about 40kg of annual emissions of CO2.

MVHR Systems use heat recovery to capture the warmth of outgoing air to warm the air that is drawn into the property from outside. On average, such systems use less than 200 kWh per year, equivalent to about 36KG of emissions, although this will vary dependent on the weather and the amount of heating that is required.

It is important to remember that whole house ventilation systems improve the flow of warm air around your home and even out the heating from radiators. This can mean that your home warms more quickly and your heating needs to be used less which will save you money on your bills and reduce your overall emissions.

Find out more

Older ventilation systems can be less efficient and increase your bills. Upgrading your ventilation will improve indoor air quality and reduce the amount of condensation present that could otherwise cause damp and mould. Our local ventilation specialists can offer a free home survey that will determine the sources of condensation in your home and provide you with advice about the most appropriate ventilation system for your home. Enter your postcode below to find an expert in your area.