Meeting ventilation requirements – now and in the future

Expertise in social housing ventilation

Over the past three decades, EnviroVent has partnered with social housing providers to solve issues of condensation and mould, providing turnkey solutions from property survey to installation and servicing, utilising directly employed engineers, a unique offering in the market.
 
EnviroVent historically recognised that social housing providers required an indoor air quality solution, long lasting and future proofed, for both existing housing stock and new build.  By the early 2000s, the company developed the Lifetime Range® of sustainable ventilation solutions to last the lifespan of the property. This included the patented Filterless Extract Fan range, which won the Queen’s Award for innovation and has sold over two million units into the UK market to date.
 
Issues relating to condensation and mould remain prevalent given the association of health and wellbeing with indoor air quality, but heighten as legislation mandates tighter building envelopes to achieve decarbonisation.

Andy Makin, Managing Director & Frank Farmer, founder of EnviroVent
 

Meeting challenges in social housing

Social landlords are being encouraged to build to Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band A – the highest energy efficiency rating.  Meeting these increased environmental standards will protect households from high energy bills, whilst lowering carbon emissions.

However, change is afoot. After an extended consultation period, the confirmation of the interim Future Homes and Building Standard (FHBS) is to be implemented. Utilising the new Home Energy Model (HEM), this sets out ambitious targets of reducing levels of carbon in new homes by 75% by 2025.

It is also likely that Approved Documents relating to ventilation will be revised, including further emphasis on environmental conditions, such as acoustics, overheating and indoor air quality. EnviroVent is positioned closely to all relevant industry trade associations to influence and understand the compliance needs of the future.

The current housing shortage has seen the Build Social campaign calling for a vast increase in new homes across the UK. Social housing providers are also under increasing pressure to deliver airtight homes with good indoor air quality, quickly and sustainably.
 
Housing output delivered through Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is increasing, with volumetric and timber frame style construction being preferred to ensure a quick and airtight build. EnviroVent’s experience in providing low carbon, bespoke ventilation systems for modular homes is proving invaluable as this building method grows in popularity.
 
Passivhaus Standard

The Passivhaus standard aims to optimise space heating and energy efficiency within a sealed building envelope. Therefore, a certified Passivhaus approved MVHR system is key to ensuring that buildings can breathe effectively.
 
Increasing numbers of social housing providers are choosing to build to the Passivhaus Standard, which is rapidly setting a benchmark for energy-efficient buildings including in Scotland that are in the process of agreeing a Passivhaus approach for new build homes.
 
EnviroVent’s range of Passivhaus compliant MVHR systems provide optimised ventilation, resulting in improved indoor air quality and reduced overall energy consumption.

Innovations

EnviroVent is constantly innovating its product portfolio. The latest innovation includes the new Datalogger enhancement to the Filterless Infinity Fan that enables housing providers to harvest usage and operational data from their fan, detecting exact function performance and any downtime of the system. In addition, EnviroVent is set to release a new high-performance dMEV (Decentralised Mechanical Extract Ventilation) imminently.

A ventilation partner that you can trust

When it comes to meeting stringent compliance requirements within social housing stock, providers need a ventilation partner they can trust. With 30 years’ experience in social housing, EnviroVent demonstrates the expertise and capability to be that trusted partner, ensuring all requirements are met and futureproofed for indoor air quality and sustainability.
 
For more information about EnviroVent’s dedicated social housing service visit www.envirovent.com or call 01423 810 810.

Image © EnviroVent