Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia is delighted to announce the launch of its latest CIBSE-approved Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course: ‘Overheating in Residential Properties: Part O - How ventilation can be part of the solution to remove excess heat'. This informative and timely course provides a greater understanding of overheating, legislation and guidance, and appropriate ventilation solutions to help mitigate rising temperatures in new build homes. 
As new residential properties have become more thermally efficient, to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions to help meet the 2050 Net-Zero target, they are increasingly overheating. As a result, occupants in some new homes are now experiencing indoor temperatures that exceed comfort, and in some cases pose health risks.
Recognising the seriousness of the overheating problem, the UK government introduced Approved Document O of the Building Regulations in 2021. Its core objective is to protect occupant health and wellbeing, not to guarantee thermal comfort, with two overarching requirements: limiting unwanted solar gains and ensuring excess heat can be removed from the indoor environment. Vent-Axia aims to help construction professionals in furthering their ventilation knowledge and skills, with this CPD providing an understanding of how and when ventilation can be applied to help mitigate overheating.
“Overheating is an increasing challenge as homes become more airtight to reduce carbon emissions, while global temperatures are rising. As a result, housebuilders are finding it more difficult to achieve the requirements set out to combat the overheating risk in Part O and TM59 standards,” said Steve Pearce, Product Manager at Vent-Axia (pictured). “Our latest CPD aims to help housebuilders and specifiers to understand the causes of overheating and how to mitigate them, gain a greater understanding of Part O, and find out the latest ventilation solutions to help avoid overheating.”
Vent-Axia’s ‘Overheating in Residential Properties’ CPD explores how modern construction methods can adversely affect overheating in a property, which is further exacerbated by climate change, leading to warmer summers, while urbanisation has also raised temperatures. The CPD also looks at measures to avoid overheating, such as minimising internal heat gains, limiting summer heat gains and maximising natural ventilation.
When it comes to removing excess heat, Part O lists acceptable methods in order of preference, starting with opening windows, followed by ventilation louvres, mechanical ventilation, and finally mechanical cooling. When natural ventilation options are restricted, mechanical ventilation provides a valuable solution with a number of different types of technology available.
Housebuilders can adopt various ventilation strategies to help reduce overheating. When it is not possible to use windows for ventilation, modern extract systems can help remove excess heat. For example, Vent-Axia’s NBR CoolBox Kits offer on-demand heat extraction, are compact, low noise and suitable for installation in all habitable rooms.
Above: Vent-Axia Lo-Carbon Econiq-Cool (KERS)
Meanwhile, the latest Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) units, such as Vent-Axia’s award-winning Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq, deliver coolth or heat recovery efficiencies of up to 93%. The Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq comes with intelligent automatic 100% summer bypass capabilities, offering free cooling. 
But when free cooling via an MVHR summer bypass alone is insufficient to mitigate overheating throughout the year, specifiers can consider MVHR systems with integrated DX cooling modules, such as Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq Cool-Flow. This option features intelligent controls that switch automatically between heat recovery, summer bypass and active cooling via the DX cooling module.
One of the latest innovations available is a combined MVHR unit with a hot water air source heat pump. This type of system combines two technologies, offering 2-in-1 – renewable hot water and a free cooling solution. For example. The Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq-Cool (KERS), Vent-Axia’s latest flagship MVHR system, features all-new controls allowing communication with the KERS Coolboost Heat Pump.
With climate change raising temperatures while the UK’s Net-Zero target of 2050 is on the horizon, overheating looks set to continue. Overheating is a serious health issue, but it is also a comfort issue, which is why ventilation is key to solving the overheating challenge and helps futureproof homes against the climate challenges ahead.
Above: Vent-Axia Econiq-Cool Flow
To find out more about this and other CIBSE-accredited CPD courses from Vent-Axia visit the CIBSE website. To book Vent-Axia’s CIBSE-approved CPDs with one of its experienced ventilation experts, email cpd@vent-axia.com. For further information on products and services offered by Vent-Axia call +44 (0) 344 856 0590 or visit www.vent-axia.com.
Images © Vent-Axia
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