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approval of an executive director of BSRIA

DEVELOPMENT OF A
PERFORMANCE ORIENTED
APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS
Report 13244/1
07 September 2014
No. of pages: (i) - (ii) of preamble
31 of text
Compiled by:
BSRIA
Carried ot for:
!ropea" Commissio"
#ole $ro%e&t: 'I$-(!N'
Co"tra&t: #) 3-C' *+-,,-,
C)N'!N'S
CONTENTS
1 INTROD!TION""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
# BA!$%ROND""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
#"1 The importance of ventilation s&stems"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
#"# Traditional re'ulator& and specification approaches"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
#"( )erformance*based approaches""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
( !ONT+,T AND R+-IR+.+NTS /OR )+R/OR.AN!+*BAS+D A))ROA!0+S""""""""""""""""""""
("1 !ontext of performance*based approaches"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
("# Re1uirement of performance*based approahces"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2 )+R/OR.AN!+*BAS+D A))ROA!0+S""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"1 %eneral""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"# 3entilation rate re1uirement and profile""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"( Air 1ualit&""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"2 +ner'& performance"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"4 Acoustic performance"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"5 3entilation effectiveness"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"6 Drau'ht""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"7 Ductwor8 airti'htness""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
2"9 !ontrol s&stem"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4 )+R/OR.AN!+*BAS+D A)ROA!0+S :IT0IN T0+ ;I/+ !<!;+ O/ A BI;DIN%""""""""""""""
4"1 Desi'n specification"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"# !ommissionin' = commission*abilit&""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"( .aintenance and maintainabilit&""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"("1 %eneral ventilation s&stem maintenance""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"("# !ondition based maintenance""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"("( 0&'iene""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"2 Operabilit&"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
4"4 De*construction""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5 NON*T+!0NI!A; BARRI+RS>DRI3+RS TO )+R/OR.AN!+*BAS+D A))ROA!0+S"""""""""""
5"1 %eneral""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5"# Inte'ration into the desi'n brief and contractual framewor8"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5"( Inte'ration in standards""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5"2 !ontrol and approval procedures"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5"4 )olitical considerations""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
5"5 Subsidies and performance labellin'""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6 )+R/OR.AN!+*BAS+D /RA.+:OR$""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6"1 Buildin' level"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6"# S&stem level"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
6"( !omponent level""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
7 0O: TO ASS+SS )+R/OR.AN!+*BAS+D A))ROA!0+S ON*SIT+"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
7"1 %eneral""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
7"# %eneral performance*based criteria""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
7"( !omponent performance*based criteria""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
9 T+!0NO;O%< I.)RO3+.+NTS"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
9"1 %eneral""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
9"# S&stem> component improvements"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
9"( On*site verification improvements""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS i
2I34R!S
FIGURES
/i'ure 1 )otential performance*based criteria""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
/i'ure # Inte'ration in standards""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
ii DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
IN'R)54C'I)N S!C'I)N 1
1 INTRODUCTION
This report presents the wor8 performed under Tas8 2 of the ?O;+
pro@ect TI)*3+NT A?O (!T 96*BB7BC" The ob@ective of Tas8 2 is the
development of a performance oriented approach for mechanical
ventilation s&stems"
It is intended that this document will be used as a means of obtainin'
feedbac8 from industr&D research or'anisationsD re'ulator& bodies and
other parties involved in the specification and application of mechanical
ventilation s&stems" /ollowin' the feedbac8 this report will be amended
to form the final report for Tas8 2"
Included in this report is a review of the potential application of
performance*based approaches with an assessment of both technical and
process related issues" This includes a specification framewor8 detailin'
what performance*based approaches could be applied at the buildin'D
s&stem and component levels" In additionD a review is included of what
technolo'ical improvements would aid the implementation of
performance*based approaches"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 1
S!C'I)N / BAC63R)4N5
2 BACKGROUND
2.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF
VENTILATION SYSTEMS
It is important that occupantsD whether of a commercialD public or
domestic buildin'D are provided with ade1uate levels of ventilation"
:ithout such levelsD occupant comfort and health will suffer which can
lead to a wide ran'e of respirator& and other health related problems"
:here the buildin' in 1uestion is commercialD or publicD staff
productivit& will suffer which in turn will adversel& affect the
profitabilit&>efficienc& of the or'anisation"
The re1uirement for the proper provision of ventilation is becomin' more
acute due to the 'rowin' trend towards constructin' buildin's with lower
levels of infiltration Aadventitious ventilationC" The construction of
buildin's with hi'her standards of airti'htness is in response to moves to
reduce !O
#
emissions" 0oweverD simpl& reducin' the amount of
infiltration without providin' ade1uate controllable ventilation a''ravates
occupant comfort and health problems"
3entilation s&stemsD whether independent or part of a comfort coolin' or
air conditionin' s&stemD are a si'nificant consumer of ener'&" It is
therefore important that ventilation s&stems are ener'& efficient with as
low as possible conse1uent !O
#
emissions"
2.2 TRADITIONAL
REGULATORY AND
SPECIFICATION
APPROACHES
Re'ulator& and specification approaches in +uropean countries have
focused mainl& on the use of descriptive>functional approaches which are
characterised b& detailed and ri'id re1uirements that must be met in order
for approval to be 'ranted" These descriptive>functional approaches
usuall& focus on desi'n re1uirements rather than directl& addressin' the
desired performance characteristics" T&pical examples of
descriptive>functional approaches include the followin'E

ventilation rates in terms of l>s>m

#

vent siFin' in terms of mm

#
A ma@or drawbac8 of descriptive>functional approaches is their ri'idit&
and inflexible nature which in turn can limit the flexibilit& of the
desi'ner>specifier of the ventilation s&stem" In additionD
descriptive>functional approaches can stifle innovationD in terms of both
s&stem and product desi'n"
2.3 PERFORMANCE-BASED
APPROACHES
)erformance*based approaches provide a more flexible and less ri'id
approach to ventilation s&stem desi'n and operation whereb& tar'ets are
set which must be met in order that the ventilation s&stem performs as
re1uired" The difference between descriptive and performance*based
approaches is analo'ous to the plannin' of a car @ourne&" A descriptive
approach will ri'idl& define what route should be ta8enD while a
performance*based approach will define the start and destination
allowin' flexibilit& in terms of the route to be ta8en providin' defined
performance criteria such as timeD distance or fuel consumption etc are
met"
)erformance*based approaches can be applied to a wide ran'e of criteria
that influence the overall performance of a ventilation s&stem and at the
followin' levelsE
1 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
BAC63R)4N5 S!C'I)N /

buildin'

s&stem

component"
In practice the performance of ventilation components Afans and dampers
etcC impact on the performance of the complete ventilation s&stem which
in turn impacts on the overall performance of the buildin' and its
occupants"
)erformance*based approaches can be applied at the followin' sta'es of
a buildin'Gs life c&cleE

specification Aincludin' desi'n briefC

commissionin'

maintenance

operation

de*commissionin'"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS /
S!C'I)N 3 C)N'!7' AN5 R!84IR!9!N'S 2)R $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
3 CONTEXT AND REQUIREMENTS FOR PERFORMANCE-
BASED APPROACHES
3.1 CONTEXT OF
PERFORMANCE-BASED
APPROACHES
Before considerin' specific performance*based approaches in detail it is
worth considerin' the wider context in which the& are set" To be
successful in terms of upta8e the& must add additional HvalueG to a wide
ran'e of parties" These parties are outlined below alon' with their
respective re1uirements>ob@ectives"
Occupiers

comfortable and health& wor8in' environment

* IA- Aincludin' avoidance of bacteria from mould etcC
* temperature
* noise"
Client/owner

minimise capital outla&

minimise operatin' costs

* ener'&
* maintenance>up8eep

minimum installation time>expense

minimum commissionin' time>expense

maximise emplo&ee productivit& Athrou'h comfortable wor8in'

conditionsC"
Government

ensure health& wor8in' environments

minimise ener'& consumption"

Consultant/specifier

maximise fee income

minimise time re1uired to desi'n>specif& s&stem

maximise>achieve clientsG ob@ectives"

Equipment manufacturer

maximise profits Aincreased incomeD reduced expenditureC

maximise competitiveness

maintain>expand mar8et share"

3 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
C)N'!7' AN5 R!84IR!9!N' 2)R $!R2)R9ANC! BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S S!C'I)N 3
3.2 REQUIREMENT OF
PERFORMANCE-BASED
APPROAHCES
)erformance*based approaches must meet the followin' criteria in order
to be widel& adopted and successful in implementationE

.easurable" )erformance*based approaches must be measurable on*

site or in a laborator& as part of component certification to defined
performance standards" This is imperative so that the criteria can be
verified and chec8ed a'ainst set tar'ets" )roof of conformance cannot
be established without measurabilit&"

)redictable" It is important that the performance*based approaches

are predictable" This is essential for the s&stem desi'n process and is
a prere1uisite of measurabilit&"

Technicall& HsoundG" )erformance*based approaches must be

technicall& correct" It is important that the& reflect the technical
re1uirements of the criteria in 1uestion"

Relevant" It is crucial that the approach is directl& relevant to the

criteria in 1uestion"

Able to be related to product>s&stem specifications" To be practical it

is crucial that performance*based approaches can be directl& related
toD and included inD a product>s&stem specification framewor8" It is
also important that the approach can be easil& implemented b&
product>component manufacturers"

;ow cost of inclusion in desi'n procedures" !onsultants>specifiers

ma& not have sufficient resources Alac8 of sufficient fee incomeC to use
a performance approach if it re1uires additional time to implementD ie
the time ta8en to desi'n a s&stem usin' a performance approach ma&
be 'reater than a traditional Hdescriptive>functionalG approach" /or
exampleD the time ta8en to determine a re1uired ventilation rate based
on a l>s>m
#
basis is ne'li'ible" A possible alternative performance*
based approach based around a direct specification of desired air
1ualit& could be ver& expensive to perform"

Defensible durin' possible liti'ation" !onsultants>specifiersD and

ultimatel& their clientsD ma& be concerned re'ardin' the ris8 of
liti'ation" Descriptive>functional approaches are simple to use and
widel& accepted" A specifier usin' them will 'reatl& reduce the
chances of liti'ation Aconcernin' that specific issueC due to their
simpleD clear*cut and widel& accepted nature" )erformance
approaches could be less clear*cutD and therefore more open to
interpretation>debate and hence potential liti'ation problems"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 0
S!C'I)N 0 $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
4 PERFORMANCE-BASED APPROACHES
4.1 GENERAL
A ran'e of desi'n criteria impact on the overall performance of a
mechanical ventilation s&stem" Those which performance*based
approaches ma& be applied to are illustrated in /i'ure 1 and reviewed in
this Section"
Fi!"# 1
$ote"tial performa"&e-
based &riteria
(e"tilatio" System
Air 8ality (e"tilatio" Rate Re;ireme"t !"ergy $erforma"&e A&osti& $erforma"&e <e=el 1 Criteria
(e"tilatio" !ffe&ti=e"ess 5raft 5&t>or? Airtig@t"ess Co"trol System Strategy
<e=el / Criteria
)erformance*based approaches can address the criteria in 1uestion
directl& or indirectl&" /or exampleD the ener'& loss associated with
lea8in' ductwor8 can be reduced b& specif&in' air lea8a'e performance
tar'ets or simpl& definin' an overall ener'& tar'et for ductwor8 which
will in turn encoura'e the specification of ti'hter ductwor8"
In practice some criteria ma& be a mix of descriptive and performance
approaches" :hen inte'rated into Standards and !odes these approaches
will demonstrate a ran'e of comprehensiveness and strin'enc& as
illustrated in /i'ure #"
Fi!"# 2
I"tegratio" i" sta"dards
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A DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S S!C'I)N 0
4.2 VENTILATION RATE
REQUIREMENT AND
PROFILE
!urrent descriptive>functional approaches to meet ventilation re1uirement
include the followin'E

ventilation areaD e' 7BBB mm

#
for bac8'round ventilationD 1>#B
th
of
floor area for rapid ventilation

extract ventilation rateD e' 14 l>s for toilet ventilation

l>s>person or l>s>m
#
of floor area"
A performance approach could include the limitin' of !O
#
to a defined
level Appm above ambient conditionsC" The followin' outlines the two
main potential approachesE
1. Calculation of ventilation rate required to limit CO
2
to a defined
level.
+ssentiall& this is the same as definin' the ventilation rate in terms of
l>s>personD therefore there are no real advanta'es associated with this
approach" Other disadvanta'es includeE

i'nores ventilation re1uirement to dilute other pollutants such as

volatile or'anic compounds A3O!sCD tobacco smo8eD particulates and
radon etc

i'nores ventilation re1uirement to control humidit& and

avoid>minimise the effects of condensation"
2. Actively control ventilation to limit CO
2
(demand control
ventilation technique.
Advanta!es"

ventilation rate is controlled to match occupanc& levels AinferredC

better air 1ualit&

lower ener'& consumption"

#isadvanta!es/limitations"

re1uires monitorin' of external !O

#
levels Aor assumption of t&pical
valuesC

i'nores other internal pollutants A3O!s etcC

does not directl& address condensation control

expensive to implement ArelativeC

problems with !O
#
sensors
* sensitivit&>accurac&
* location
* calibration>chec8in' at re'ular intervals
* Fonin' issues Aboth for sensors and associated plantC

re1uires hi'hl& fluctuatin' occupanc& levels to be financiall& viable"

The maximum capacit&D and hence desi'nD of the ventilation s&stem will
still probabl& be determined on the basis of l>s>person Aenvisa'edC or
l>s>m
#
"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS B
S!C'I)N 0 $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
4.3 AIR QUALITY
Air 1ualit& is normall& addressed via ventilation re1uirements Al>s>person
or free area etcC" A performance*based approach would re1uire the
desi'n of ventilation s&stems to limit internal>external air pollution levels
to specified limits" )ollutants to be limited includeE

3O!s

oFone

formaldeh&de

!O

!O
#

NO
x

particulates"
)roblems associated with such an approach includeE

man& hundredsD if not thousandsD of pollutants ma& be present in an

indoor environment

total volatile or'anic compounds AT3O!sC provide a total readin'

relative to a reference 'as Asuch as hexaneC" Different 3O!s will
have different toxic effectsD hence a T3O! readin' ma& not
necessaril& 'ive a true indication of the potential harm>discomfort to
buildin' occupants

minimal 'uidance Htar'etsG for pollutants exist

the desi'ner of the mechanical ventilation s&stem will not 8now what
the contents of the buildin' will be Ama@or source of non*occupant
related pollutionC at the desi'n sta'e

the contents of the buildin' could chan'e man& times over the
lifetime of the ventilation s&stem

measurin' e1uipment is ver& expensiveD re1uires fre1uent calibrationD

is heav&>bul8&D is relativel& fra'ile and re1uires trained technicians to
perform the measurements

the desi'ner would need to be aware of external pollutant levels

Athese will also chan'e over the &ears in response to perhaps
chan'in' road usa'e patterns etcC"
Indoor air 1ualit& sensors are available that can be used to control
ventilation in a similar manner to !O
#
sensors" The most common of
these sensors are based on tin oxide semi*conductors" There are however
a lar'e number of practical problems relatin' to the application of these
sensors includin'E

The sensors respond to a wide ran'e of 'ases Aexcludin' !O

#
C"
:hen commissionin' the sensor it is not clear what 'asAesC the
sensors should be calibrated a'ainst" This re1uires the sensor to be
calibrated on a sub@ective basis which is time consumin' and
relativel& inaccurate" In additionD the sub@ective calibration needs to
be performed on a re'ular basis"
+ DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S S!C'I)N 0

)roblems relatin' to Fonin' and sensor location etc appl& in a similar

manner to !O
#
sensors"

To be economic the sensors re1uire a hi'hl& variable air pollution

load"

As with !O
#
sensorsD the desi'n>siFin' of the ventilation s&stem will
still be made on the basis of a functional>descriptive approach ie
l>s>m
#
"
4.4 ENERGY
PERFORMANCE
Of all the criteria outlined in this document ener'& performance has
perhaps the 'reatest potential as a performance*based approach" The
followin' outlines ener'& performance applied at three main levelsE
buildin'D s&stem and component"
1. $uildin! tar!ets
This is the Hhi'hestG level of ener'& performance tar'et"
Advanta!es"

:ould ensure that the total ener'& consumption of the buildin' is

controlled>restricted to a defined level"

+as& to measure and chec8 a'ainst tar'ets Ameasured at the main

utilit& metersC"

Allows maximum desi'n flexibilit& providin' the overall ener'&

tar'et is not exceeded"

Strin'ent tar'ets would result in adoption of innovative mechanical

ventilation solutions and 'ood levels of component>s&stem
mana'ement"

.a& limit the re1uirement>scope for other performance criteria"

.ain exceptions are those relatin' to health>comfort and
runnin'>operatin' costs Amaintenance re1uirements etcC"
#isadvanta!es"

+ner'& consumption related to mechanical ventilation s&stems

Aprimaril& fan powerC is onl& approximatel& 1B I of the services
ener'& consumption Aincludin' li'htin' ener'& consumptionC"
ThereforeD it is hi'hl& li8el& that efforts to limit ener'& consumption
will be focused elsewhere e' space heatin' and li'htin'"
J!IBS+ %uideE +ner'& +fficienc& in Buildin's indicates that fans and
pumps consume approximatel& 1(I of electricit& consumption A1(I of
buildin' services related consumptionD includin' li'htin'D in a HstandardG
air*conditioned buildin'C" +!D +ner'& = +nvironment Tool8it indicates
that fans consume 67I of the total for fans and pumpsD therefore fan
consumption is approximatel& 1BI"K
NoteE
/an consumption in mechanicall& ventilated buildin's without mechanical
coolin' is li8el& to be hi'her"
/an ener'& is provided b& electricit&D thereforeD the impact on !O
#

emissions will be conse1uentl& hi'her due to inefficiencies associated
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS -
S!C'I)N 0 $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
with electrical power 'eneration Aexcludes nuclear powerC and
distribution"

Discrimination between services and non*services consumption

would re1uire sub*meterin'" This could prove difficult>expensive
dependin' on the desi'n>la&out of the electrical circuits in the
buildin'" AlsoD over the &earsD non*services related spurs ma& be
ta8en off services related circuits"

A suitable re'ulator& re'ime would have to be set upD potentiall& at

the desi'n or completion sta'e of the buildin' and possibl& durin' its
life"
2. %ystem tar!ets
S&stem tar'ets could be applied at the level of a complete mechanical
ventilation s&stem Ae' 8:h>m
#
of treated areaC"
Advanta!es"

Allows flexibilit& in desi'nD ie the desi'ner can specif& a solution to

meet a particular re1uirement without an& limitation providin' the
overall tar'et is met" +ner'& inefficient products could be specified
Athe& ma& have other beneficial attributesC providin' that the ener'&
HlossG was balanced b& more efficient components that allowed the
overall ener'& tar'et to be met"

:ould encoura'e innovative solutions>components if the s&stem

tar'et was sufficientl& strin'ent"
#isadvanta!es"

Difficult& associated with how to prove to a re'ulator& authorit& that

the entire s&stem meets the overall ener'& tar'et" !omputer
simulation is too expensive and not sufficientl& accurate" .onitorin'
of ener'& consumptionD when the ventilation s&stem is operationalD
could prove to be problematicL HspotG measurements ma& not be
representative due to factors includin' seasonal influences and part*
load influences Ae' variable speed>D!3 techni1uesC" .onitorin' b&
the use of electricit& meters would re1uire the relevant components of
the ventilation s&stem to be solel& connected to one or more meters"
&. Component tar!et
+ner'& tar'ets could be applied at the component level"
Advanta!es"

+ncoura'e innovation>improved efficienc& at the component level if

the ener'& tar'et was sufficientl& strin'ent"

Desi'ner could estimate the s&stem ener'& consumption based on

ener'& consumption data of the individual components" AThis would
re1uire manufacturers to publish accurate component efficienc&
data"C
* DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S S!C'I)N 0
#isadvanta!es"

!omponent manufacturers efficienc& data is not alwa&s accurate"

:ould re1uire third part& certification to reco'nised component test
standards for complete confidence"

;ittle scope for selectin' relativel& ener'& inefficient componentsD

balanced b& other s&stem components with hi'h efficiencies" A:ould
re1uire the adoption of the S&stem Tar'et approach"C

+fficienc& of one component ma& impin'e on the efficienc& of an

other"

Difficulties associated with verif&in' actual on*site ener'& efficienc&

Asame as those identified under the S&stem Tar'et approachC"
4.$ ACOUSTIC
PERFORMANCE
!IBS+ and BS 46#B provide noise performance criteria in terms of
Noise Ratin' ANRC curves" Similar alternatives are Noise !riteria AN!C
curves" NR>N! curves consist of a famil& of octave band spectra
coverin' the fre1uenc& ran'e 5( 0F to 7$0F"
!R 164# A3entilation for buildin's * Desi'n criteria for the indoor
environmentC provides permissible noise levels in terms of dBAAC" Such
an approach 'ives no information relatin' to the fre1uenc& content of the
sound" The A*wei'htin' simpl& discriminates a'ainst sound pressures at
fre1uencies below 4BB 0F and above 1B$0F"
An advancement on the NR>N! approach is the use of Room !riterion
AR!C curves" In practiceD R! curves are more strin'ent at lower
fre1uencies than NR>N! curves"
R! curves have the followin' advanta'es over NR>N! curvesE

the& account for the influence of both spectrum shape and level

the& include data in the 15 0F and (1"4 0F octave band fre1uencies

the& account for the abilit& of low*fre1uenc& acoustic ener'& to

induce perceptible vibration in li'ht buildin' construction"
:or8 is currentl& in pro'ress to develop a new 'eneration of R! curves *
R! .ar8 # which will attempt an ob@ective measurement of noise 1ualit&D
and in particular the fluctuatin' nature of low fre1uenc& noise"
:ith the exception of R! .ar8 # it is not clear at present what
improvements can be made to the performance*based approach of R!
curves"
4.% VENTILATION
EFFECTIVENESS
3entilation effectiveness can be viewed as a performance*based approach
as a Htar'etG value can be defined without the use of an&
descriptive>functional re1uirements" The main disadvanta'es areE

difficult to measure outside the laborator&> research field

test e1uipment is expensive and re1uires trained technicians

not realistic for mainstream applications"

. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 1,
S!C'I)N 0 $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
4.& DRAUGHT
Drau'ht is normall& 1uantified b& the use of a Draft Ratin' which
provides an estimate of the percenta'e of people li8el& to be dissatisfied
with a particular level of draft" This is based on a permissible mean air
velocit& determined from the local air temperature and turbulence
intensit&" A Draft Ratin' can be viewed as a performance*based
approachD however verification in the field re1uires the use of expensive
air velocit& measurin' e1uipment which tends to be ver& fra'ile"
4.' DUCT(ORK
AIRTIGHTNESS
The 03!A and !IBS+ Asourced from 03!AC provide performance
standards for ductwor8 airti'htness" The followin' standards are
expressed in terms of l>s per m
#
of duct surface areaD calculated as a
function of differential pressure"
5&t Class <ea?age limit
l1s per m
/
of d&t srfa&e area
Class A - <o> pressre ,.,/+ x p
,.BA
Class B - 9edim pressre ,.,,* x p
,.BA
Class C - :ig@ pressre ,.,,3 x p
,.BA
Class 5 - :ig@ pressre ,.,,1 x p
,.BA
An alternative to the above approach is to define the lea8a'e as a
percenta'e of the total flow throu'h the duct"
+xamples includeE
!lass A low pressure 5I
!lass B medium pressure (I
!lass ! hi'h pressure #I
Superficiall& the above appears to be a simple and effective performance*
based approach" 0oweverD the followin' must be ta8en into
considerationE

The air lea8a'e of a duct is related to its surface area and there is no
direct relationship between the volume of air conve&ed and the
surface area of the ductwor8" It can therefore be difficult to express
air lea8a'e as a percenta'e of total volume"

Ductwor8 manufacturers>fabricators would be reluctant to implement

lea8a'e performance re1uirements on the basis of percenta'e of flow"
In practice the surface area of a duct will chan'e throu'hout the
buildin'" This would re1uire constructin' the ductwor8 to different
de'rees of airti'htness in order to maintain the overall air lea8a'e
performance re1uirement"

A third possible approach is to limit air lea8a'e b& definin' strin'ent

ener'& tar'ets for the ventilation s&stem" This should encoura'e the
use of ti'hter ducts if the ener'& tar'ets are suitabl& strin'ent" In
practiceD howeverD the s&stem desi'ner will still have to specif&
ductwor8 airti'htness to ensure that the ductwor8 is fabricated to an
appropriate standard in order that the overall ener'& tar'et of the
ventilation s&stem is met"
11 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S S!C'I)N 0
4.) CONTROL SYSTEM
No specific control s&stem re1uirements exist concernin' ventilation
s&stems ABuildin' re'ulationsD national standards etcC in most +uropean
countries" !ontrol s&stem re1uirements focus on space heatin'
re1uirements Aoptimisers and compensators etcC"
Improved descriptive specification details could relate toE

free coolin' Aenthalp& coolin'C

1

time control

demand controlled ventilation AD!3C

multi*speed fan function

load sheddin'
1

sensor t&peD locationD accurac&"

1
If part of a mechanical coolin' s&stem"
A performance*based approach could relate toE

attainment of desired set*points

attainment of desired set*points within specified time Afollowin' sa&

s&stem start*upC

stabilit& of control loops Aavoidance of huntin' etcC

minimal overshoot

minimal off*set

speed of communications Atime ta8en to send and retrieve

informationC

ease of use of operator interface Atime ta8en to perform specified

actionsC

ease of use of occupant user interface Aease of alterin' set*

points>switch status usin' interface devicesC"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 1/
S!C'I)N A $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3
$ PERFORMANCE-BASED APROACHES (ITHIN THE LIFE
CYCLE OF A BUILDING
$.1 DESIGN SPECIFICATION
)erformance*based approaches relatin' to desi'n>specification issues are
reviewed in Section 2"
$.2 COMMISSIONING *
COMMISSION-ABILITY
!ommissionin' considerations can be 'rouped into the followin'E
1. Commissiona'ility
This includes desi'n features and installation procedures which assist in
ma8in' mechanical ventilation s&stems inherentl& commissionable"
+xamples include self*balancin' arran'ementsL fan selection Adut& point
on a stable part of the fan curveCL access and test holes"
2. Commissionin! procedures
This includes procedures to be followed to ensure ade1uate s&stem
commissionin'" This approach can include the use of step*b&*step
proceduresD produced either in*house or documented as part of an
industr& 'uidance document"
The above are currentl& defined throu'h the use of descriptive>functional
specification approaches"
As a possible alternativeD a performance*based approach to
commissionin' could focus on the attainmentD b& the mechanical
ventilation s&stemD of specified re1uirements" These re1uirements can be
divided into the followin' levelsE
(evel 1

attainment of ade1uate internal environmental conditions AventilationD

air temperature and relative humidit&C

ener'& consumption"
(evel 2

air flow rates Atotal and throu'h branches = terminal devicesC

air flow patterns>velocities in the occupied Fones"

The adoption of a performance*based approach will have a number of
advanta'es and disadvanta'es which are outlined below"
Advanta!es

:ill help to ensure the attainment of desired 'lobal performance

characteristics throu'h their direct confirmation as part of the
commissionin' process"
13 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3 S!C'I)N A
#isadvanta!es

nder some circumstances the attainment of performance*based

tar'ets ma& not be possible due to factors which are outside the
control of the commissionin' en'ineer" /or exampleD a lac8 of
ade1uate ventilation in an occupied Fone ma& be due to an improperl&
siFed fan rather than poor s&stem balancin'" In instances li8e thisD
contractual problems could well result between the different parties
responsible"

A purel& performance*based approach will not contain detailed step*

b&*step commissionin' procedures which are normall& directl& or
indirectl& specified b& a s&stem desi'ner" These commissionin'
procedures have been developed over the &ears in an attempt to
address the 'enerall& poor level of s&stem commissionin' experienced"
The abandonment of these procedures in favour of a performance*
based approach would be viewed as a retro'rade step b& man& people"
The possibilit& does however exist for the use of a h&brid approach which
includes descriptive>functional and performance*based approaches"
Additional performance*based approaches could include the
1uantification ofE

number of post*occupanc& complaints b& occupants which are

directl& related to poor s&stem commissionin'

number of remedial measures re1uired to rectif& poor s&stem

commissionin'"
To be representativeD such an approach would re1uire the careful
discrimination between commissionin' related and non*commissionin'
related problems"
$.3 MAINTENANCE AND
MAINTAINABILITY
5.3.1 General ventilation system maintenance
.aintainabilit& relates to factors which should be considered at the
desi'n sta'e which can simplif&D or ma8e easierD the maintenance process"
+xamples include the followin'E

ade1uate access panels>hatches

provision of test holes for pressure and flow measurement

ade1uate space allowances"

B& their natureD these specification considerations are descriptive rather
than performance*based" At this sta'e it is not apparent what
performance*based approaches to maintainabilit& are realistic"
An alternative definition of maintainabilit& relates to the concept of AR.
Aavailabilit&D reliabilit& and maintainabilit&CD where maintainabilit& is
defined as the mean time to repair AmttrC which represents the total plant
downtime"
nder the AR. approachD availabilit& is defined as the proportion of
time that an item of plant is in operation and can be put to useD while
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 10
S!C'I)N A $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3
reliabilit& is defined as the mean time between failures AmtbfC or
sometimes failures per million hours"
Availabilit& is 'iven b&E
A M.TB/>A.TB/ N .TTRC
sin' a performance*based approach the mechanical ventilation desi'ner
could specif& both mttr and mtbf"
Specif&in' mttr Afor specific failure t&pesC would encoura'e
manufacturers to produce components>s&stems that are simpler>1uic8er to
maintain" 0oweverD such an approach ma& have a number of practical
problems" A manufacturer of a mechanical ventilation s&stem component
ma& be reluctant to 'uarantee mttr because the time to repair ma& be
adversel& affected b& factors outside the manufacturers direct control"
/or exampleD a component could be combined with others into a sub*
s&stem such as an air handlin' unit AA0C and the desi'n features of the
A0 ma& adversel& affect the time ta8en to maintain the component" In
additionD the mttr will be affected b& the availabilit& of spare parts on
site"
Specif&in' mtbf will encoura'e manufacturers to produce more reliable
componentsD howeverD the availabilit& of such data is not widespread and
manufacturers ma& find it difficult to predict mtbf with an& reasonable
de'ree of accurac&D especiall& for new components which will have no
historical reliabilit& data associated with them"
5.3.2 Condition based maintenance
.aintenance is normall& performed in accordance with descriptive
re1uirementsD usuall& a specification definin' what maintenance
re1uirements are to be performed" .aintenance strate'ies usuall&
adopted include Brea8down .aintenance AB.C or Time Based
.aintenance ATB.C"
A more performance*oriented approach which can implement
performance*based criteria is !ondition Based .aintenance A!B.C" The
use of !B. techni1ues is however onl& usuall& realistic in lar'e
commercial>public buildin's"
The 'eneral advanta'es and disadvanta'es of !B. include the followin'"
Advanta!es"

+ffective failure detection leads toE

* low conse1uential dama'e
* hi'h plant availabilit&
* low safet& ris8"

+arl& prediction of faults allows plannin' of remedial wor8"

Remedial wor8 is onl& performed when necessar&"

)lant and component life can be maximised"

)lant performance and ener'& can be optimised"

The monitorin' provides both evidence that maintenance is re1uired

and a chec8 on its effectiveness"
#isadvanta!es"
1A DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3 S!C'I)N A

0i'h cost of e1uipment and staff trainin'"

A si'nificant mana'ement effort will normall& be re1uired to or'anise

and implement an effective !B. re'ime"
/ailures and faults relatin' to mechanical ventilation s&stems which can
be detected b& condition monitorin' includeE
$la"t item 2ailres
2a"s

Beari"gs1lbri&atio"

Belt

Imbala"&e

9isalig"me"t
9otors

Beari"gs1lbri&atio"

Imbala"&e

9isalig"me"t

Br"ot1t@ermal trip
Air filters

2oli"g
:eat ex&@a"gers

S&ali"g

2oli"g
S>it&@gear

Co""e&tio"s

Compo"e"ts
The followin' condition monitorin' techni1ues can be used to detect the
above failuresE
1. )i'ration analysis
sin' this techni1ueD measurements are made of the vibration fromD for
exampleD a fan" .aximum permissible deviations from normal levels of
vibration Ax mm>sC can be used as a performance*based approach to
indicate when an item of plant re1uires maintenance" Note that a ran'e of
more sophisticated vibration anal&sis techni1ues are also available"
2. *hermal ima!in!
Thermal ima'in' can be cost*effectivel& emplo&ed for the monitorin' of
electrical switch'ear" )erformance*based criteria relate to connections
and components in the electrical cabinet not exceedin' a specified
temperature rise above normal or ambient operatin' conditions"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 1B
S!C'I)N A $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3
&. +se of $,% as a condition monitorin! tool
A Buildin' .ana'ement S&stem AB.SC has the potential to be used to
monitor certain plant conditions and provide an indication of when
maintenance is re1uired" An example of this relates to the optimum
replacement period of air filters" /oulin' of an air filter increases its
resistance to air flow" The condition of a filter can therefore be assessed
b& measurin' the differential pressure 'enerated across it" .anufacturers
recommended maximum pressure drop data can be used as a
performance*based criteria for chan'in' the filter rather than simpl&
chan'in' the filter at set time intervals"
5.3.3 Hyiene
The $ :or8place A0ealthD Safet& and :elfareC Re'ulation 4 imposes a
dut& to clean mechanical ventilation s&stems Has appropriateG" The
accompan&in' Approved !ode of )ractice states that H.echanical
ventilation s&stems Aincludin' air conditionin' s&stemsC should be
re'ularl& and properl& cleanedD tested and maintained to ensure that the&
are 8ept clean and free from an&thin' which ma& contaminate the airG"
In practice most cleanin' of mechanical ventilation s&stems is performed
on an irre'ular basis" It is relativel& unusual for s&stems to be cleaned on
a re'ular basis Ae' annuall&CL cleanin' intervals are usuall& dictated b&
the perceived need for cleanin' and associated benefits alon' with
cost>bud'etar& considerations" It is common for facilities mana'ers not
to have sufficient resources to pa& for re'ular cleanin'" AThe exception to
this is the cleanin'>monitorin' of coolin' towers and spra& humidifiers in
order to control microbiolo'ical contamination"C
The 03!A has published the followin' performance*based surface
deposit limits which can be used to indicate when cleanin' is necessar&
Anon*microbiolo'ical contaminationC"
System 'ype Srfa&e Co"tami"a"t <imits 'est 9et@od
!xtra&t B g1m
/
1-, m
('
5''
Re&ir&latio" 1 g1m
/
B, m
('
5''
Spply 1 g1m
/
B, m
('
5''
The Deposit Thic8ness Test ADTTC determines the mean surface deposit
in terms of micron thic8ness"
The 3acuum Test A3TC determines the mean deposit wei'ht in 'rams per
m
#
"
A performance*based approach ma& also be possible for the control of
microbiolo'ical contaminationD throu'h the specification of acceptable
and unacceptable levels of microbiolo'ical contamination" 0oweverD
dependable data concernin' acceptable>unacceptable levels of
microbiolo'ical contamination is scarce"
Descriptive>functional and performance*based cleanin' specification
approaches have a number of respective advanta'es and disadvanta'es
which are outlined below"
1+ DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
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$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3 S!C'I)N A
1. #escriptive/functional approach
Such an approach would involve cleanin' a specified component once
ever& x &ears"
Advanta!es"

re'ular cleanin' re'ime

relativel& eas& to defend under liti'ation Aassumin' cleanin' interval

is ade1uateC

cost of re'ular cleanin' can be incorporated into annual maintenance

bud'ets"
#isadvanta!es"

possibilit& for unnecessar& cleanin' activit& with associated cost

penalt&"
2. -erformance.'ased approach
Advanta!es"

cleanin' onl& performed when necessar&

state of cleanliness can be 1uantified"

#isadvanta!es"

assessment chec8s must be performed correctl&

unscrupulous cleanin' contractors ma& deliberatel& perform chec8s

incorrectl& to indicate that cleanin' is necessar&

contaminant levels used as part of the performance*based approach

ma& be contentious Ama& favour cleanin' contractors who wish to
maximise cleanin' activit&C"
$.4 OPERABILITY
Operabilit& can be viewed as the ease with which a buildin'D and its
associated servicesD can be operated Athis includes maintenanceC" This
can be from both the perspective of those responsible for runnin' the
buildin' Afacilities mana'ement and maintenance personnelC and the
buildin' occupants" :ith re'ard to the formerD a ma@or factor which
often impedes operabilit& is the lac8 of ade1uate documentation"
/unctional>descriptive re1uirements focus on the necessit& to have
ade1uate operation and maintenance AO = .C manuals" The contents of
such manuals will depend on the siFe and complexit& of the buildin' and
its buildin' services" The followin' information should be included for
commercial>public t&pe buildin'sE

emer'enc& information

contractual and le'al information

s&stem description and desi'n intent

asset list>e1uipment schedule

parts identification and recommended spares

commissionin' data

operatin' instructions

maintenance procedures>schedules
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 1-
S!C'I)N A $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3

fault findin' 'uidance

index of plans and drawin's

manufacturers technical information

disposal instructions"
)erformance*related approaches are probabl& not appropriate for
ensurin' ade1uate documentation"
The concept of mean time to repair AmttrC is a performance*based
approach which will have an impact on operabilit& Asee Section 4"(C"
Another main factor which affects the operabilit& of mechanical
ventilation s&stems is the user interface associated with control s&stems"
This affects both buildin' mana'ement staff and buildin' occupants
where occupant controls have been installed Asee Section 2"9C"
$.$ DE-CONSTRUCTION
%rowin' environmental pressures are in turn leadin' to increased
awareness of the need to adopt a de*construction and rec&clin' approach
as opposed to demolition and landfill dumpin'" +nvironmental and
financial considerations include the followin'E

+ner'& is consumed in the production of ventilation s&stem

components" Re*use throu'h rec&clin' will reduce future !O
#

emissions"

In a similar manner to the aboveD the use of other natural resources

can be reduced"

Re*use reduces the amount of landfill dumpin'" As well as

environmental benefitsD the minimisin' of landfill dumpin' will
reduce the cost to the client" A;andfill dumpin' is becomin'
increasin'l& expensive due to a 'rowin' shorta'e of suitable sites and
taxation"C
)otential performance*based tar'ets include the followin'E

Amount of rec&cled components expressed as a ratio of their ori'inal

financial value to the total ori'inal financial value of the ventilation
s&stem" This approach does not directl& ta8e into account embedded
!O
#
emissions or natural resourcesD however it is relativel& simple to
determine" AlsoD financial value will 'ive a reasonabl& approximate
first order reflection of !O
#
emissions and natural resources"

Rec&cled embedded !O
#
emissions as a ratio of the total embedded
!O
#
emissions of the complete ventilation s&stem" This approach
will directl& indicate the proportion of !O
#
emissions rec&cledD
howeverD information is not widel& available concernin' the level of
embedded !O
#
emissions relatin' to ventilation s&stems" In additionD
si'nificantl& more effort would be involved in determinin' the !O
#

ratio compared to the financial ratio"
Note that the same overall approach could be adopted for expressin' the
de'ree of rec&cled natural resources"

3olumetric siFe of the re*c&cled components expressed as a ratio of

the total volume of the ventilation s&stem" This approach would
1* DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S CI':IN ':! <I2! CDC<! )2 A B4I<5IN3 S!C'I)N A
reflect the impact on landfill dumpin' and could be modified to
express the ration in terms of wei'ht dependin' on which char'e>tax
re'ime was in place"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS /,
S!C'I)N B N)N-'!C:NICA< BARRI!RS15RI(!RS ') $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
% NON-TECHNICAL BARRIERS+DRIVERS TO PERFORMANCE-
BASED APPROACHES
%.1 GENERAL
A ran'e of process related issues will affect the implementation of
performance*based solutions" Some will act as barriersD while others will
act as drivers" These various factors are discussed below"
%.2 INTEGRATION INTO
THE DESIGN BRIEF AND
CONTRACTUAL
FRAME(ORK
)erformance*based approaches are suitable for inclusion in desi'n briefs
and pro@ect specifications" 0owever it is important that an&
performance*based criteria used can be 1uantified and verified otherwise
severe contractual problems are li8el& to occur"
:hen implementin' performance*based approaches it is important that
all parties involved in the brief>specification process AclientD desi'nerD
contractor and s&stem manufacturerC full& a'ree on the expectations for
the ventilation s&stem and the associated performance tar'ets" In
additionD it is important that clear and comprehensive technical
specifications embod&in' the performance criteria are produced that
minimises an& possibilit& of ambi'uit&" Such an approach should be
adopted when specif&in' other functions throu'hout the life c&cle of the
ventilation s&stems such as maintenance and up8eep"
Althou'h performance*based approaches provide 'reater desi'n scope
and flexibilit& the& need not be an& less strin'ent than traditional
descriptive approaches"
%.3 INTEGRATION IN
STANDARDS
Assumin' that a performance*based approach is realistic it should be
relativel& eas& to inte'rate it into existin' and new Standards" To be
effective the performance*based criteria should be comprehensive and
strin'ent"
%.4 CONTROL AND
APPROVAL
PROCEDURES
Buildin's are sub@ect to control and approval procedures" In the $ this
role is performed b& Buildin' !ontrol Officers who ensure that buildin's
and their associated buildin' services conform to the relevant Approved
Documents of the Buildin' Re'ulations" The traditional approach when
implementin' descriptive>functional approaches is one of approval bein'
sou'ht at the buildin' desi'n sta'e and finall& 'ranted before occupation"
The use of man& performance*based approaches will re1uire a modified
approach focusin' more on the assessment of the ventilation s&stem once
the buildin' is occupied" )erformance*based tar'ets such as ener'&
consumption and internal levels of metabolic !O
#
can onl& be properl&
assessed durin' buildin' occupation" :hile desi'n calculations can be
chec8ed and approval 'ranted at the desi'n sta'e such an approach is no
substitute for the chec8in' of actual performance"
)erformance*based tar'ets applicable throu'hout the life c&cle of the
buildin' such as those associated with maintenance and h&'iene will
re1uire confirmation at re'ular intervals" These tar'etsD alon' with the
ori'inal desi'n tar'ets must therefore be chec8ed b& someone" The
1uestion is whoO
/1 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
N)N-'!C:NICA< BARRI!RS15RI(!RS ') $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)A:C!S S!C'I)N B
The choice of 'eneric person will be a compromise between
neutralit&>probit& and the cost of performin' the chec8in' procedure
alon' with who ultimatel& carries the cost burden" The main options areE
1. Conformation performed 'y re!ulatory authorities
This approach provides the hi'hest de'ree of neutralit&>probit& Aassumin'
corruption is not an issueC" Such an approach would involve the chec8in'
of performance tar'ets b& local 'overnment officers usin' a'reed and
consistent chec8in' procedures" The main drawbac8 of this approach is
its bureaucratic nature and associated costs"
2. %elf conformation
This approach would allow or'anisations to chec8 their own
conformanceD usin' either in*house staff or on a sub*contract basis to a
suitable or'anisation" This approach would involve no state bureaucratic
cost Aand hence to the taxpa&erCD howeverD the or'anisation itself would
have to carr& the cost burden" In additionD it is li8el& that man&
or'anisations would either fail to perform the confirmation assessment or
falsif& the results"
&. %elf conformation with random verification
This is the compromise approach which would combine self confirmation
with random chec8in' b& the re'ulator& authorities" The efficac& of this
approach would depend on the fre1uenc& of the chec8in' alon' with the
conse1uence of non*complianceD e' level of financial penalties imposed
on or'anisations which failed to perform the confirmation or falsified the
results"
%.$ POLITICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
There is an increasin' trend in some +uropean countries towards
liberalisation and more free mar8et approaches to re'ulator& re'imes"
This liberalisation extends to buildin' re'ulations" )erformance*based
approaches are well suited to such a re'ulator& climate for the followin'
reasonsE

the& allow 'reater choice and flexibilit& in s&stem desi'n compared to

descriptive approaches

b& settin' performance tar'ets the desi'ner has a considerable de'ree

of freedom and flexibilit&

performance*based approaches can be inte'rated with descriptive

approaches where the latter is necessar&D e' an& descriptive
approaches to meet fire and smo8e control constraints"
The main drawbac8 of performance*based approaches under a liberal
re'ulator& re'ime relates to the re1uirement for confirmation of
performance Asee Section 5"2C"
Althou'h 'enerall& beneficial for performance*based approachesD
liberalisation could be extended too far in some circumstances with
ne'ative impacts" /or exampleD complete liberalisation ma& result in a
laisseF faire approach whereb& little or no re'ulator& re1uirementsD
whether performance*based or descriptive are applied and enforced"
Such an approach could have a detrimental approach on for example
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS //
S!C'I)N B N)N-'!C:NICA< BARRI!RS15RI(!RS ') $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S
efforts to reduce ener'& consumption and hence !O
#
emissionsD althou'h
it could be ar'ued that mar8et forces would ultimatel& prevail"
%.% SUBSIDIES AND
PERFORMANCE
LABELLING
:here the political and re'ulator& re'ime is interventionistD subsidies can
be implemented based on the achievement of performance*based tar'ets"
/or exampleD the achievement of defined ener'& consumption or !O
#

tar'ets"
)erformance*based approaches are also suitable for less interventionist
approaches such as the use of 1ualit& labels" /or exampleD b& definin'
the performance of specific s&stems and components throu'h a
performance labellin' approachD specifiers can relativel& easil& select
better performin' ventilation components>s&stems" This approach
however still re1uires an external impetus to encoura'e the selection of
better performin' products in the first place"
/3 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 2RA9!C)R6 S!C'I)N +
& PERFORMANCE-BASED FRAME(ORK
&.1 BUILDING LEVEL
The followin' outlines the main performance criteria relevant at the
Hbuildin'G level" The followin' criteria will be partiall& influenced b& the
performance of a mechanical ventilation s&stem"
!er"ormance criteria #$anti"ication
!"ergy &o"smptio"

?C@1m
/
1E

e"=iro"me"tal C)/ emissio"s

?C@1perso"1E

?C@1"it &orporate i"&ome1E

9ai"te"a"&e &ost

!C41m
/
1E
IA8

x ppm C)/ abo=e ambie"t
Noise le=els

appropriate RC &r=e
&.2 SYSTEM LEVEL
The followin' outlines the main performance criteria relevant at the
s&stem level"
!er"ormance criteria #$anti"ication
!"ergy &o"smptio"

?C@1m
/
ser=i&ed area1E

?C@1perso"1E

?C@1m
3
of deli=ered air
9ai"te"a"&e

!C41m
/
of floor area ser=ed1E

!C41m
3
(a=erage) of deli=ered air

!C41m
3
of i"stalled &apa&ity

system a=ailability (F)

IA8

x ppm C)/ abo=e ambie"t
Noise le=els

appropriate RC &r=e
5raft

draft rati"g
Air temperatre

x degrees =ariatio" from desired
&o"ditio"s for y @ors per year
:midity

G1- x F R: from desired &o"ditio"s
for y @ors per year
&.3 COMPONENT LEVEL
The followin' outlines the main performance criteria applicable at the
component level of a mechanical ventilation s&stem"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS /0
S!C'I)N + $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 2RA9!C)R6
Component !er"ormance criteria #$anti"ication
2a" (i"&ldi"g motor a"d dri=e
me&@a"ism)

!"ergy &o"smptio"

Noise le=el

9ai"te"a"&e

?C@1m
3
of deli=ered air

?C@1m
3
of deli=ered air at a defi"ed pressre
differe"&e

dB spe&trm

9''R (@rs)

a=ailability (F)

x mm1s abo=e "ormal =ibratio" le=els

5&t>or?

!"ergy loss (dy"ami&)

!"ergy loss (t@ermal)

<ea?age

:ygie"e

?C1m le"gt@ of d&t

pressre drop

?C for total le"gt@ of d&t

l1s per m
/
at defi"ed pressre differe"&e

x g1m
/
((')

x m (5'')
Air filter

Arresta"&e

!ffi&ie"&y

5st @oldi"g &apa&ity

Air lea?age aro"d fitti"g

Repla&eme"t fre;e"&y

Repla&eme"t time

A F

! F

"ot less t@a" x grams at y $a fi"al resista"&e

m
3
1s per m at defi"ed pressre differe"&e

e;i=ale"t free area

maximm re&omme"ded pressre differe"&e

x mi"tes per filter

:eat ex&@a"ger

'@ermal performa"&e

Cross lea?age

!"ergy loss (dy"ami&)

:ygie"e

9ai"te"a"&e

xF

xF

?C per m1s fa&e =elo&ity

pressre drop

x g1m
/
((')

x m (5'')

x F de=iatio" from desired t@ermal

performa"&e
Air dampers

<ea?age

<ea?age (perimeter1@osi"g)

Co"trollability of air

!"ergy loss (resista"&e to flo>)

Noise le=el

m
3
1s per m
/
of srfa&e area at a defi"ed
pressre differe"&e >@e" &losed

m
3
1s per m at defi"ed pressre differe"&e

e;i=ale"t free area

pressre drop

li"ear flo> &@ara&teristi&s

?C@ per m
3
1s of air

pressre drop

dB spe&trm
Air-diffsers

!"ergy loss

I"d&tio" ratio

Air loadi"g of floor spa&e

Noise le=el

?C@ per m
3
1s of air

pressre drop

=aria"&e from desired ratio

l1s per m
/

dB spe&trm
Co"trol system Co"trol &@ara&teristi&s:

Attai"me"t of set-poi"t

Attai"me"t of set-poi"t >it@i"

desired time

Stability

)=ers@oot

)ffset
)perability:

operator

o&&pa"t
9ai"te"a"&e

G1- x "its from set-poi"t

G1- x "its from set-poi"t at time y

&y&le time i" x "its of time

x "its abo=e set-poi"t

x "its belo> set-poi"t

a&tio" x >it@i" y time

9''R (@rs)
/A DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
$!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 2RA9!C)R6 S!C'I)N +
Component !er"ormance criteria #$anti"ication

a=ailability (F)
Noise atte"ators

Noise atte"atio"

!"ergy loss

dB spe&trm

?C@ per m
3
of air

pressre drop
2lo> &o"trollers

!"ergy loss

Noise

?C@ per m
3
1s of air

pressre drop

dB spe&trm
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS /B
S!C'I)N - :)C ') ASS!SS $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S )N-SI'!
' HO( TO ASSESS PERFORMANCE-BASED APPROACHES ON-
SITE
'.1 GENERAL
It is important that performance*based approaches can be verified" The
followin' outlines how the performance*based criteria listed in Section 6
can be assessed on*site" ANote that the accurac& of some component
testin' will be hi'her if the test wor8 can be performed as part of
laborator&*based accreditation tests"C
'.2 GENERAL
PERFORMANCE-BASED
CRITERIA
%onitored !arameter %onitorin &ec'ni($e
!"ergy &o"smptio"

4tility meters

B9S mo"itori"g

$ortable po>er loggi"g e;ipme"t

IA8 (C)/ i"ferred)

I" sit C)/ se"sor (B9S loggi"g)

$ortable C)/ loggers

Air temperatre

I" sit air temperatre se"sors (B9S loggi"g)

$ortable air temperatre loggers

Relati=e @midity

I" site R: se"sors (B9S loggi"g)

$ortable R: loggers
5raft

Air =elo&ity se"sors (>it@ data loggi"g
e;ipme"t) a"d air temperatre loggers
Noise le=el

So"d meter (>it@ fre;e"&y spe&trm loggi"g
&apability)
:ygie"e
-('
-5''

(a&m pmp >it@ filter media

Calibrated ele&tromag"eti& i"d&tio" type

t@i&?"ess gage.
'.3 COMPONENT
PERFORMANCE-BASED
CRITERIA
Criteria #$anti"ication %onitorin &ec'ni($e
2a" e"ergy &o"smptio" ?C@1m
3
of deli=ered air
?C@1m
3
of deli=ered air at a
defi"ed pressre differe"&e
2a" po>er mo"itori"g a"d
mo"itori"g of air flo> rate.
As abo=e >it@ pressre
differe"&e measreme"t.
5&t>or? e"ergy loss (dy"ami&) ?C1m le"gt@ of d&t $ressre drop mo"itori"g
&o"=erted to e"ergy loss
related to fa" effi&ie"&y.
5&t>or? e"ergy loss (t@ermal) ?C for total le"gt@ of d&t Air temperatre drop or
i"&rease.
5&t>or? lea?age l1s per m
/
at defi"ed pressre
differe"&e
5&t>or? lea?age
assessme"t ?it.
Air filter arresta"&e AF 9easreme"t of mass of
d&t.
Air filter effi&ie"&y !F Capa&ity measreme"t.
Air filter dst @oldi"g &apa&ity x grams at y $a fi"al resista"&e $ressre a"d >eig@i"g of
/+ DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
:)C ') ASS!SS $!R2)R9ANC!-BAS!5 A$$R)AC:!S )N-SI'! S!C'I)N -
Criteria #$anti"ication %onitorin &ec'ni($e
loaded filter.
Air lea?age aro"d filter fitti"g m
3
1s per m at defi"ed pressre
differe"&e
9o"itori"g of pressre
differe"&e a"d flo> rate >it@
filter sealed.
:eat ex&@a"ger t@ermal
performa"&e
xF 9o"itori"g of air temperatre.
:eat ex&@a"ger &ross lea?age xF
:eat ex&@a"ger e"ergy loss
(dy"ami&)
?C per m1s fa&e =elo&ity $ressre drop mo"itori"g
&o"=erted to e"ergy loss a"d
mo"itori"g of fa&e =elo&ity.
5amper lea?age >@e" &losed m
3
1s per m
/
of srfa&e area at
defi"ed pressre differe"&e
9o"itori"g of air flo> rate a"d
pressre differe"&e.
5amper perimeter1@osi"g
lea?age
m
3
1s per me at defi"ed pressre
differe"&e
As abo=e >it@ damper
sealed.
!"ergy loss (resista"&e to flo>) ?C@ per m
3
1s of air 9o"itori"g of pressre drop
&o"=erted to e"ergy loss >it@
mo"itori"g of air flo> rate.
Air-diffser e"ergy loss ?C@ per m
3
1s of air 9o"itori"g of pressre drop
&o"=erted to e"ergy loss >it@
mo"itori"g of air flo> rate
(flo> @ood et&).
Air-diffser i"d&tio" ratio (aria"&e from desired ratio 9o"itori"g of air flo>.
Air loadi"g of floor spa&e l1s per m
/
9o"itori"g of air flo> rate.
Co"trol system &@ara&teristi&s Attai"me"t of set-poi"ts a"d
stability et&
9o"itori"g =ia B9S or
portable loggi"g e;ipme"t.
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS /-
S!C'I)N * '!C:N)<)3D I9$R)(!9!N'S
) TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS
).1 GENERAL
The followin' provides information relatin' to what technolo'&
improvements would aid the implementation of performance*based
approaches" The information is split between technolo'& improvements
relatin' to ventilation s&stems and their components and improvements
that would aid the on*site verification of performance criteria" Some of
the improvements are e1uall& appropriate for descriptive>functional
approaches"
).2 SYSTEM+ COMPONENT
IMPROVEMENTS
Electronic nose
As was discussed in Sections 2"# and 2"( the measurement of metabolic
!O
#
is the onl& currentl& pra'matic wa& of inferrin' levels of IA-"
Advances such a electronic noses incorporatin' pattern reco'nition
techni1ues such as neural networ8s have the potential to be used for
assessin' IA-D howeverD the problem exists concernin' what the nose is
intended to detect" %iven the potentiall& ver& hi'h number of individual
pollutants present in the indoor environment this presents a ma@or
problem" One approach ma& be to determine if 'roupin's of commonl&
occurrin' pollutants can be detected"
Despite a si'nificant amount of research in this area a practical electronic
nose is not currentl& viable"
%elf.tunin! control loops
.an& ventilation s&stems involve the use of control loopsD especiall&
when inte'rated into an air conditionin' or comfort coolin' s&stem"
!ontrol loops must be tuned in order to provide optimum performanceD
howeverD this is rarel& performed due to time>cost constraints" In practice
default settin's are usuall& used as an alternative"
The implementation of self*tunin' control loops would si'nificantl&
improve the performance of control loops without increasin' set*up and
commissionin' costs"
%tandard communication protocols
.ost manufacturers of control s&stems implement different
communication protocols with the result that s&stems from different
vendors cannot directl& communicate without recourse to interface
devices such as 'atewa&s which are expensive to implement and result in
a loss of functionalit&" Standardisation efforts via !+N T!#26 have
failed to address the problem while supposed de facto standards such as
+chelon do not deliver comprehensive interoperabilit&"
The development of a true standard communication protocol would
si'nificantl& simplif& the inte'ration of components and s&stems with
conse1uent improvements in s&stem control and performance monitorin'"
%elf.dia!nostic systems
/* DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011
'!C:N)<)3D I9$R)(!9!N'S S!C'I)N *
A ma@or problem associated with buildin' services is the lac8 of trained
and experienced operational and maintenance staff" The development of
effective and robust self*dia'nostic s&stems providin' information on
s&stems faults alon' with associated remedial instructions would 'reatl&
simplif& the problem"

(ow cost in situ air flow measurement
Duct*based ventilation s&stems such as those incorporatin' air handlin'
units re1uire the measurement of air flow rates as part of air damper
control routines" The most common form of measurement is throu'h the
use of velocit& sensors or pitot tubes located in the duct or air handlin'
unit" nfortunatel&D it is relativel& rare to find sufficientl& lon' enou'h
duct len'ths before and after duct fittin's or chan'es in duct orientations
to allow flow stabilisation at the measurin' point" This results in
inaccurate flow measurement and poor s&stem control" :hile devices are
available that can provide an accurate measurement in turbulent flow
conditions Ae' :ilson /low %ridC their cost is 'enerall& prohibitive"
The development of lower cost flow measurin' devices which can provide
accurate measurement in turbulent flow conditions would si'nificantl&
improve the performance of ventilation s&stems"
(ower cost and more ro'ust CO
2
sensors
The cost of !O
#
sensors has reduced si'nificantl& over the part ten &ears
while their robustness has improvedD howeverD the construction industr&
is ver& cost conscience and the upta8e of !O
#
sensors would be increased
if their cost could be reduced further" Improvements in robustness in
terms of calibration intervals would also aid their upta8e"
Easier to use control system operator interfaces
Improvements in the operator interfaces of control s&stems would result
in conse1uent improvements in the performance of the control s&stems"
:here B.S are used an& interface improvements would aid the
performance monitorin' of the ventilation s&stem"
).3 ON-SITE VERIFICATION
IMPROVEMENTS
(ow cost air velocity measurin! devices
The on*site measurement of drau'ht re1uires the measurement of air
velocit&" The low air velocities t&picall& encountered re1uire the use of
sensitive measurin' devices which tend to be expensive and ver& fra'ile"
The development of more robust and lower cost air flow measurin'
devices would 'reatl& improve the on*site evaluation of draft and other
air velocit& related criteria"
. BSRIA Report 13/0011 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL
VENTILATION SYSTEMS 3,
S!C'I)N * '!C:N)<)3D I9$R)(!9!N'S
%impler ventilation effectiveness measurin! procedures
The on*site evaluation of ventilation effectiveness is not currentl& realistic
in non*research t&pe applications" The development of simple to
implement evaluation procedures re1uirin' relativel& inexpensive
measurin' e1uipment would be beneficial"
31 DEVELOPMENT OF A PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH FOR MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS . BSRIA
Report 13/0011