Natural ventilation is a method of climate control which relies on the natural movement of fresh air to maintain throughout a building to help control temperature and humidity levels. Because at that time, this was the only ventilation solution available historically, after mechanical means of ventilation were developed, most builders switched to those methods. In the later part of the 20th century, some of the distinct advantages of natural ventilation began to be recognized, and builders started to return to the use of natural techniques.
Keeping it Cool
There are a number of ways to create natural ventilation in a building. Naturally, one of the most basic is probably also one of the most familiar: by having fitted windows which open to create wind driven ventilation. By simply opening and closing the windows, people are able to control the flow of air throughout the building, and opening even more windows will encourage more air, which will then cool it down. This also helps in carrying away odours, and by closing the same windows you will generate less of a flow of air, which helps to keep a building warm during the cooler months.
Stack ventilation is another natural ventilation option. Stack ventilation relies on natural pressure differences between airs in differing locations to force the air up ventilation stacks. This method is commonly applied in factories, where huge amounts of heat are generated, with the air being sucked up the stacks along with odours from the factory floor. Stack ventilation is usually made easier with help from intake vents which are positioned low to the ground, these aid in generating a steady flow of fresh, cool air. In Australia, for experts you can trust in natural ventilation systems, check out http://www.airocle.com.au for a professional service bar none.
Modern Natural Solutions
One of the best advantages of using natural ventilation is that it does not cost any money to use! Mechanical ventilation and electronic climate control can work out to be quite costly, and will definitely help to contribute significantly to the overall energy costs involved when running a building. Natural ventilation is beyond a doubt also a great environmentally friendly choice, especially considering that these kind of systems tend to be much easier to maintain, and with no parts to break or go wrong. They also don’t disturb a building’s occupants with any interruptions in ventilation, which is a big plus.
For large numbers of private homes, efficient building techniques combined with natural ventilation are enough to satisfy ventilation needs. Larger, older structures may still require a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation to maintain air quality at a reasonable level. Newer, green eco-friendly designed buildings are usually specifically designed to rely primarily on natural ventilation for clean, energy efficiency reasons, and not forgetting that it is also possible to modify buildings to accommodate natural ventilation, for those who are interested in making buildings more energy efficient.
The best way to ventilate your building is by being as close to natural as possible, isn’t that just the way it was intended to be?!