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DECEMBER 07 - PASSIVE APPROACH HELPS WIN SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS



A major school redevelopment scheme has been recognised for its use of sustainable strategies, winning two construction awards, in part helped by Passivent Ltd.

The £10m+ refurbishment and development of Castle Rock High School in Leicestershire won the PROCON* Large Scheme of the Year and Sustainable Development of the Year Awards, both of which included in their criteria sympathetic environmental impact. Central to that achievement was the inclusion of 8 Passivent Aircool ventilators and 12 Passivent Airscoop ventilators, to ensure pupils and staff enjoy pleasant ambient conditions in the classrooms, with minimal energy consumption and without draughts and plant noise.

Passivent worked closely with Leicestershire County Council to devise a scheme that accommodated the potentially high heat build-up generated by computers (each monitor alone generates equivalent heat output to a 60Wlight bulb) and kept the air in the suites fresh and at a comfortable temperature, whilst minimising energy use. The solution for the new building of was the incorporation of 8 Aircools in the classrooms on the lower ground floor and library, and 12 Airscoops in the sports hall and dining room/ assembly hall.

The Passivent Aircool ventilators provide controlled fresh air intake and extract. Harnessing natural air movement patterns, fresh air is drawn in through the lower level units and across the room. The warmer internal air rises and is extracted through higher level Aircools.

Using just 1watt of electricity to attenuate the ventilation louvres, the Aircool units can be minutely adjusted to control airflow requirements taking into account the weather outside- the speed and direction of wind, rain, temperature, and the location of the units within the building façade, to ensure a gentle flow of fresh air into the building without draughts. The units can be controlled individually, or linked to an overall ventilation control or building management system.

Thermally broken and insulated, the units are as thermally efficient when closed as a standard double gazed window, thanks to a controllable damper that combines a unique profile with highly reflective strip inserts.

Passivent Airscoop roof mounted ventilators are divided diagonally into four chambers. Wind from any direction is channelled down through the windward chambers into the building, which exhausts warm, “used” air out through the leeward chambers. All Airscoop units are designed to function regardless of wind direction and speed to provide a controllable natural ventilation solution that can be used in most commercial large or deep-plan buildings up to two storeys high, and for providing secure and weatherproof night cooling.

Because the Airscoop uses few moving parts and no fans, it operates quietly and with minimal energy consumption, noise and maintenance requirement.

The creative natural ventilation strategy helped comply with criteria in the PROCON Awards of efficient use of natural resources, creation of a carbon neutral building, and demonstration of a sustainably-built scheme using tools such as the Green Guide for Specification. Additionally, it is policy at Leicestershire County Council to employ green initiatives wherever possible, including, at Castle Rock, natural ventilation, wind generation and grey water usage.

Natural ventilation is proven to reduce capital costs by 15%, operating costs by 40%, and almost eliminate maintenance costs, over conventional mechanical ventilation. It is also proven to reduce incidence of “sick building syndrome” and improve the performance and productivity of the building occupiers.

Passivent is part of the Building Product Design Group and is the UK’s leading designer and supplier of natural ventilation systems for both domestic and commercial applications. The company is a founder member of the NatVent EC-EU-funded project co-ordinated by the Building Research establishment to develop practical natural ventilation solutions for the commercial sector, and has also contributed to the BISRIA Guide BG2/2005 Wind Driven Natural Ventilation Systems, as well as being a member of the DfES steering committee on natural ventilation guidance for schools, Building Bulletin 101.

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