Effective ventilation within an enclosed space is required under Australian legislation, especially in commercial buildings. Without proper ventilation, workers are often at risk of a range of health conditions, general discomfort, and poor productivity.
To ensure that your commercial space is appropriately ventilated, we have provided a comprehensive guide to the major ventilation systems on the market. Understanding the types of ventilation systems, their uses and benefits can help you choose which one should be installed in your new or existing building.
Read on to learn more about commercial ventilation systems and their various products.
In general, ventilation systems filter out unwanted airborne pollutants from indoor spaces. This does not just work to enhance indoor air quality, but can also provide sources of natural light and fresh air when required.
For commercial spaces in particular, sufficient ventilation systems are required for the following criteria:
Commercial ventilation systems often have to run at all times, not just when someone is occupying the space. This means that these systems are designed for energy efficiency, especially for large spaces like warehouses, factories, and multi-storey buildings.
Sufficient air quality and indoor comfort can be achieved through a multitude of ventilation systems. However, the right system often depends on the building, its occupants, and what areas of comfort or health are to be focused on. It is best to understand your new or existing building’s design before deciding on the type of ventilation system you want to install.
Commercial ventilation, otherwise referred to as industrial ventilation, has a wide range of uses. However, it mostly focuses on commercial concerns and needs around healthy indoor air quality. This means sufficient ventilation of hazardous particles and airborne pollutants like chemicals, fumes, dust, and debris from industrial projects.
This need for heavy-duty extraction of polluted or stale air means that commercial ventilation typically uses larger and more specialised equipment. Common components used in said ventilation can include:
In contrast, residential ventilation systems focus more on providing homeowners and their families a comfortable and healthy living environment. This means smaller and less complex ventilation systems designed for homes, apartments, or townhouses, consisting of materials like:
Residential systems aim to remove benign indoor pollutants like moisture, pet dander, dust, and cooking odours. They are then replaced with a supply of fresh air from outdoors. These simple systems do not offer the same functions as an industrial ventilation system, which is why aspects like temperature control need to be handled with the addition of air conditioning.
If you are looking to add ventilation to your commercial space, a residential design would not be able to offer the necessary health and safety functions the building would need.
There are a multitude of Australian government-supported sanctions that enforce the need for proper ventilation in any enclosed space. Particular emphasis is placed on places of work, such as healthcare settings, due to the need for infection prevention and control.
Other reasons why ventilation systems need to be installed in commercial buildings include:
Industrial ventilation systems should, at their most basic, be capable of filtering out airborne pollutants, exhausting stale air, supplying fresh air, and helping to maintain an optimal climate. However, additional functions can be added for buildings like hospitals or laboratories that need sanitised air quality, such as:
All commercial building owners and employers need to comply with certain standards of ventilation. Failure to do so can not only lead to unsafe work spaces and the spread of disease but also penalties as assigned by Australian law.
Now that we understand the importance of having an effective ventilation system in a commercial space, it is time to analyse the different types of systems available. The right kind of system for your building is determined by a range of factors, such as:
Depending on what kind of indoor environmental conditions are most sought after for your business, you can better determine which of the following ventilation solutions you should install:
Focusing on funnelling clean air from the outdoors into selected rooms, natural ventilation systems use no energy sources to power their services. Rather, natural forces like outdoor air pressure, thermal buoyancy and cross-wind streams are used to remove stale indoor air and introduce a healthy supply.
An entirely passive form of ventilation, this system makes use of strategically placed windows, doors, and openings in a building to generate airflow. Without the need for mechanical systems or equipment, this ventilation type is often more energy-efficient, cost-effective and easier to install than many others on the market.
Notable natural ventilation systems include:
Mechanical or natural ventilation are the two major types of ventilation systems, with the differing factors being the method and power source of the air exhausts. While natural ventilation systems use naturally occurring forces to motivate the exchange of indoor air quality, mechanical ventilation systems use man-made equipment to do the same.
Typically, energy sources like electricity are used to move components like exhaust fans and motors that maintain air circulation. This means that energy is consistently used to inject clean air into a building, which is why this method is often more costly in operation budgets, maintenance time, and energy use.
However, the addition of specialised mechanical equipment means that this type of ventilation system can perform unique functions. Beyond removing stale air, mechanical ventilation systems can also be used to heat rooms or purify the atmosphere of more pollutants than natural ventilation.
While all ventilation systems focus on the exchange of internal stale air for fresh outdoor air, these vents are a sub-type focuses on the removal of smoke.
Typically used in buildings that already contain open flames, heating systems, or combustibles, these vents alleviate the buildup of smoke. This is for not just the health of workers, but to ensure no smoke damage occurs in the building.
In the case that an uncontrolled blaze breaks out, smoke vents also help to provide clear escape routes for workers. Many businesses working with hazardous materials or equipment will be legally required to install these types of vents to meet fire regulation codes.
Commonly used in areas where there is a buildup of fumes or steam, exhaust ventilation aims to remove the stale air from indoors and replace it with a fresh source from outside. Air vents filter out the unwanted air, while the vents direct the pressure draw in the fresh air.
The ventilation system operates by depressurising the building, reducing the indoor air pressure until it is lower than outdoor’s.
Although residential spaces tend to more commonly use this ventilation type, supply ventilation systems can still be used commercially.
By pressurising a commercial space, vents force outdoor air inside via a fan to improve indoor air quality. Due to its limited effect, this ventilation system is better suited to smaller office spaces or storage, rather than large-scale warehouses or highly-contaminated spaces.
Mixing natural and mechanical ventilation systems, hybrid designs typically support the most beneficial parts of each system. This often looks like natural ventilation openings and windows, the airflow through which is supported by mechanical components like fans or motors.
This is a particularly tailored type of ventilation that requires careful planning for either new or existing buildings.
Combining exhaust and supply ventilation systems, this is a mechanical type of ventilation that actively injects and exhumes the same level of air throughout a building. Fans and ducts are placed strategically in rooms to move about the air supply, artificially maintaining an ideal indoor air quality level.
A fairly new type of ventilation, an ozone-based system takes the cleaning of indoor air quality to a new level.
Some industries, such as the printing sector, choose to use ozone to clean equipment or resources in workplaces. While this is an effective means of sanitising goods of contaminants, it does require sufficient filtration for the health of workers.
Ventilation systems based around this service tend to have additional functions to target and remove ozone from the indoor atmosphere. It also picks up other harmful byproducts that may arise from the ozone-cleaning process, keeping occupants safe while at work.
Introduce natural ventilation into your commercial building with the leading experts in Australia.
Airocle has been providing businesses with a range of ventilation systems tailored to their unique needs and purposes for over 100 years. This includes affordable servicing and maintenance to keep your interior climate as comfortable as possible.
Whether you need continuous extraction of chemical fumes, or cleaner air for better working environments, Airocle can guide you to the best-fitting system. Our design process includes an in-depth initial consultation and regular planning with our clients. This ensures that your finished ventilation product does not just support an optimal working environment, but guarantees the health and safety of everyone indoors.
Fresh air is just moments away when you contact Airocle about natural ventilation systems.
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