The challenge
Natural ventilation is increasingly being recognised as a critical factor in managing air quality, airborne pathogens, bacteria, pollutants, allergens, and even toxins. With a significant body of medical research and evidence supporting natural ventilation, there’s every reason to improve your facilities right now.
The Solution
Our SV Pro solutions assist natural ventilation with clean, green, energy efficient solutions that can be self contained, or can integrate efficiently with existing air quality and comfort infrastructure. Scaled to suit, with low energy use. Call now to find out more.
How a School Ventilation System can create an Asthma Friendly School
Schools, Day Cares, Preschools, High Schools, Universities, Hospitals and Aged Care facilities often care for some of the people most at risk of a devastating asthma attack.
According to the Asthma Foundation Victoria 2017, approximately 90% of all Victorian government schools have at least 1 child enrolled who is diagnosed with asthma. The keys to prevent an asthma attack are planning, risk minimisation, awareness and education. The Education and Training Reform Act 2006 specifies that a school must safe guard the health of students. Where children with asthma are concerned, this means providing an environment free from asthma triggers. One of the main triggers in aggravating asthma symptoms is the dust mite and their droppings. Researchers estimate that these microscopic creatures may cause up to 80% of asthma attacks as well as countless cases of eczema.
The good news is all SolarVenti filters are extremely efficient at trapping ultra-fine particles and are suitable for removing particulates associated with asthma. A SolarVenti solar ventilation system will also remove dust as it replaces old stale air with fresh filtered natural air.
A school or child care facility that takes active steps to install a SolarVenti, shows parents that you truly care for the health and wellbeing of your students.
*Note. To be formally recognized as an Asthma Friendly School, each school must address and satisfy a set of criteria that establishes an Asthma Friendly environment and meets current legislation and Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) guidelines.
Budget Cuts for Schools = A Need To Save on Electricity Bills
In light of recent budget cuts for schools, means of heating and cooling of classrooms must be well thought out. Many schools don’t have the budget to run electric heaters and air conditioners throughout the year.
The SolarVenti is free to run. After initial installation, there is no maintenance and no running costs. Simply let the SolarVenti work its magic and enjoy a much more comfortable indoor temperature. You will find yourself using the ceiling fans and air conditioner a lot less, and not even needing to use the heater at all with the SolarVenti heating capabilities.
Why Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality Is So Important
“Lack of ventilation or low ventilation rates are associated with increased infection rates or outbreaks of airborne diseases. There is moderate evidence available to suggest that insufficient ventilation is associated with an increase of infection risk and favours the use of ventilation for airborne infection control” – Natural Ventilation for Infection Control in Health Care systems (WHO)
“Moisture is one of the most common causes of IAQ (indoor air quality) problmes in buildings… enabling growth of micro-organisms, microbial VOCs and allergens… strongly associated with adverse health outcomes” – Indoor Air Quality guide (ASHRAE)
Indoor Air Quality overview
Poor indoor air quality may cause a range of health effects from mild and generally non-specific symptoms such as headaches, tiredness or lethargy to more severe effects such as aggravation of asthma and allergic responses. Most of these conditions can also arise from a number of different causes other than the quality of the air you breathe.
Pollutants affecting indoor air can come from a multitude of sources; household products, human and animal activity, household products, and from the immediate external environment. Hazardous substances well recognised include passive smoke, lead and asbestos, but also include gases such as carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are relatively common in new products and dissipate over time.
Pollen, bacteria and moulds, animals and dust mites are also common.
Recommended airflow
In health-care facilities, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends from 60-80 l/s (216 to 288m3/h) or airflow for each occupant, with even higher rates in high care areas.
In corridors and general transient spaces, the WHO recommended the level of airflow is 2.5 l/s/m3, equating to 225m3/h for a 25m2 room; the equivalent of about four (4) air changes per hour.
SV Pro Solutions
SVPro solutions can help meet these requirements, with the added advantage of providing dehumidified, filtered air. With careful system design, it is possible to integrate SVPro solution with existing HVAC systems, bringing the twin benefits of improved air quality and reduced operating cost of existing HVAC equipment.
SVPro systems comprise of an array of solar collectors with integral filtering, configured into banks of up to 10, for a span of 20 metres. Interconnection of multiple spans is the recommended approach where more than 20m2 of collection area is required.
Recommended air volumes are between 80 to 150 m3/h for each square meter of collector area.
Each collector module is approximately 2m2:
Dimension in mm: (L x W x D) 1004 x 1970 x 300
Weight per module in kg: 10
Felt/Absorber 1.25 m2 absorber felt per m2 collector: 2 mm black polyester
Cover: 10 mm Polycarbonate (UV-resistant)
Pressure drop: 25 Pa / 50 m3/m2 collector
75 Pa / 100 m3/m2 collector
175 Pa / 150 m3/m2 collector
Efficiency: 70% at an air flow of 125m3/m2 collector
Max. energy output: Approx. 842 W/m2 collector
Average energy output: 500-800 kWh/m2 (depends on type of control system)
SVPro system design
The SVPro solar air collector system is modular, allowing configuration and sizing as required. Your ventilation engineer will specify design specifics, paying attention to heat and cooling loads, air flow volume, supply temperatures and humidity, air quality and ducting.
Fans with a volume and back-pressure rating suited to the method of storage must then be selected and with ducting specified adjustments made for HVAC integration, system inefficiencies such as convention losses, back pressures, friction co-efficient and installation design.
Additional options include temperature and humidity controllers, zone monitors, flow control and check valves, each of which must be matched to the system.