Natural ventilation uses natural air movements to control temperature and humidity levels in buildings. It is cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and easy to maintain. Methods include wind-driven and stack ventilation, and it can be used in combination with mechanical ventilation for larger facilities. Green buildings often rely on natural ventilation for energy efficiency.
Natural ventilation is a climate control method that relies on natural air movements to keep fresh air moving through a building and to control temperature and humidity levels. While this was the only ventilation option available historically, once mechanical means of ventilation were developed, many builders switched to these methods. In the late 20th century, some of the distinctive benefits of natural ventilation began to be recognised, and builders began to return to using natural techniques.
There are several ways to create natural ventilation in the structure. One of the most basic is probably also one of the most familiar: creating windows that open to generate wind-driven ventilation. By opening and closing windows, people can control the airflow through a structure, opening more windows to bring in fresh air, which can cool a structure as well as carry away odors, and closing windows to generate less airflow. air, maintaining a warmer structure and sometimes increasing humidity.
Stack ventilation is another natural ventilation option. With fireplace ventilation, people rely on the natural pressure differences between the air in various places to force the air into the ventilation stacks. This technique is often used in factories, where huge amounts of heat can be generated, with the air being drawn into the stacks along with odors from the factory floor. Chimney ventilation is generally facilitated by the use of intake vents that sit low to the ground, generating a constant stream of fresh, cool air.
One of the biggest benefits of natural ventilation is that it doesn’t cost money to operate. Mechanical ventilation and electronic air conditioning can be quite expensive and can contribute significantly to the overall energy costs involved in running a building. The absence of energy use also makes this type of ventilation an environmentally friendly choice. Such systems tend to be easier to maintain, plus, with no parts to break or fail, they may not inconvenience building occupants with interruptions in ventilation or increase operating costs for the ventilation system.
For many private homes, efficient construction coupled with natural ventilation is sufficient to meet ventilation needs. Larger facilities may require a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation to maintain air quality at a reasonable level. Green buildings are often specifically designed to rely primarily on natural ventilation for energy efficiency reasons, and it is also possible to retrofit buildings to accommodate natural ventilation, for people interested in making structures more energy efficient.
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