The Passivhaus
Institute has awarded Xpelair’s innovative Mechanical Ventilation with Heat
Recovery (MVHR) unit, Natural Air 180, the Passivhaus Standard, demonstrating
its ability to drastically improve the energy performance and indoor air
quality of a building.
A Passivhaus
certification can be awarded to a building, component or individual that meets
the stringent criteria of the standard, which aims to dramatically reduce the
requirement for space heating and cooling, whilst also creating excellent
indoor air quality and comfort levels.
The recognition is
particularly crucial in the UK with the government committing itself to
reducing carbon emissions of 80 per cent by 2050. With more emphasis being
placed on housebuilders to achieve the standard, homes and buildings are
becoming far more air tight, resulting in less natural ventilation occurring
and a higher build-up of indoor air pollutants. Xpelair’s Natural Air 180 unit
has been primarily designed to address these issues.
Truly raising the bar
in domestic ventilation, Natural Air 180 provides an efficient and flexible
approach to whole house ventilation the unit has been purpose designed for
consistent performance and provides an unrivalled level of flexibility. From
NOX filtration for optimised safety through to PIR sensor activity for enhanced
efficiency and cold-climate pre-heating, each unit can be customised using
Xpelair’s extensive range of ancillaries.
Lee Stones, product
marketing manager for Xpelair, commented: “We are delighted to have been
recognised by the Passivhaus Institute as Xpelair is dedicated to improving the
indoor air quality of buildings and homes across the UK whilst also ensuring
they are as energy efficient as possible. The Passivhaus Standard is further
recognition of our dedication to continue to design, engineer and manufacture
industry-leading products that will not only help the UK meet its ambitious
carbon reduction targets but also provide real benefits to the occupants of
homes and buildings.”
The concept of MVHR is
quickly gaining traction as a method of allowing for energy recovery and
addressing health concerns through a cost-effective, mechanical, balanced
ventilation. Combining mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, it also
offers both the opportunity to extract air through a central heat exchanger and
recover heat into the air supply.
At the forefront of
MVHR design, Natural Air 180 also features Xpelair’s Ghost Air Movement
technology to deliver near-silent running, ideal when looking to minimise
disruption to the family. It also boasts Xpelair's Intelligent Adaptiflow
Sensing for Assured Installed Performance through constant volume technology,
and an active humidistat, which will boost the unit when there is a rapid
increase in humidity.
The system is a
compact size of just 552mm x 609mm x 285mm (WxHxD) and comes complete with a
two-year warranty.
