Hybrid ventilation

How does hybrid ventilation work?

Between natural ventilation and mechanical exhaust ventilation (MEV), hybrid ventilation is a recent concept that consists in using the components and sizing of natural ventilation ducts coupled with non-constant low-pressure mechanical assistance. Mechanical assistance is only used to supplement natural forces when necessary.

By natural forces we mean three different kinds of natural phenomena that cause the air mass to move.

The first natural force is simply wind that can penetrate the dwelling through entrances and exists.
The second natural force is the thermal draught where the airflow is produced by the density difference between the hot air and the cold air: the less dense hot air tends to rise whereas the denser cold air tends to go down.
Last but not least is the aeraulic draught caused by the pressure difference linked to height: the lower upright pression creates a depression that enables the air to circulate in the dwelling.

The hybrid ventilation start is automatic; it can be activated by a temperature sensor, a wind vane or a pressure switch. Fresh air is admitted through the humidity-controlled air inlets located in the dry rooms (bedrooms and living room). The stale air is evacuated through the wet rooms (toilets, bathroom, kitchen) by humidity-controlled extraction grilles linked to the ventilation duct connected to the fan. The pressures generated by hybrid ventilation are comparable to those of natural ventilation, in the order of 5 to 15 Pa at the grilles.

Collective treatment for apartments

A cross between natural ventilation and mechanical exhaust ventilation, hybrid ventilation that uses the components and dimensioning of the passive stack ventilation ducts coupled to non-permanent low-pressure mechanical assistance fan (3). The mechanical assistance is used as a complement when the natural forces are not sufficient to ensure the required airflow. It can be managed automatically by a temperature sensor, a timer or even a wind gauge.

The fresh air is admitted by humidity sensitive air inlets (1) in the main rooms (bedrooms and living rooms); the stale air is evacuated through the wet rooms (toilets, bathroom, kitchen) through demand controlled exhaust units (2). These components control the airflows according to the needs of each room.

Smart upgrade of the passive stack ventilation

The Aereco’s Hybrid Ventilation system is mainly used in residential buildings, with room-by-room demand control of airflows. This system conciliates energy performance and indoor air quality through an affordable solution, easy to implement in refurbishment notably. The Aereco’s Hybrid Ventilation system is a perfect solution for upgrading buildings formerly working in natural ventilation, through the installation of low pressure assistance fans supplying additional pressure to complement the stack effect.

By proposing a humidity controlled air supply in the dry rooms and a humidity or presence -notably- control of the air exhaust in the wet rooms, this system offers a very smart management of airflows in all rooms.

The Hybrid Ventilation system is dedicated to offices, schools or multi-family buildings. With its very low need for maintenance, it is particularly suitable for social housing associations.

Ideal for redeveloping and improving the performance of an existing standard natural or passive stack ventilation (PSV) installation

The Aereco hybrid ventilation system uses the same ducts, connection openings and slots as those of a standard natural ventilation system. The upgrade of a standard natural ventilation system with the Aereco hybrid ventilation system is therefore very simple. Air inlet and extraction grilles are easily replaced without additional work. Since the humidity sensor of the air inlets and extraction grilles is mechanical and operates without electricity, usually no new wiring is required. The assistance fans are easily installed on top of the vertical ducts using adaptor parts. There is no need to balance the ducts or adjust the components: the system automatically adjusts the airflow.

Management of indoor air quality

The Aereco hybrid ventilation system is ideal for controlling indoor air quality with its intelligent air inlets and extraction grilles. For example, during the night, the humidity generated in the rooms by the occupants is detected by the air inlets, which increases the air flow. At meal times, the humidity generated by the kitchen is detected and then evacuated by the extraction grilles which open to automatically increase the air flow.

Save on heating and reduce power consumption

The Aereco hybrid ventilation system automatically adjusts ventilation to suit any room at any time, thanks to intelligent air flow management. The ventilation rate is thus automatically reduced in all rooms with low occupancy, thus conserving heat in the heating season, and reducing the energy consumption of the fan, which is already particularly low thanks to its low operating pressure.

No need to reinforce the airtightness of existing natural ventilation ducts

By maintaining the natural low ventilation pressure (approximately 5 to 15 Pa at the extraction grilles), the Aereco hybrid ventilation system can be installed directly onto existing natural ventilation ducts, without the need to measure or reinforce airtightness.

Low criticality

The assistance fans used in the Aereco hybrid ventilation system have a special patented design to allow them to operate in both mechanical and passive modes, depending on thermal conditions or wind conditions. This means that there is no pressure drop when the fan is stopped, allowing the ventilation to operate in natural ventilation mode.