25 Sep 2008 05:09:29
Natural ventilation wins Green Oscar
A ventilation firm has been awarded a so-called Green Oscar for its energy saving and carbon emission reducing technology.
E-Stack, a spin out from the BP Institute at the University of Cambridge, won the Most Enterprising New Market Entrant of the Year at the Global Renewable Energy Awards.
The company's system, which has been installed in various buildings, works on the principles of natural ventilation, eliminating the need for an electric-powered fan.
As well as cutting the need for a fan, the system allows fresh air into a building while keeping cold air out.
Fresh air is brought into the building and heated mechanically, though it also derives some warmth from the departing hot air.
In summer, the system also helps reduce the energy requirements placed on cooling systems.
Tests by the Building Services Journal concluded that the system led to savings in thermal energy of about 70 to 80 kilowatt hours per square metre a year, compared to a system that uses a radiator or heating battery to preheat air entering a space.
