MCV: Mechanical Controlled Ventilation and its advantages
Mechanical controlled ventilation is a design feature which enables building to keep the air clean and conditioned, without significant energy consumption. These devices have a decisive effect on the quality and comfort of the atmosphere in a building, especially for those living in cities where smog is an ever-present problem.
MCV units are relatively easy to install and may already be present in a building (if newly built) or they can be easily fitted in offices or other premises. Of course, it is preferable in terms of efficiency for the MCV unit to be fitted during construction.
What are the advantages of mechanically controlled ventilation?
Mechanical Controlled Ventilation units can be used in a wide range of environments. To say that their only purpose is to condition the air in a building is an over-simplification, since they can also perform many other functions which make people’s living or working spaces more comfortable. Among the advantages of MCV are:
- The ability to control the microclimate inside buildings while eliminating drafts and maintaining a constant temperature. They are also excellent for checking internal humidity levels;
- They are a precious ally in protecting health, as they guarantee continuous air exchange and can block some of the more dangerous pollutants, such as the infamous fine dust particles;
- They offer low energy consumption, are not noisy and can eliminate bad odours.
In addition, there are also the associated benefits, such as the chance to introduce fresh air without having to open the windows. They also bring a general reduction in costs as far as energy use and heat dispersion are concerned, leading to considerable savings.
What type of MCV to choose?
There are two types of Mechanical Controlled Ventilation systems: single flow and double flow. Both solutions offer a good level of efficiency but, depending on requirements and available budget, one may be more suitable than the other.
Single flow MCV has one single ventilator unit, which emits and extracts the air autonomously. It is a more basic solution which is suitable for historic or older buildings, as it requires less invasive building work.
If a choice is available, it is generally advisable to opt for double flow MCV. This solution includes two ventilator units, featuring intelligent heat recovery systems. The use of such a system brings enormous savings in terms of energy consumption. There are various versions available:
- The single room decentralised recovery unit is the simplest, as it allows for monitoring of the state of the air in a single room, without any building work needed;
- The double ventilator heat recovery unit is however, the most professional solution. It is a complete system which can manage several rooms at the same time, enabling different levels of pressure to be set according to requirements. The unit uses external air (suitably filtered and purified) in order to heat or cool the various rooms.
In order to achieve the best results from Mechanical Controlled Ventilation systems, it is essential to bear in mind certain important rules:
- Carry out the correct number of air changes for the size of the room;
- In order to reduce noise levels, set the distribution outlet nozzles at about 50 m³/h;
- For correct ventilation, distribute the nozzles strategically;
- The ducts must have a diameter of at least 63mm.
Unilab has developed a solution for the estimation of VMC units. To learn more, contact us at sales@unilab.eu!
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
