Energy effiency ventilation system

1. Bachelor of Quantity Surveying (Honours)
Building Services I [BLD 60403]
Energy Efficient Ventilation System
Group Member : Ng Chuan Kai 0323738
: Boon Li Ying 0323839
: Loh Wen Jun 0323551
: Tey Cheng Fern 0323912
: Vivian Tay Huey Shuen 0323869
: Michelle Tung 0324175
Lecturer :
Submission Date : Week 12

2. CONTENT
No. Topic Page
1. Introduction 1
2. Installation Process 2-9
3. Management System 10-11
4. The advantages and Disadvantages 12-16
5. Case Study : Finding and Explanation 17-21
6. Possible Problems to the System 22-24
7. Recommendations 25-26
8. Learning 27
9. References 28-30
10. Bibliography 31
INTRODUCTION
Ventilation is mainly used to control indoor air quality by diluting and displacing
indoor pollutants, it can also be used for purposes of thermal comfort or dehumidification.

3. Besides, it can be made use of to prevent stagnation of the interior air and to keep
circulating interior building air. Therefore ventilation will create a healthy environment in
offices, residences, or any other interior spaces.
Moreover, there are two purposes of ventilation in occupied spaces. First purpose is
to provide an acceptable indoor air quality, which is the supply of fresh air and the removal of
indoor pollution concentration. The second purpose is to provide thermal comfort by
providing a heat transfer mechanism through the building.
Thus, effective ventilation is an important way to create a more comfortable, healthier
home and energy efficient. While energy efficient is using less energy to provide the same
service. Removing heat in summer, controlling moisture and encouraging fresh air into your
home will help create a better environment.
In this report, our topic is “Energy Efficient Ventilation System”. As we need to do
some research of the selected topic such as installation process, management system,
advantages and disadvantages of energy efficient ventilation system. Besides that, we are
using Burj Khalifa to talk about our case study, we wanted to let people learn more and have
better understanding about this Energy Efficient Ventilation System.
INSTALLATION PROCESS

4. As what we learned from lecture, we know that ventilation relies on natural ventilation and
mechanical ventilation. The main purpose of the building is aim to provide relax, comfort
internal environment despite the external weather conditions to keep a home cool. To
optimize the energy efficient ventilation system for a building, need to be incorporated at the
design stage of a building as the building if in lower heating and cooling loads, may turn
downsizing of equipment, result in lower energy consumption and cost a great bill for
occupants.
Natural Ventilation
(i)Best selection of window
First, we knew that the cracks and interstices of a building may cause uncontrolled
inward and outward leakage. Secondly, the air that entering and leaving through openings
that provided intentionally such as open windows, doors, and vents conforming natural
ventilation. To get the maximum natural ventilation for a building, occupants are advised to
use cross-ventilation of door and window or can directly install energy-efficient windows in
the home. An experiment was carried out by Breezway, a company located in Australia
stated that among the type of windows that we saw in marketing, an ideal window that
carries out efficient ventilation is louvre window which occupied 82% of ventilation and
followed by casement window has 78%, 42% for double hung window, 43% for sliding
window, awning window has 18%, and lastly fixed window is 0% doesn’t help a lot in
ventilation as this type of window don’t have any open space for air to enter the building.
Process of Installation of Louvre Window
To install louvre window, materials that will need 1 top sill and bottom sill, 2 sides jambs
and one with a handle, 4 self-tapping screws, crop head bolts and nuts and few glass blades
or polycarbonate blades which including 4 aluminium clips and 2 PVC anti-dust strips. The
first step, place top sill into the right position on side jamb and secure it with a self-tapping

5. screw. Repeat this step on the other side and do the same with the bottom sill. The louvre
should be attached to the frame during the glazing of the greenhouse.
Secondly, should decide where to locate and fit louvre. After determining the height, place
the polycarbonate panel below the louvre position as the position will vary. Cut the panel and
put the PVC anti-dust strip on the end of the cut panel that will be used. Then, offer frame to
the bolt, add a nut and fingertips tighten each bolt. After tightening all the nuts, the
installation of the frame is completed.
Lastly, glaze the louvre after it has been installed by open the window using the handle,
try to slide each individual blade that located between the jams into the aluminium holders
and makes sure the glass will come to rest in the holder at the bottom of the jams.

6. Head, jamb, sills, mullions and other components of louvre window consist of
horizontal pieces of wood, glass, aluminium or other etc material to build up. The standard
handle allows the occupants to open the window slightly to allow gentle, breeze air flow
through or can completely close. In the latest design of louvre window, it combines both
modern and traditional style and it is more often fitted with flyscreens or security screens as
the reason for a firm push can remove blades and allow others to break in. It doesn’t require
any complex installation and normally designed to suit standard window sizes. It is also
easier to keep clean than other choices of windows. It is also an ideal choice for elevated or
multi-storey houses. Louvre window has a poor insulation and may leak air.

7. If the budget of occupants is high, some improvements to existing windows may help
too. To have more efficient ventilation can adjust the size and location of the window at
different parts of the home to create a direct path of the airflow. The longer the distance
between inlets and outlets, the cooler the home will be. A small inlet opening and a large
outlet opening can increase the speed of airflow and mend the cooling effect.
(ii) Best selection of door
Occupants also advised to erect a cross ventilation of door as it provides good ventilation
for the house and not just depends on windows. Doors can be divided into 2 parts which are
the exterior door and interior door, exterior door plays the main roles in the ventilation as
they located at the building envelope and stay close to the external environment. An old,
broken, improper installed external door may contribute more than 40% of air leakage
significantly and leads to waste energy through conduction in daily life. Occupants may
directly install a new and efficient exterior door during construction. The energy performance
rating may be the first consider and it helps to narrow the multiple choices in marketing when
selecting the suitable exterior door.
Each house will fix glass sliding door as the main exterior door but it is not an ideal
exterior door because it loses heat much faster than others type of door and it is a poor
insulator. Glass door optional manufactured with several layers of glazing, low coating and
low conductivity gasses between the panels. Even increase the layers of glass and low e-
coating to improve the situation but it stills consider worse. Normally doors will be provided
weather-stripping to reduce the air infiltration but the design of sliding door is unable to stop

8. the air leaking and even it is possible to do so, still need to replace it after years of use as it
will be worn and torn. Besides replacing the weather-stripping, need to check door seal to
make sure it is tight to all sides of jamb otherwise the problem still can’t be solved.
Modern exterior doors that can found in marketing mostly fixed with metal frames that
have a “thermal break” which is a plastic insulator and located between the inner part and
outer part of the frame. A good investment and protection of window and door may get the
payback of additional cost over in energy savings.
The most suitable and suggested exterior door will be fiberglass door. It has a mimic
look of real wood and it doesn’t expand or contract due to the changes of weather.
Fiberglass door can stay last 15 to 20 years. Fiberglass door mainly designed to perform
high energy efficient. The cost might be slightly higher but it offers longer durability and far
less maintenance.

9. Process of Installation of Fiberglass door
The tools and materials are needed during installation such as caulking gun with
quality exterior sealant, screwdriver, nails, hammer gloves, tape measure so on and so forth.
First, the process is before setting the door unit to the opening, apply some beads of caulk to
the underside of the door sill as the figure shown in 1a, 1b and 1c. The full width sill of the
fibreglass door need to seal at least 4 lines of bead seal. Apply some to the back side of the
brick molds too.
Secondly, set the unit to the opening as figure 2a and place some solid shims behind
the hinge jamb and frame as figure 2b. After that, temporarily secure the unit to the frame by
using screws or nails and fasten the top and bottom hinge through the jamb to the opening.
Be aware that the screws might not be over-tighten if not will cause jamb to bow. Next,
check the weather-stripping to make sure the margins and contact are equal around. The
additional shim may keep the door aligned and remove the plastic plug after finish checking.
Thirdly, install 2 screws at 1 each in the middle at bottom hinge as shown in Figure 3.
Fourthly, adjust the threshold of the door to have an even contact between the door
sweep and threshold.

10. Lastly, for an in-swing door should install 2 corner seal pads and they should be
tucked underneath the weather-stripping. Caulk again at the intersection of jamb, brick
molds, threshold and floor for in-swing and out-swing of the doors as the figure below.
Mechanical Ventilation
(i) Best selection of fan
In what we saw in daily life and in common building, there is a large percentage using
mechanical fan systems. They can operate all year around and consume the amount of
energy we needed. Mechanical ventilation used to provide fresh air, moisture can build up
inside a home. The systems that normally can be seen are fans and air-conditioning. Instead
rather than relying on the airflow through small cracks and holes, mechanical ventilation
systems have larger contributions.
The types of fans that normally can be found are circulating fans, window fans and whole-
house fans. Each room in the house will be fixed with one fan and if the area of the house is
big, then will be a large amount of fan need to be fixed. The cost of the electric bill will
increase too. Ceiling fans work best when the blades are 7 to 9 feet above the floor and 10
to 12 inches below the ceiling and the larger the blade, the more ventilation will get. A best
and efficient fan operates quietly and smoothly. Some of the kitchen and bathrooms will
installed exhaust fans to remove the heat and humidity concentrated.The large size of
exhaust fans can be mounted outdoors on a wall or roof to reduce indoor noise and be
aware if there isn’t have enough ventilation, the fan may pull other combustion products into
the living area.
Whole-house fan is a more convenient option compared to window fan but the cost is much
higher than window fan. It provides good attic ventilation by mounted it in a hallway ceiling

11. and the fan sucks air from the house blows it into the attic. Whole-house fan should have 2
different speeds because when the fan blows air into the attic, attic must have sufficient
outlet vents to minimize the area blocked by screening and louvers.
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Ventilation is needed to provide a healthy and comfortable internal environment for
the building’s occupants through the process of changing air which remove the polluted
indoor air from a building and replaced by the fresh air from outside and the requirement for
an efficient ventilation system is establish hazard-free air quality, satisfy user comfort, be
energy efficient and be cost effective. Besides that, ventilation is needed to maintain air
purity such as preservation of oxygen content, removal of carbon dioxide and control of
humidity. Therefore, management system is necessary to the energy efficient ventilation
system. Hence, we need to maintain the effectiveness of ventilation regardless of wind
direction, make sure the inlet and outlet openings are not obstructed by nearby objects such
as trees or high rise buildings and the window is located in opposing pressure zone to
increase the ventilation rate. Moreover, we need to provide periodic maintenance for the
system to make sure that the system running efficiently and lead to the maximum of
system’s lifespan. Maintenance is also needed to ensure the reliability of the ventilation
system and to secure the operation of the ventilation plant.
There are few types of system such as Passive Stack Ventilation (PSV) and
Mechanical Extract Ventilation (MEV).
Passive stack ventilation (PSV) is the most effective natural ventilation strategy as it
combines with trickle ventilation through window frames.

12. One option to provide domestic ventilation is the use of a passive stack ventilation
(PSV) system. This uses a combination of the air flowing over the roof and the natural
buoyancy of warm moist air to lift the moist and stale air from the kitchen and bathroom up
ducting to the roof ridge level where it escapes into the atmosphere. Fresh air is drawn into
the building through the trickle vents in the windows and doors. PSV system are energy
efficient because this system is without the need for any electric fans or control. The amount
of ventilation achieved depends on the amount of movement of the external air and the
external air temperature. Standard PSV systems have a simple inlet grille to the duct, usually
fitted into the ceiling. Thus, cleaning the grilles especially the one in the kitchen is essential
to ensure that there are no restrictions to air flow up each stack because the primary causes
of blockage are built-up dust and grease in the tines of the grille. Under normal
circumstances, a PSV system requires very little maintenance. So, a periodic check of the
roof terminal and of any ducting that is accessible should be enough to maintain the
structure of the system.
Mechanical extract ventilation (MEV) is a system that extracts air from wet rooms
continually.

13. It usually consists of a central ventilation unit positioned in loft space ducted
throughout the building to extract air from the wet rooms such as kitchen and bathroom.
Replacement dry air is drawn into the building via background ventilators. Besides that, this
system providing a gap at the bottom of the internal doors that allow the free passage of air
through the building and can be operated automatically or manual switching. Furthermore,
this system able to increase the speed of the fan and extraction rate, rather than raising the
extraction rate for the whole building. The system also will require regular maintenance to
remove dust and grease from the fans, grilles and filters.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Energy Efficient
Ventilation Systems
Firstly, what is energy efficiency? It is the means of using less energy consumption to
provide the same services. It is different from energy conservation where we reduce or
completely omit a particular service to save energy. Nonetheless, ventilation systems serve
a distinct function to supply sufficient fresh air to the surroundings and a healthy, comfortable
internal environment for the building’s occupant. It also controls condensation, removes
pollutants, and ensures the safe and efficient operation of some combustion appliances. The
strategy is to contribute an equal balance between energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
Therefore, amount of uncontrolled air leakage through building envelope should be
minimised by installing a controllable ventilation system such as exhaust ventilation systems

14. and energy recovery ventilation systems. Nowadays, the installation of energy efficient
ventilation systems in buildings is very common among the people. However, do the
advantages of these energy efficient ventilation systems outweigh its disadvantages?
Advantages
Provide Comfortable Microclimate
Geothermal ventilation systems are designed to provide comfortable microclimate
inside premises with minimum energy demand using the heat of the earth's surface layers.
The use of this system contributes a lot to the improvement of energy efficiency and the
decrease of operating costs. Geothermal heat exchanger provides cool air during hot
weather. Hot air from the outside is passed through the intake device of the geothermal heat
exchanger. It is then cooled by geothermal energy and is supplied through the air ducts to
the vents. The summer block is used instead of heat exchanger during summer time. This
particular design not only provides a decrease in the internal temperature, but also enables
the electric energy input for the air conditioning to fall and also enabling better microclimate
in the house.
Reduce Energy Usage
Energy efficient ventilation systems can help us reduce energy consumption. The
phrase ‘energy efficient’ alone displays the meaning of using less energy for the same
service. As an example, whether it is a hot or cold weather, using energy efficient windows
are better instead of regular single pane windows which provide the same service of
ventilating because they are sealed properly and are more airtight than regular windows.
This prevents colder air from the inside to sip through the outside during hot weathers such
as the summer season which also reduces the air-conditioning usage and ultimately saves
its cost.

15. Natural ventilation
Natural ventilation is the uncontrolled movement of air from the inside to the outside
and vice versa through cracks and interstices of a building. Air enters and leaves through the
opening of windows, doors and vents. It is also known as infiltration and exfiltration which
are caused by weather and pressure difference of a particular building. Infiltration Air is the
unintentional entry of outdoor air into an indoor environment. It is due to pressure differences
between inside and outside of the building. Infiltration normally occurs during cold weather
where cold air is than denser and heavier than the air inside. Exfiltration Air is the
inevitable movement of air from the inside to the outside of the building. It depends on the
airtightness of the openings. Airtightness prevents colder inside air to flow through the
outside during hot weather. Thus, energy usage is reduced.
Mechanical ventilation
Mechanical ventilation is ventilation contributed by electric fans. It is the only solution
when you are in a busy town or in places where they have poor air conditions. It can reduce
moisture and poor air conditions and replace them with fresh air. Energy efficient homes are
more airtight compare to older buildings. For example, they are fitted with Mechanical
Ventilation with Heat Recovery system which is also known as whole house ventilation
systems. They extract warm, damp air from homes and absorb fresh air from outdoors. The
extracted air is gone through a heat exchanger to balance the heat before releasing the air
to the outside. The fresh air from the outside goes in the heat exchanger where it is pre-
warmed to dispose of pollutants in the air. After that, it is pumped into the property. Since air

16. is pre-warmed, heat loss from ventilation is reduced. Less energy is used in this process. At
the same time, cost is also reduced while health is enhanced as the house is well ventilated.
Saves Cost in Long Term
Energy efficient ventilation system is much more of a long term type of saving. These
systems are obviously more expensive than regular, non-energy efficient ventilation systems
as it has a higher installation cost. Whole-house ventilation systems are a type of energy
efficient ventilation systems which are sub-divided into four other ventilation systems such as
exhaust ventilation systems, supply ventilation systems, balanced ventilation systems and
energy recovery ventilation systems. Energy recovery ventilation systems can best relate to
this context of saving cost in long term. It comprises of both heat-recovery ventilators and
energy-recovery ventilators which both contain a heat exchanger, having one or more fans
to push air through the machine and controls. They operate by transferring heat from the
warm inside exhaust air to the cold outside supply air during winter or cold weather. Since
warm inside exhaust air is supplied to the outside, excess heating is no longer required. This
reduces the cost of heating during cold weathers. On the other hand, during hot weathers,
the inside air cools the warmer supply air to reduce cooling cost. In conclusion, it’s a fact that
some ventilation systems do cost more to install. However, after using them more often, you
will notice a tremendous save in cost. This is because we can reduce the heating and
cooling costs in a long run. Not only energy is controlled, electricity bills are also reduced.
Enhance indoor air quality
Air is constantly changing between the inside and the outside of a particular building
where indoor air is constantly, continuously withdrawn and replaced by fresh air. With this,
we can ensure excellent indoor air quality and a more comfortable environment for us to live

17. in. Energy efficient ventilation systems can maintain air purity by preserving oxygen level at
21% air volume. Another way is to dispose of excessive carbon dioxide as it may be harmful
to the occupant. Besides, the air changing motions help to eliminate bad and unnecessary
odours indoors that may disrupt our focus or your day. Eliminating bad odours with fresh air
is proven to improve your mood and reduce stress build-up. Controlled and balanced
humidity provided at a range of 30 to 70% relative humidity is needed for human comfort.
Normally, indoor humidity is approximately 45% relative humidity. Too much humidity can
results in stuffiness and breathing difficulties at home. Likewise, not enough humidity causes
the indoor environment to be too dry and cold. Energy efficient ventilation systems can
provide a more balanced humidity which can provide a better indoor quality.
Disadvantages
High Cost in Short Term
Going back to the previous example, it is true that energy efficient ventilation systems such
as energy-recovery ventilation systems are cheaper in a long run. However, at the same
time, the cost of installing this ventilation system is much higher in short term. This is
because you have to pay the total amount for installing it at the beginning of building or
renovating a particular house. Its installation cost can be influenced by its access to
pipework, the extent of renovation work, its boiler type and the complexities of the existing
ventilation system. Besides, the initial cost must also include all parts of the system,
installation fee as well as the designing of the system to fit your property. Moreover,

18. engaging specialists such as ventilation engineers are also necessary to install these energy
efficient ventilation systems to guarantee its optimum efficiency but it requires a big sum too.
Requires more time to install
Energy efficient ventilation systems generally take a longer time to build and install. This is
because they are more high tech and requires efficient preparation to install it. Besides, its
design is also much more complicated. Moreover, the materials used and the selection of
the most suitable energy efficient ventilation system for that particular home. Ventilation
systems’ suitability depends on various factors including ventilation rates, humidity of the
room and more. For example, we must check the required ventilation rates for the house
before installing the energy efficient ventilation systems. Another example is for exhaust
ventilation system. This system operates by depressurizing the building. We can use this
system if we are in cold climates because it has a function that prevents condensation at the
wall. Therefore, corrosion of walls and moisture damage is prevented. Normally, this system
is used at bathrooms, kitchens, garages, and sub-slab areas. These things must be taken
consideration of. Other than that, planning of time is also a very important factor.
Energy Efficient Ventilation System Case Study
Burj Khalifa
There are various types of ventilation system in a skyscraper like Burj Khalifa.Due to
it’s massive height, the natural stack effect will automatically occur as the temperature and
pressure between the different of the level of the building.With only the stack effect is not
enough to ventilate the air of the building such as the air could not fully flow to the bottom of
the building so it needs mechanical ventilation system to pump the air through the whole
building.In Dubai area, it has a very high temperature climate up to 50 degree celsius which
can make someone feel uncomfortable so it also needs a cooling system too.
Natural Ventilation System
Stack effect and sky sourced ventilation

19. Stack effect in a buildings is the same as stack effect in chimneys which is often seen in
the western country due to the climate change.In a chimney,stack effect is the phenomena
produced by the difference between the temperature of the inside air and the outside air.The
pressure of the draft is a function of both temperature difference and height of the level of
air.During periods of extreme weather,this effect becomes more stronger in buildings of even
very tall building,although the temperature and
pressure difference is much less than in a
chimney.This is especially occur due to the pressure
and temperature change at the entrances to buildings,
elevator shafts,stairwells, dumb waiters ,mail chutes
and mechanical shafts.
In this case, the Burj Khalifa has occur the
phenomenon as reverse stack effect because the flow
of air is downward.With the reverse stack effect, the
cooler more dense air is inside the building and wants
to drop downward and flow out of the building at its’
bottom.
There is two types of mitigation measures which are active mitigation measures and
passive mitigation measures.The active mitigation measure refer to the actions that have
been taken in the mechanical system design specification to allow two strategies to occur
stack effect.Firstly, the sensing of air pressure differentials that indicate an elevated level of
pressure will instigate the automatic relief of excess air from appropriate locations in the
tower. Secondly, air flow monitoring stations will measure supply and exhaust air flow to
maintain a neutral to slightly positive air balance inside the tower.
Passive mitigation measures refer to the measures taken in the fundamental design and
disposition of programmatic design and disposition of programmatic elements of the tower
as well as specific measures specified for the architectural design team in the overall and
detail design of the project could be characterized as augmentation, isolation and
segmentation.
Augmentation refers to elements of the work that have been augmented or improved in
certain ways.Example, improvements to the air tightness and robustness of doors and
partitions or the specification of improved performance to the exterior curtain wall.

20. Isolation refers to designing additional layers or barriers to passage of due to stack
effect. Example include the provision of vestibules, air locks and revolving doors between
areas of differential pressure.
Segmentation is similar to isolation except that is takes a normally continuous element
and breaks it down into shorter segments thereby reducing the variables of height in the
stack effect equation.Example include the separation of stair shafts at area of refuge floors.
There are many elements that will helps to occur stack effect in the Burj Khalifa.The
elements are the exterior wall design criteria,terrace doors,unit entry doors, corridor hex
doors,general measures related to elevators,elevator equipment and shafts,vestibules and
shafts to the service elevators,vestibules and shafts to the double deck observatory or
corporate suite shuttle elevators,exit stair enclose,offsets and area refuge,BMU equipment
rooms and fire stopping and stack effect mitigation in shafts within residential units.
For the most effective element to occur greatest stack effect is the elevator equipment
and shafts. The elevators with the tallest continuous shafts has a special provisional
application which include the addition of special gap seals at the doors,enhanced door closer
and operators and so on.From an operational standpoint,the period of each time that each
elevator door remains open can be adjusted seasonally so as to minimize the period of time
during times of the years.

21. Elevator
shafts
At the level 138, the shaft connect through a vestibule to the shaft to elevator which
continues upward for more than 100 meters.The enclosures of each shaft are separated
from the rest of the building by 2 hour fire rated construction.The elevator doors opening
directly into these shafts, at the top third and bottom third of their height, are provided with
gaskets in addition to special gap seals in order to reduce the amount of infiltration of stack
effect.Vestibules are provide on all floors separating the entrance to each of these elevator
shafts from the rest of the building.There are a total of 57 elevators in the entire Burj Khalifa
so it is very effective to improved stack effect in the
building.
**Diagram shows the air ravel paths that are
potentially active due to stack effect in the tower. The
positive and negative magnitudes of stack effect at point
A and B, connected by the local elevator shafts is less
than that at point C and D connected by the high rise
shuttle elevator shaft.Furthermore, the greatest potential
magnitude would be the differential between points D
and E if one considers the possible interconnection of
shafts over the possible height of the building.
Due to its height, the building is able to utilize
ventilation where cooler air temperatures, reduced air
density, and reduced relative humidity at the top of the
building allow for sky-sourced fresh air. When air is

22. drawn in at the top of the building, it requires less energy for air conditioning, ventilation and
dehumidification.
It windows also serve as a function to reduce the temperature and reduce the usage of
the air conditioning,ventilation and dehumidification function.It is a special window made
from two layers which is a thin layer of metal and a thin layer of silver to keep the
temperature inside the building cool by reflecting the heat and sunlight.
Mechanical Ventilation System
There are various of mechanical ventilation system such as heat exchangers, air
handling units ,HVAC( air conditioning system) and chilled water pump to help to improve
the air quality and temperature in the tower. As it climate has a very high temperature and it
is huge building, it needs a massive number of ducting and HVAC system that will cost a
huge amount of money.
Plate heat exchanger
The heat exchanger equipment used for transfer heat between two fluid to reduce the
air temperature. The tower using ice-storage cooling system that produces tons of ice slurry
during off-peak hours.Using the plate heat exchangers, the ice slurry built up in a tank, store
the cooling energy that is later released, through the pipelines to the entire indoor
conditioning and tap water systems.

23. Air handling unit
Air handling unit is used to re-condition and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating
and air-conditioning system. The basic function of the AHU is take in outside air, re-condition
it and supply it as fresh air to a building.The tower itself is using Klimak company air
handling unit to improve the air quality of the tower by using the air on the higher level which
is clean and cooler air and transfer it to the lower floor.
Chilled water pump
The condenser water absorbs heat from the refrigerant in the condenser barrel of the
water chiller, and is then sent through return lines to a cooling tower, which is a heat
exchange device used to transfer waste heat to the atmosphere.This equipment is install
with the air handling unit to cooler the temperature of the air.
To generate these amount of mechanical ventilation system,it need a massive amount
of electrical and heat energy.However,this tower was built with energy efficient feature such
as the solar panel.It has 378 collector panel and the extreme hot weather in Dubai are which
can heat the entire 140 000 litres of water a day which will reduce a huge amount of cost per

24. year.With all of these system, it still need a large amount of energy to function the whole
building.
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS TO THE SYSTEM
Sand storm
Although burj Khalifa contributed to the sky-sourced ventilation at the
top of the building because at higher elevation, the air became cooler.
However, due to the natural phenomenon that usually occurs in dubai
which is the sandstorm. Sky-sourced ventilation at top of the building
which exposed to the outside air to is not applicable for that time.
Openings and windows which the natural ventilation system to allow
wind pressure to flow into the building cannot be opened because of the
dusty environment, so mechanical ventilation is used to supply air
through the indoor of the building. If the sandstorm affects the surrounding, serious
respiratory problem could endanger our health and breathing difficulties due to the heavy
dust particles being carried on together with the wind
pressure. Besides, sand storm that carries dusty air
particles will concentrate the air filters which blocks the
flow of air through the filters of the mechanical system like
air conditioning to the surrounding areas. In the event of
the sandstorm, the air filter of the systems in the building
have to be cleaned and maintained every time after the
sandstorm approaches.
Condensation

25. Condensation is one of the most common problems that in most buildings will have to deal
with and its presence can have an effect on the occupiers of the dwelling. If condensation
occurs over a prolonged period of time, other signs will begin to appear such as damp
patches on windows, walls, peeling wallpaper, black-mold growth and fungi will develop
around the condensed area. The more moisture there is in
the air, the more likely condensation is about to happen.
Since then, after the introduction of energy saving
measures such as draught proofing, double glazing and
cavity wall insulation, there is no natural escape route for
this stale, humid air, which is now trapped inside the
building. As a result, this trapped and stale air only makes
the problem worse, causing condensation on windows,
walls and poor indoor air quality.
High usage of mechanical ventilation system
Due to hot climate and high temperature in Dubai, cooling the
interior of a skyscraper is quite a challenge. For this purpose,
a huge air conditioning system is constructed in burj Khalifa.
Due to the huge sized skyscraper with many floors and
spaces. Huge air conditioning system is needed to supply
sufficient air throughout the whole area of the building to
ensure that thermal comfort is achieved.
However, air conditioning system uses a large amount of energy to supply sufficient air to
the surrounding. This air conditioning systems required a lot of electricity. As a result, a large
amount of electricity usage of the mechanical ventilation system develop a higher cost over
the period. Because a large percentage of electricity is created by coal-burning power plants,
air conditioning contributes indirectly to the release of greenhouse gases and other
pollutants which could endanger the environment.
Proportion of outside air
To dilute and remove indoor contaminants, HVAC systems must bring in adequate amounts
of outdoor air. However, because a higher cost would be needed to cool hot summer air
especially in areas such as Dubai, some building engineers tried to reduce or eliminate the

26. amount of outdoor air that are flow through the system during hot climate, this allows
contaminated air to accumulate inside, causing pollutant concentrations to increase.
Therefore, a continuous supply of fresh air must be provided for the building.
Blockage in the ventilation system
A HVAC systems must be properly maintained to provide indoor air quality. If this is not
done, ventilation systems can become a source of contamination or become clogged and
reduce or eliminate airflow that provides colder air supply throughout the indoor area. If
HVAC systems are contaminated or dust particles causing the air filter to exist blockage,
thus reducing the supply of air flow to the building. Humidification and dehumidification
systems must be kept clean to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. Failure to
properly treat the water in cooling towers to prevent growth of organisms, may introduce
such organisms into the HVAC supply ducts can increase the concentration of bacteria that
can affect the indoor air quality and cause serious health problems. Accumulations of water
around the system may bring harmful biological growth that can be distributed throughout
the building.

27. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENT
Building maintenance activities
During the maintenance of the building, various source of
pollutants is used, e.g., during painting, renovation, and
pesticides use; schedule a time during the use of pollutant
sources to minimize the impact on indoor air quality. By
setting a time for the use of this pollutant sources, it is
essential during that time ventilation rates of the building
are increased. Thus, increase ventilation rates during
periods of increased pollution in the building.
Regular maintenance of the ventilation system
Air cleaning is an important part of an HVAC system, but is
not a substitute for source control or ventilation. To avoid
affecting the thermal comfort of the indoor air quality, air
cleaning is regularly done to ensure that sufficient air is
distributed to the building. All air cleaners must be properly
sized and maintained to be effective. An HVAC system
that is properly designed, installed, maintained, and
operated is essential to providing healthful indoor air; a poorly maintained system can
generate and disperse air pollutants.

28. Avoid and control of outside air and pollutant
Control of pollutants at the source is the most effective means of
promoting indoor air quality. To reduce the indoor air pollutants,
increase the openings and windows in a building to ventilate the
air of indoor by allowing the outdoor air to flow into the building to
dilute the indoor air and reduce the pollutants. An adequate
supply of outdoor air is essential to diluting indoor pollutants. The
processes involved in ventilation provide for the dilution of
pollutants. In general, increasing the rate at which outdoor air is
supplied to the building decreases indoor air problems.
Reduce condensation in a building/moisture control
Condensation in a building can be controlled by limiting the
sources of moisture; including reverse condensation, which
moisture evaporates from damp materials. For example,
replacing flueless gas or oil heaters. By increasing air
temperature of the surrounding indoor can also reduce the
percentage of condensation to the overall building.
Dehumidification by removing moisture, water vapor or the
humidity from the air. Natural or mechanical ventilation are also the important factor to
control the rate of condensation. Increasing the surface temperatures, such as by the
inclusion of insulation materials around the building or by improving glazing can also reduce
condensation.

29. Learning and Reflection
In this assignment,we have been divided into a group of 6 member and we are
required to select a topic from the brief.Our group had selected the topic that talk about
energy efficient ventilation system.We are required to make research and finding to produce
a report based on our topic.
Ventilation is important in our daily life and the quality of the system affects it the
most. We can’t ignore the problem of it as it will cause several effects to our health. Although
a good quality and useful system cost lots of money but in long term, it will help us save the
bill too. Isn’t it is cost-effective? We did a lot of research on the internet and read books in
the library, only we noticed that there were numbers of systems and their design was
different. It is hard to pick and select the most suitable one as the considerations of the
design of the house, materials of the systems, cost, climates so on and so forth. However, to
reach the target of energy efficient ventilation, it is worth for what we pay today and we will
get the payback someday.
After we had done this assignment, we had learned that group cooperation is the
uttermost important factor that lead to the success of the completion of this work. we had
learned to communicate and discuss together with every group mates. We were discussed
by dividing our task accordingly and equally. Moreover, after completing the work, we had
gain more knowledge about the ventilation process and to improve the current condition to a
further stage in the future. By using energy efficient to the ventilation system to reduce the
cost and energy used in the building and also reduce the pollution affected to the
environment. Indeed, we had also discovered a deeper knowledge about the case study that
we had selected and do research about the building’s ventilation system and solve the
building current issue to lead a better future.
As Conclusion,we also had gain extra knowledge about the building’s ventilation
functions and also energy efficiency to save the environment and reduce the cost usage.
Without the cooperation from my group members, this report will not be of great success and
completion. After completing this assignment, we had also gain a deeper knowledge about
the ventilation system of the building by doing multiple research.

30. Reference
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