Decentralized unit brings ventilation performance of schools to the highest level: Energetic, quiet and extremely hygienic

"According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), good ventilation also counteracts bacterial and viral spread such as corona," says Maarten van Dalen, Account Manager at FläktGroup. "Not for nothing have good ventilation and a healthy indoor climate become high on the agenda of schools and governments in recent months. A good development, because in many schools ventilation is not (yet) in order...."

In the summer of 2020, the National Coordination Team for Ventilation in Schools investigated the state of ventilation in our elementary and secondary schools. Initial results showed that in 11 percent of schools (nearly 800 school buildings) the air quality does not meet the legal standards. To accelerate change in this, the government has released 360 million euros, the first 100 million of which is now available. Schools that need to make technical adjustments can claim up to 30 percent of their investment costs from the government. Many municipalities are also assisting financially. This creates opportunities that the industry is seizing with both hands. "At (too) many schools, a window is still simply opened to ventilate," Van Dalen knows. "And also too low ventilation flow rates or taped grilles are unfortunately still the order of the day. With our decentralized ATpicco school ventilation unit, we offer an efficient solution for both problems, effectively tackling overheating in summer in addition to inadequate ventilation."

Minimal noise, maximum efficiency

ATpicco is a ventilation system with low temperature heating and high temperature cooling, which provides ventilation, heating and cooling per room and based on CO2 readings, temperature and/or attendance, says Van Dalen. "The ventilation unit is easy to build into a suspended ceiling. Moreover, ATpicco can be built in in phases for each classroom, allowing the school to remain open as usual. In normal operation, each unit has a capacity of 950 m3/hour and operates whisper quietly. A cross-flow exchanger enables highly efficient heat and cold recovery, with efficiencies as high as 91%! As a result, schools do not face high energy bills. It also conserves the environment. Because the return air is completely separated from the supply air, recirculation of, for example, aerosols is not an issue."

MFA Voorn in Utrecht

FläktGroup recently delivered 72 units for the renovation and partial new construction of MFA Voorn in Utrecht, which clustered two elementary schools, a daycare center, an out-of-school care center and a double gymnasium. "In this project, maximum commitment was made to sustainability and circularity," said Van Dalen. "In the existing situation, both students and teachers experienced drafts and coldness due to the window grilles and mechanical extraction. As a result, the grilles were closed, so that ventilation was hardly there anymore. With ATpicco, we overcome this problem."

While schools up to 3,500 m2 usually opt for decentralized ventilation systems, for larger schools central air treatment is also of interest. "However, in MFA Voorn, which has an area of 7,500 m2, the advantages of decentralized ventilation are still being fully exploited," Van Dalen said. "Consider, for example, the flexible and phased construction, but also the relatively low investment. When designing the ATpicco school ventilation units, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) was taken as the starting point. Low energy consumption and long life of the unit and components make this concept very sustainable."

In addition to the decentralized ATpicco school ventilation units, FläktGroup also provides a solution for central ventilation with CAIR, where one air handling unit on the roof or in the technical room provides ventilation for all teaching areas.