Did you know that an estimated 90% of people around the world breathe in contaminated air? In other words, almost everyone in the world currently lacks access to clean air. Let that sink in.

Now the question is, why does this matter? Air is all around us – the average building is even made up of 96% air. It’s the most abundant substance in the world, and as humans, we need it for survival. However, breathing poor quality air can have implications on human health and wellbeing, ranging from respiratory illnesses to chest infections, and from skin problems to even eyesight issues.

Lewis Boyland

While polluted air is prevalent indoors and outdoors, the indoor air can be up to 5 times more contaminated than outdoor air, caused by factors such as smoking, cooking, aerosols and airborne bacteria. And with the amount of time we spend indoors, an efficient ventilation strategy that treats and manages contaminated air is imperative. Air filtration, in tandem with continuous extraction, helps to improve indoor air change rates and the evacuation of polluted air, in accordance with local building regulations. In my experience, employing the right ventilation solutions and extract systems that ensure a balanced supply is vital for optimum Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) conditions that enhance the safety and comfort of occupants.

Until recent years, the importance of ventilation largely went unnoticed. This common misconception was dramatically swept aside with the onset of COVID-19, which brought to light the need to regularly ‘refresh’ the air in our living, working and leisure spaces to rid buildings of contaminated air. The added pressure on fan manufacturers to produce innovative, energy-efficient solutions that enhance indoor air quality is one of the few good things to result from the pandemic.

Beyond its role in keeping us healthy and comfortable, high-performing ventilation is vital to life safety in emergency situations. For example, when fires occur, flames, smoke and gases can spread throughout the building. Smoke extractor fans are a commonly used ventilation solution that serve to extract smoke fumes long enough for people to evacuate the building and reach safety. A similar solution can be used to drive air into the building, pressurising escape routes such as stairwells, in the event of an emergency. In both cases, these fans are manufactured and independently tested by a third party to ensure they can withstand high temperatures of up to 400 degrees C and operate reliably under emergency conditions.

In the Middle East, where high-rise buildings are in abundance, the challenges of evacuation under emergency conditions must be met with complete confidence and reliability. Smoke extractor fans must work harder and for longer to ensure the safe evacuation of occupants from high level floors, making energy efficiency and durability essential considerations.

Furthermore, with such a high concentration of residential, commercial and office buildings in the GCC region, many cities also contain a high concentration of car parks, consisting of both above and below-ground levels. Fires within enclosed environments, such as underground carparks, can be particularly hazardous, necessitating a robust smoke extraction strategy. A meticulously tested system is again vital to preserve life in such situations.

Car parks also often face the issue of insufficient fresh air flow, particularly those with multiple underground levels. Smoke extract fans typically serve a dual purpose; they also work on a day-to-day basis to ensure carbon monoxide levels remain within prescribed limits by channeling the flow of fumes via a jet fan system towards a designated exhaust point.

It is possible to offer the latest ventilation solutions to reliably address these critical areas of operation, working to provide the landlord and occupants with peace of mind. Smoke extract ranges have been developed to ensure reliability under emergency conditions but also to offer optimum efficiency when used for daily environmental supply and extract. Such ranges are developed to address the regional building regulations, with F300 or F400 for a maximum duration of two hours in the event of an emergency, allowing for reliable operation, when most needed.

If a fire does occur within the car park, the systems can be designed to a pre-determined fire load with fans strategically located to create a virtual smoke barrier. This would ensure the smoke spread is limited and cleared quickly and effectively while keeping the rest of the car park smoke-free for safe evacuation.

As we look to the future of air management and ventilation solutions, the industry is striving to make sustainability a key focus with a drive towards energy efficiency. Many modern manufacturers are portraying to the market that their latest equipment is more energy efficient, but in reality, many have addressed nothing more than the basic components within their existing units. It is a ‘simple fix’ to replace an old AC motor with a more modern EC or DC equivalent, but for significant energy savings to be made, the entire ventilation system needs to be designed with carbon reduction as a focus. Choice of motors, control electronics, airflow paths – within the fan unit and within the wider system – are all of vital importance when defining the energy efficiency of a system.

Aside from the system itself, there are other innovations that enable energy and, thus, cost savings for projects. The rise of smart integrated systems and demand-based control can have a positive impact on energy consumption. When a system is first installed, it operates perfectly. Over time, however, system components naturally begin to ‘drift’ away from initial performance and gradually deteriorate. This is known as performance drift. The process of learning, analysing and optimising the way our systems work can provide deep insights to combat performance, enhance occupant comfort and save energy and associated costs. For example, integrating smart technology that monitors energy consumption can reveal key areas for optimisation. Going a step further, incorporating demand-based controls that use energy on a need-only basis can help to reduce wastage and increase overall system efficiency.

In order to truly make strides towards improving air quality on a global scale, nationwide strategies that address innovation and legislation are necessary. As other regions around the world push forward green legislation, it’s a matter of time before this comes into play in the Middle East. Only once legislation changes will manufacturers adapt their offering to deliver more high-performing, energy-efficient ventilation systems. In the meantime, what developers in the region can do is focus on selecting the right air management and ventilation systems – ones that are robust, reliable, tried and tested – to ensure they protect people, planet and profits.