Smarter Ventilation in Social Housing: Monitor, Detect and Respond, Blog 1

Ventilation: The unruly child of the retrofit family.

Blog 1: The Value of Ventilation Control in Creating Healthy Homes by Richard Kemp-Harper

In the family of things that go into a whole house retrofit, fabric measures are probably Mum and Dad. Energy efficiency has been around for what seems like ages and has given birth to an industry and even installation standards. Decarbonisation technologies like solar PV, heat pumps and batteries are older teenagers: relatively mature but still growing. But ventilation is an unruly 6-year old that seems to have been a bit of a surprise and nobody knows quite how to handle it.

But in the pursuit of healthier, more energy-efficient homes, ventilation couldn't be more important. Insulation and heating upgrades tend to take centre stage, yet how we manage airflow can make the difference between a home that simply meets the EPC target and one that benefits both residents and landlords in the long term.

Much work is going on to help the 6-year old grow up, with the processes and standards in retrofit increasing the emphasis on getting this right. But even in this, very little is said about control of ventilation. We are used to thermostats and increasingly smart thermostats for conventional heating and sophisticated systems for heat pumps, but passive trickle vents and a bathroom fan are expected to be enough to manage airflow! Ventilation control has the opportunity to take homes beyond mere compliance, towards creating indoor environments that are comfortable, adaptable, resilient and ready for the future. In social housing, where the focus is rightly on quality of life and long-term performance, this matters more than ever.

Healthy homes start with the right airflow

A healthy home needs the right balance of warmth, humidity and fresh air, to be at the right temperature and have the right ventilation. As insulation standards rise, managing airflow becomes more complex but also more critical as we can’t rely on natural “leakiness”. A system that is static, providing airflow based on a design and assumed occupancy is like a stopped clock, right twice a day. Smart ventilation control can ensure that as homes become more airtight, they also become more breathable, in the right way, at the right time.

Heating and ventilation should work together to maintain optimal temperature and humidity, while supporting better indoor air quality by avoiding the build-up of other indoor pollutants. Together this can contribute to resident health and wellbeing, while also reducing heating and cooling demand and bills. But it needs control.

From passive systems to proactive control

Traditional ventilation methods, such as trickle vents or extractor fans, rely on static performance and are prone to interference from resident behaviour. Or at the other extreme, large, expensive MVHR systems that provide good air quality but are challenging to retrofit. At AirEx our approach is to use sensors and control of simple, adaptable ventilators. And this approach offers something more: the ability to monitor environmental conditions, detect changes and respond intelligently.

Our technology provides targeted control based on real-time data, ensuring the right level of ventilation when and where it’s needed. We have shown that this approach works with Floorvent which focuses on the underfloor area, but we are in the process of expanding this to enable smart ventilation across the whole home, supporting both comfort and energy efficiency.

Supporting long-term housing quality

For housing associations and local authorities, healthy homes are not just about resident comfort, they’re about resilience and adaptability. Smart ventilation allows the home to live and breathe, to respond to long term changes in occupancy or activity to help reduce future risk of moisture-related issues like condensation and mould, keeping residents safe, reducing call outs and protecting the building fabric and lowering maintenance needs over time.

By shifting from reactive fixes to proactive control and response, housing providers can avoid costly interventions and deliver better value throughout the asset lifecycle.

Part of a smarter, connected ecosystem

Introducing control of ventilation also opens up the opportunity of integration into other systems in the home. Indeed smart ventilation works best when integrated into broader efforts around retrofit, decarbonisation and digital asset management. As one example, since heat pumps love to provide steady heat, ventilation control can provide the finer-grained control of temperature that is needed as things happen in the home. 

As we move towards whole-home solutions, ventilation control is no longer just a supporting act, it’s a key part of the way the home works.

So let’s start to talk about ventilation control, and perhaps we can start to tame the 6-year old. 

To explore more:

To see how smart ventilation control is already improving comfort and wellbeing in homes, visit our Healthy Homes page.

If you’re interested in piloting our technology or learning more about upcoming trials and product releases, we’d love to hear from you. 

Get in touch to start the conversation.

Coming up next:

Blog 2: What Monitoring Tells Us – and How to Use That Insight

The power of visibility and data in managing ventilation more effectively.