As schools face a 100% increase in their energy bills(1), Gilberts is proposing its hybrid ventilation solution as a cost-effective retrofit way to address the cost whilst improving the educational estate’s carbon footprint and sustainability for the long-term.
The independent air movement specialist has a solution that is recommended by the Department for Education(2), that ventilates and heats, and costs less than £8/classroom/year to run.(3) The solution is Gilberts’ MFS stand-alone, hybrid ventilation solution. Essentially a natural ventilation unit that can operate solely on fresh air, it includes a quiet, low energy fan to supplement airflow only as conditions demand (such as the recent heatwave). Installed through the external façade or window (or the rooftop), it mixes ‘used’ internal and fresh external air to ventilate the internal space providing free cooling with heat recovery and no risk of cross contamination.
A mixing damper within modulates airflow to allow the new, fresh air to mix with the warm exhaust air, thus extracting its heat without the need for an exchanger. The integrated low energy fan energises to blend the internal air, ensuring an even distribution of airflow, controlling CO2 levels without stratification. The smart Mistrale Control Unit (MCU) gives individual, automatic room control, requiring no occupier input to maintain the comfort levels within.
Each MFS unit can be accessorised with an LPHW coil to temper the air to provide Covid compliant ventilation without compromising the internal temperature, or filter boxes to control NOX and other pollutants (F2-7 or F7+).
Integrated into the heating system — including heat pumps — Gilberts’ MFS can utilise the warmth generated from LPHW systems to warm or cool the internal space as needed without the need for radiators and all associated ancillary capital costs. By using the MFS for heating there is no need for radiators, further freeing utilisation of the internal space.
Free night cooling is standard; a boost mode enables the air within the space to be ‘purged’ for fast redress of air quality and temperature
As a solus ventilation unit, MFS costs as little as £5/room/year at current tariffs to operate. Using it as the means of room heating adds just £2.19/room/year meaning a total ventilation and heating bill/ classroom of just £7.19 pa.
Its sustainable credentials are further enhanced by its design: the MFS range attains air leakage better than legislative requirements — 5m3/HR/m2, and a U value of 1W/m2/°C. As with all Gilberts’ ventilation solutions, it delivers efficient weather performance via its bespoke louvre system (up to Class A). MFS has also been engineered to minimise embodied carbon.
MFS has already been proven to help achieve BREEAM Excellent(3), contributing points towards Energy and Health and Wellbeing.
MFS is cost-effective to install, requiring no ductwork, making it quick and easy to retrofit.
Observes Ian Rogers, Gilberts’ Sales Director said: “MFS helps simplify the complex issues school management teams are facing balancing the books as energy prices soar. In one unit, it delivers a highly cost-efficient, sustainable option,creating an internal environment that enhances the health and wellbeing— and therefore productivity — of staff and pupils.”
Find out more about MFS here: https://gilbertsblackpool.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Mistrale-Fusion-September-2021.pdf.
References
(1) tes.com/magazine/news/general/ps63k-month-bills-soaring-energy-prices-hit-schools
(2) Building Bulletin 101
(3) At current tariffs
(4) Oceansgate Plymouth
