Smart technology is helping developers and architects to meet the growing demand for energy efficient HVAC solutions. Known as Demand Control Ventilation (DCV), the system increases the efficiency and effectiveness of the ventilation system, thereby reducing energy consumption and power bills.

Fantech’s PowerLine EC Centrifugal and Eco-Speed Axial in-line fans are available with a DCV system. It works in conjunction with a number of sensors to automatically control the amount of ventilation required according to the environmental conditions and occupancy level of the space.

DCV ensures that the fan works at full speed when demand requires it, but as this reduces, fan speed and therefore energy consumption are lowered. In the case of the PowerLine EC, its intelligent EC motor provides significant energy savings when run at less than full speed. For example, running the fan at ½ speed, reduces power consumption by almost 87.5%. The Eco-Speed Axial has infinite speed control and integrated electronics that combine a 240V AC supply with the efficiency of a 415V motor.

The DCV system accommodates all sensor types in one package, eg. differential pressure, temperature, relative humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations. These sensors continuously monitor the conditions in the room and feed the information back to the on-board DCV zone controller in real time. The controller processes the information then adjusts the fan speed accordingly, modulating the ventilation rate to suit the environmental conditions.

What makes this system more unique is that installers do not need to have specialised control knowledge when fitting the DCV system. It is a simple plug and play installation with the parameters for each of the sensors preset to handle typical applications. These parameters can be easily adjusted via the wall mounted room monitor supplied as part of the DCV fan package.

The smart technology of the DCV system is not only easy to install and operate, but also reduces energy consumption and power bills through increased efficiency of the ventilation system.