HVAC - Natural Ventilation Principles and Practices

This online engineering PDH course outlines the basic principles underlying natural ventilation, and explains how best to proceed with a specific design. It is not intended to be a textbook of natural ventilation; the main aim is to assist designers to quickly establish how their building may be naturally ventilated.

Natural ventilation refers to the process of exchanging warm building air for cooler outside air without the use of energy-consuming mechanical devices, such as fans and air conditioners. With an increased awareness of the cost and environmental impacts of energy use, natural ventilation has become an increasingly attractive method for providing acceptable indoor environmental quality and maintaining a healthy, comfortable and productive indoor climate. In favorable climates, natural ventilation can be used as an alternative to air-conditioning systems, saving 10% to 30% of total energy consumption.

Natural ventilation is not always as simple as just providing multiple operable windows in a building. Wind patterns specific to the site, as well as building design and its arrangement, play a vital role. However, care must be taken to avoid having a wind tunnel effect in areas of the building, as this obviously provides an undesirable effect of an excessively windy environment.

This 4 PDH online course is intended for mechanical engineers, architects, building designers, energy auditors, facility managers, property and estate managers, operational and maintenance personnel, and other professionals interested in gaining a better understanding of natural ventilation practices.