Training Offensive: Comfort Ventilation

Status

completed

Summary

Motivation: The success of sustainable energy efficient buildings depends mostly on the acceptance of the occupants, who expect an increase in comfort as well as substantial energy savings. Controlled ventilation systems with heat recovery therefore became standard components of innovative building services systems. In order to increase the acceptance of controlled ventilation systems and at the same time improve sustainable building technologies it is essential to ensure that the know-how of the current state of the art technologies is transferred to the building professionals.

Content and Method: Main content of the project is the development of a comprehensive continuing education programme for installers which also offers the participants the opportunity for certification. The basis of the programme is a 5-day course. 1 day of this course will be dedicated to demonstration and monitoring exercises. The quality standard is based on the "8 criteria of occupant's satisfaction" (which ensures a high acceptance) and the "55 quality criteria for comfort ventilation systems".

Upon completion of the course the gained knowledge will be tested in the framework of an oral and written exam. Participants, who would like to be certified, will in addition have to complete other tasks to ensure a long-term ‘quality assignment'. The certification also provides a valuable marketing tool for the installers.

To support participants in their marketing activities, a 14-pages brochure providing information on "comfort ventilation systems" has been developed. The content of the brochure communicates basic information on this technology. Distribution of the brochure will be facilitated through the energy institutes and information centres of the federal states.

To prioritise the content of the continuing education course the results of the "building of tomorrow" projects, the comments of external experts as well as the experiences of a parallel programme in Switzerland have all been considered. In setting the competency requirements for the target group "installers" the thematic fields for the continuing education as well as extent of these fields were defined. The first draft of the course material has been validated in a pilot course with invited experts. In order to ensure a good coverage and locations close to interested persons, initially 3 locations have been defined (Vienna, Klagenfurt, Kufstein). For the practical part of the course a mobile operative laboratory of a comfort ventilation system has been developed. Apart from its use as an exercise facility for adjustments and monitoring comparisons, the models should also be used for other education events, seminars, conferences and similar purposes.

Goals:

• Development of a continuing education programme with the possibility for certification
• Comprehensive course materials, working sheets and design tools
• Validation of the course content through external experts in a pilot course
• Mid-term increase in quality of the systems and therefore an increased acceptance
• Brochure on "comfort ventilation systems"

References:

• Results from the "house of tomorrow"-projects: "Technical Status of residential ventilation systems", "Increase of acceptance of low-energy building components" as well as other areas of the "building of tomorrow"-projects
• Book "Wohnungslüftung", Heinrich Huber, Rene Mosbacher, Faktor Verlag 2006
• Figures, diagrams and excerpts from "Vertiefte Weiterbildung Komfortlüftung" Heinrich Huber, Minergie CH
• ÖNORM H 6038: "Kontrollierte mechanische Be- und Entlüftungen von Wohnungen mit Wärmerückgewinnung", ON-Seminarunterlagen "Die neue ÖNORM H 6038 in der Praxis"

Results:

• Defined teaching goals of each chapter for the orientation of the participants
• Comprehensive course material in form of approximately 750 power-point slides. The slides also serve as a script and reference for the participants
• MS-Excel design tool for the calculation of air volume, acoustics and pressure drop of comfort ventilation systems
• Pool of approximately 200 questions for the written exam of the participants (Multiple-Choice-Test)
• Laboratory model and respectively plans and materials for additional models at the course locations for the practical exercises
• Updated version of the 55 quality criteria as well as the development of the guidelines "8 quality criteria for air-heating systems in passive houses" split into criteria "Prerequisite, Requirement, Recommendation"
• Definition of 8 satisfaction criteria for the definition of "comfort ventilation systems"
• Printed version of a 14-pages information brochure on "comfort ventilation systems"
• 3 continuing education locations with appropriate infrastructure
• Cooperation with "Wifi" as an additional provider of the course for other states

Summary and forecast

With the establishment of this continuing education programme an important foundation for the improvement of the quality of the systems has been set which in turn ensured an increased acceptance. However in order to ensure an increased utilisation of the offered course an increased marketing effort has to be made. The persistent scepticism as well as sometime rejection of the professionals towards comfort ventilation systems has to be reduced. In addition the level of awareness of the courses on offer has to be increased. As at the moment there is no specific network for comfort ventilation systems which is comparable to an association, a multitude of channels must be used for dissemination.

The courses offered so far have not been accepted in a sufficient quantity. Therefore a modular course system has already been considered. This would offer the participants the possibility to become acquainted with the topic step by step, depending on their experience and personal goals. The option of a voluntary certification after finishing all parts of the course should however, even against some reservations from the installers' associations, still remain in order to display the qualification.

project homepage: www.komfortlüftung.at

Project management

Ing. Wolfgang Leitzinger

Institute/company

arsenal research

Partners

DI Ernst Blümel
AEE Intec
Feldgasse 19, 8200 Gleisdorf
E-Mail: e.bluemel@aee.at

DI Andreas Greml, FH Kufstein
FH Kufstein
Andreas Hofer Straße 7, 6330 Kufstein
E-Mail: andreas.greml@fh-kufstein.ac.at

DI Roland Kapferer
Energie Tirol
Adamgasse 4, 6020 Innsbruck
E-Mail: roland.kapferer@energie-tirol.at

Ing. Wolfgang Leitzinger
arsenal research
Giefinggasse 2, 1210 Wien
Tel.: +43 (0) 505 50-6385
Fax: +43 (0 )505 50-6613
E-Mail: wolfgang.leitzinger@arsenal.ac.at
Homepage: www.arsenal.ac.at