Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges

Ensuring proper indoor air quality in high-rise apartment buildings is a crucial challenge, particularly when upgrading ventilation systems during deep energy renovation of existing buildings. This study evaluates the condition of existing ventilation systems and assesses the performance, cost, and...

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Main Authors: Anti Hamburg, Ülar Palmiste, Alo Mikola, Targo Kalamees
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2785
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author Anti Hamburg
Ülar Palmiste
Alo Mikola
Targo Kalamees
author_facet Anti Hamburg
Ülar Palmiste
Alo Mikola
Targo Kalamees
author_sort Anti Hamburg
collection DOAJ
description Ensuring proper indoor air quality in high-rise apartment buildings is a crucial challenge, particularly when upgrading ventilation systems during deep energy renovation of existing buildings. This study evaluates the condition of existing ventilation systems and assesses the performance, cost, and energy efficiency of different mechanical ventilation solutions with heat recovery, including centralized and decentralized balanced ventilation with heat recovery, single-room ventilation units, and mechanical extract ventilation with heat pump heat recovery or without heat recovery. An onsite survey revealed significant deficiencies in existing ventilation systems, such as airtight window installations without dedicated fresh air valves, misaligned and decayed exhaust shafts, and inadequate extract airflow in kitchens and bathrooms. SWOT analyses for each system highlighted their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, providing valuable insights for decision-makers. The results indicate that while centralized and decentralized mechanical ventilation with heat recovery enhances energy efficiency and indoor air quality in high-rise multifamily apartment buildings, challenges such as high installation costs, maintenance complexity, and architectural constraints must be addressed. Heat recovery with exhaust air heat pumps is a viable alternative for high-rise apartment buildings when more efficient options are not feasible.
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spelling doaj-art-cb3d3fd5db984adcb1d0954f8c0a71e62025-08-20T02:33:08ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-011811278510.3390/en18112785Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation ChallengesAnti Hamburg0Ülar Palmiste1Alo Mikola2Targo Kalamees3nZEB Research Group, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstonianZEB Research Group, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstonianZEB Research Group, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstonianZEB Research Group, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaEnsuring proper indoor air quality in high-rise apartment buildings is a crucial challenge, particularly when upgrading ventilation systems during deep energy renovation of existing buildings. This study evaluates the condition of existing ventilation systems and assesses the performance, cost, and energy efficiency of different mechanical ventilation solutions with heat recovery, including centralized and decentralized balanced ventilation with heat recovery, single-room ventilation units, and mechanical extract ventilation with heat pump heat recovery or without heat recovery. An onsite survey revealed significant deficiencies in existing ventilation systems, such as airtight window installations without dedicated fresh air valves, misaligned and decayed exhaust shafts, and inadequate extract airflow in kitchens and bathrooms. SWOT analyses for each system highlighted their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, providing valuable insights for decision-makers. The results indicate that while centralized and decentralized mechanical ventilation with heat recovery enhances energy efficiency and indoor air quality in high-rise multifamily apartment buildings, challenges such as high installation costs, maintenance complexity, and architectural constraints must be addressed. Heat recovery with exhaust air heat pumps is a viable alternative for high-rise apartment buildings when more efficient options are not feasible.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2785deep energy renovationventilationindoor climateretrofittingenergy performancemechanical ventilation
spellingShingle Anti Hamburg
Ülar Palmiste
Alo Mikola
Targo Kalamees
Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges
Energies
deep energy renovation
ventilation
indoor climate
retrofitting
energy performance
mechanical ventilation
title Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges
title_full Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges
title_fullStr Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges
title_full_unstemmed Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges
title_short Ventilation Strategies for Deep Energy Renovations of High-Rise Apartment Buildings: Energy Efficiency and Implementation Challenges
title_sort ventilation strategies for deep energy renovations of high rise apartment buildings energy efficiency and implementation challenges
topic deep energy renovation
ventilation
indoor climate
retrofitting
energy performance
mechanical ventilation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/11/2785
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AT ularpalmiste ventilationstrategiesfordeepenergyrenovationsofhighriseapartmentbuildingsenergyefficiencyandimplementationchallenges
AT alomikola ventilationstrategiesfordeepenergyrenovationsofhighriseapartmentbuildingsenergyefficiencyandimplementationchallenges
AT targokalamees ventilationstrategiesfordeepenergyrenovationsofhighriseapartmentbuildingsenergyefficiencyandimplementationchallenges