Natural ventilation vs Mechanical ventilation

Natural ventilation

Natural ventilation, as the name implies, is a system using natural forces to supply fresh air for comfort and heat dissipation. As an alternative to mechanical ventilation, this approach relies on the natural wind force and buoyancy to deliver fresh air to indoor spaces. For most of human history, natural ventilation was the only way to dilute and flush air contaminants like odors, smoke, and other combustion by-products from an inhabited space.

Mechanical ventilation

On the other hand, with the implementation of air conditioning in the 20th century, things changed dramatically as interior conditions became more controllable through the use of HVAC machinery. Mechanical ventilation uses ducts and fans to draw in and distribute fresh air throughout your space, and sometimes to exhaust air from specific areas such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Whether a natural ventilation strategy is right for you depends on several factors, including climate, building use, local surroundings. If the cooling capacity of ambient air can be harnessed to increase indoor thermal comfort, then the necessity for mechanical space conditioning lessens. However, modern construction is creating homes that are far more tightly sealed, so ventilation is becoming an increasingly important component in home HVAC systems.