Climate-X

Air technology of the future - value-added sustainability in construction

Published

2025. 10. 10. 08:03
Photo: lindab
Demand-controlled ventilation and recycled steel ducts reduce energy use and carbon footprint while increasing the value of buildings. The buildings of the future also require sustainable building services solutions!

Energy prices, energy security, the effects of climate change – these are just a few of the factors that have brought sustainable building services solutions into focus in recent years. Among the various sectors, revolutionary changes have been taking place in the field of ventilation technology since the coronavirus pandemic, and these processes have not slowed down at all in recent years. Ventilation technology plays a particularly important role in the operation and sustainability of buildings, as indoor comfort and mechanical ventilation solutions directly affect a building's energy consumption, liveability, the health of its occupants, and the value of the property. Lindab, one of Europe's leading ventilation technology companies, has achieved significant results in maximising indoor comfort and minimising energy consumption with its energy-efficient and excellent mechanical engineering solutions.

Seventy percent savings from the demand-driven system

An excellent example of this is the installation of demand-controlled ventilation systems, which also deliver excellent energy efficiency results. With the help of sensors and controllers, the ventilation system always supplies the rooms with as much air as is necessary based on the needs of the occupants. This can significantly reduce the energy requirements of buildings. Such a system was installed in the German office of Lindab during renovation, and its efficiency was monitored. Based on their data, while ensuring a better level of indoor comfort, energy savings of nearly 70 per cent in the building by operating the ventilation systems only where and when they were actually needed due to occupancy.

A pioneering role in circular farming

One of Europe's leading air technology companies is also a pioneer in the industry through its climate-conscious developments and decisions.
Lindab was the first company in the world to produce fossil-free steel air ducts, which were supplied as a test for a Swedish project.

The company's product range includes air ducts made from 75% air ducts made from recycled steel, which can reduce the environmental impact of carbon emissions by up to 62 per cent.

What does it mean if the investor chooses such an alternative?

In a previous article, we gave the example of a medium-sized office complex - with a floor area of 62,500 square metres. Its ductwork requires 22 850 kg of steel. In the case of conventional steel production, the total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) generated by the production in the case under consideration is 63.3 tonnes. If pipes produced using recycled steel were used for the same building, this value could be reduced to only 24.6 tonnes, which represents a saving of 38.7 tonnes of CO₂e. What would that mean? For example, this carbon saving would be the equivalent of driving a conventional car 210 526 kilometres, or five times around the world along the equator.
Air ducts made of recycled steel are also available in our country, produced by Lindab in Biatorbágy, which means they are easily and quickly available.

Office renovation in Stockholm with Lindab recycled steel air duct

Stockholm's Jakobsbergsgatan 24, a listed building over a century old, has undergone a major office refurbishment with a focus on sustainability and a modern, flexible office environment for the long term. The investor chose Lindab circular and rectangular air ducts made of recycled steel, which perfectly matched the environmentally conscious vision.

The decision also delivered tangible environmental results: the Lindab solutions reduced the total CO₂e emissions of the air handling system by 30 036 kilograms (A1-A3 GWP fossil energy), a saving equivalent to the emissions of about 15 round-trip flights between Budapest and New York.

A sustainable building services solution adds value

Both the German and the recent Swedish pilot projects show that modernising the ventilation of buildings not only protects workers' health, but can also reduce the environmental impact of buildings if it is done in a well thought-out way. A further benefit of building services modernisation is an increase in the value of the property. The Lindab solutions help investors to obtain building certifications, which means higher sales and rental prices in the real estate market.

Keep up with progress! New forward-looking event on building services engineering

In the 21st century architecture, as these few examples show, building services engineering, especially sustainable building services engineering, will be a basic requirement for competitiveness.

Recognising this, the Green Engineering Forum 2025 conference is being held for the first time this year. Organised at the Lechner Event Centre on 9 October, the event will provide an opportunity for representatives of the building services engineering and construction professions to meet and discuss issues and solutions that will help create „better” buildings. Following smart homes and smart buildings, smart cities are now being established, which requires designers and contractors to be familiar with the latest products and solutions. The use of artificial intelligence will be a topic of discussion at the professional forum, as will the building services engineering aspects of smart city construction.

In addition, retrofit is also discussed, or what to do with outdated ventilation systems, how to modernise them without demolishing the whole building.

The energy and cost optimisation of buildings, or even smart controls, is an exciting topic.

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