Ventilation – filtration – non-residential assets

Relevant specialist required

The design and specification of air filtration for mechanical ventilation requires the input and review of a relevant ventilation designer or specialist. It is their responsibility to interpret the requirements of this KBCN to align with local conditions.

Referenced standard

The requirements for air filtration in mechanical ventilation systems follows EN 16798-3:2017 Section B4.2. This standard replaces EN 13779:2007. See KBCN1054.

Supply air quality

  • For assessments using current standard EN 16798-3:2017 Section B4.2: The minimum supply air quality required is SUP2.
    SUP 2 applies unless the asset’s function dictates even higher supply air quality. Please refer to a relevant specialist for further advice.
  • For assessments using legacy standard EN 13779:2007 Annex A3: The default minimum indoor air quality category required is IDA2.
    For international assessments where there is no relevant local guidance in the ASWL, the default non-domestic ventilation rates stated in the ASWL equate to an EN 13779 indoor air category of IDA2.

Outdoor air quality

The filtering required to achieve SUP2 is affected by outdoor air quality. Outdoor air quality (ODA) in both EN 16798-3:2017 and EN 13779:2007 are defined as:

  • ODA 1: outdoor air that meets World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines or national air quality standards.
  • ODA 2 exceeds ODA 1 levels by factor of ≤1.5.
  • ODA 3 exceeds ODA 1 levels by factor > 1.5.

As ODA definitions are relative to national air quality standards, these will depend on local regulations and the location of the asset. Please refer to the relevant specialist on how to correctly classify ODA for your asset.

18-Nov-2022 Title amended to differentiate between residential and non-residential filtration KBCNs.
06-Sep-2022 KBCN re-written and re-named to clarify BREEAM ventilation filtration requirements in relation to new ventilation standards.