Guidelines on cost effective natural and low energy ventilation strategies for retrofitting to UK offices.

Work carried out in the UK, on behalf of, and fully funded by the Department Transport and Regions, has produced guidelines for the cost effective refurbishment of offices for natural and low energy ventilation. The aim of the work is to counteract the current trend towards the installation of air conditioning when other low energy strategies will provide suitable comfort conditions. This paper shows ways in which comfort conditions can be achieved with zero or minimal energy use in a range of office types, using natural ventilation or simple mechanical low energy systems.