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Ventilative cooling (VC) is a way to cool or to prevent overheating in a building by means of ventilation rates higher than hygienic ventilation rates. To this end, natural (such as windows, vents, louvers) as well mechanical (extract or supply fans) ventilation devices can be used. Taking into account the reported realised energy savings of this technology, this study aims to focus on regulatory measures taken or missing regarding ventilative cooling in several countries, which could either inspire developments in other countries or point out specific problems for the market uptake of this technology; it gives an overview of provisions for ventilative cooling within 8 European building energy performance regulations.
Information has been collected through a questionnaire prepared jointly by venticool, the international platform for ventilative cooling and IEA Annex 62. Representatives from 8 countries (Belgium- Flanders, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy and United Kingdom) provided their feedback to the questionnaire. The responses to the survey confirm that energy performance regulations usually consider ventilative cooling in a rather simplified manner (when considered). However, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland and Greece consider ventilative cooling in their regulation using various features: assessment of overheating risks (BE, DK), use of dynamic hourly tools (FI, FR), use of performance characteristics of ventilative cooling devices, specific requirements for ventilative cooling products (BE) and benefits of automated systems (FI, FR, GR). 6 of the 8 surveyed countries have thermal comfort criteria in their regulation, which is a pre-requisite to consider ventilative cooling. Nevertheless, these methods do not seem to have been carefully evaluated. Further evaluation and research is needed to address the complexities of ventilative cooling in Energy performance regulations in a pragmatic way.