Ventilation Assessment & Fresh Air Verification
Ensuring Healthy, Code-Compliant Indoor Air Quality for Chicagoland Buildings
Ventilation is the lungs of your building. Without verified fresh air intake and proper air balancing, your HVAC system is simply recirculating stale, contaminated air.
At Northwest Energy LLC, we treat Ventilation Assessment as a critical component of the Test and Air Balance (TAB) process. We provide precise measurement of outdoor air intake, exhaust rates, and building pressure to ensure your facility meets ASHRAE Standard 62.1 for acceptable indoor air quality.
Signs You Need Commercial Air Balancing
Is Your Building "Breathing" Correctly? Many commercial properties in Northern Illinois suffer from "Sick Building Syndrome" due to improper airflow. If you are experiencing these issues, you likely need a professional air balancing service:
High CO2 Levels: Causes occupant drowsiness ("afternoon slump") and reduced productivity.
Negative Building Pressure: Results in drafts, hard-to-open doors, and infiltration of unfiltered outdoor air.
Lingering Odors: Indicates that kitchen or restroom exhaust fans are underperforming or blocked.
Uncontrolled Humidity: Excess moisture leads to mold growth and discomfort, especially in the humid Chicago summers.
Our Air Balancing & Assessment Process
We don't just guess airflow; we quantify it. Our technicians use calibrated instrumentation to verify that your system matches the mechanical engineer’s design specifications.
1. Fresh Air Intake Verification
Adequate outdoor air is required by code to dilute indoor contaminants. We measure the actual volume of fresh air entering your Rooftop Units (RTUs) or Makeup Air Units (MAUs) to ensure:
Dilution of Contaminants: Reduces airborne viruses, VOCs, and allergens.
Occupancy Compliance: We verify you are meeting the CFM-per-person requirements for your specific building type (e.g., schools in Naperville, offices in Schaumburg, or restaurants in Chicago).
2. Building Pressure Balancing
Balancing the relationship between Supply Air and Exhaust Air is vital for the health of the building envelope.
Preventing Negative Pressure: If your building exhausts more air than it brings in, it creates a vacuum. This draws in unconditioned air, soil gases, and humidity through cracks in the walls.
Preventing Excessive Positive Pressure: Too much pressure pushes conditioned air out through the walls, wasting energy and potentially causing moisture damage.
3. Exhaust System Performance
We verify that exhaust fans in restrooms, kitchens, and laboratories are removing stale air at the correct rate.
Moisture Control: Critical for gyms and locker rooms to prevent mold.
Odor Removal: We ensure negative pressure in restrooms relative to hallways to contain odors.
Technical Air Balancing & Adjustment
We Fix the Problem at the Source. Once the assessment is complete, we perform the necessary air balancing adjustments to bring your system into compliance:
Damper Actuation: We adjust fresh air dampers and economizers to regulate intake volumes.
Fan Speed Modulation: We modify fan sheaves or VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) settings to achieve target airflow.
Diffuser Balancing: We verify that air is being distributed evenly to prevent hot/cold spots and stagnant zones.
The ROI of Proper Ventilation
Why Invest in a Professional Assessment?
Regulatory Compliance: Ensure your building meets local mechanical codes and IDPH (Illinois Department of Public Health) standards.
Energy Efficiency: Over-ventilating wastes energy by heating or cooling unnecessary outdoor air. We dial it in to the exact requirement—no more, no less.
Tenant Retention: Improved air quality leads to fewer complaints, healthier employees, and higher tenant satisfaction.
System Longevity: A properly balanced HVAC system reduces strain on fan motors and compressors.
Schedule a Ventilation Verification
Suspect Your Building Has Poor Air Quality? Don't guess—verify. Contact Northwest Energy LLC for a comprehensive Commercial Air Balancing assessment.