MORE THAN A BEAUTIFUL FACADE

PERFORMANCE LOUVERS

An efficient louver system can improve airflow to building systems while protecting them against rain.

What is a performance louver?

According to the Building Services Research and Information Association (“BSRIA”), a louvre is:

a passive device, intended to allow the passage of air into or out of a building or ventilation system, while restricting the entry of rain.

There are 3 main usage of performance louvers

Rain Defense

The main objective of Performance Louvers is to protect an area inside the building from rain ingression.

Airflow

These Performance Louvers are preferred for projects where the improvement in airflow can result in providing better ventilation, and achieving lower pressure drop.

Acoustic

Performance Louvers are often used for noise reduction. This is particularly useful for reducing noise generated from mechanical equipment to nearby developments such as residential buildings, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities.

Why use performance louvers?

Most buildings make use of louvers in some way or another. Performance Louvers are panels with louver blades and openings that are used to regulate airflow and minimize rain ingression. They are often installed on building facade, and can be constructed using aluminium extrusions with coating. In some cases, louvers may also be used to control the amount of sunlight that enters a building, helping to reduce energy costs. An efficient louver system can optimize the balance between rain defense and airflow performance. The system can also help to regulate the temperature and humidity of a space, as well as reduce noise levels.

How to choose performance louvers?

Specifying louver at discretion is a balance between air flow and water ingression. Each project should be decided on case by case, to reflect on the particular needs of each implementation. For example, a machinery room containing extreme machinery or electrical tools may still need considerable ventilation, however, with maximal protection from water penetration. When determining louvers, it can be helpful to consider the following criteria: rain defense, airflow, acoustic, location weather condition, site location, building aesthetics.

Energy efficiency of performance louvers

It is important to recognize that the ideal efficiency of design is a combination of louver size (the larger the area, the more efficient it is) and just how freely it allows air and water to move through it. The greater the resistance to airflow sliding past a louver, the greater the pressure difference both inside and outside of the louver (pressure drop). The greater the pressure drop, the more power is needed for the same volume of airflow, which is why it’s important to keep it from rising early on.

Quality Guaranteed

You are assured of quality when using Fameline Performance Louvers. Our Performance Louvers are tested to the following standards.

BS EN 13030:2001 “VENTILATION FOR BUILDINGS. TERMINALS. PERFORMANCE TESTING OF LOUVERS SUBJECTED TO SIMULATED RAIN”

ASTM E90-09 “STANDARD TEST METHOD FOR LABORATORY MEASUREMENT OF AIRBORNE SOUND TRANSMISSION LOSS OF BUILDING PARTITIONS”

AS/NZS 4740:2000 (R2016) " NATURAL VENTILATERS - CLASSIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE"

(Selected Louver Models)

The Myth about Louver Free Area

Louver Free Area may be used initially at the building design phase to quickly estimate the louver quantity required for the project. However, it should not be used to design the actual airflow requirements during the detailed design phase.

Louver Free Area does not determine how much air will pass through a Performance Louver System. It is the ratio of the louver opening area that effectively allow air to pass through, over the total louver area. This Free Area Calculation is mainly determined by the louver blade angle and pitch, and the louver panel size. It does not consider the size, shape, blade design or depth of the louver.

The BSRIA Performance Louver Test based on the BS EN 13030:2001 Standard will be able to calculate the Performance Louver’s airflow performance. The test measures the air pressure loss through the louver at various airflow rates and the resultant entry and discharge aerodynamic coefficient can be calculated. With these coefficient values, together with actual project louver size and airflow rate or velocity, we will be able to derive the pressure drop value for any specific project.

Fameline will be able to assist you to optimize the performance louver design and total area required, so that you can make every cents count and focus on other area of design works.