Smoke and Natural Ventilation

Our range of comfort venting and NSHEV rooflights can be configured to automatically open and close according to changes to the building environment.

VELUX Commercial offers a wide range of natural venting and NSHEV rooflights for commercial buildings.

Changes to the environment such as building temperature or smoke detection can trigger your building management system to adjust hinged, opening rooflight panels in order to help to control indoor comfort or in the event of fire, reduce risk to occupants and the building.

Whether your building is a commercial office or an industrial manufacturing plant, VELUX Commercial has a solution that is fit for purpose and in accordance with EN 12101-2 standards.

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VELUX Commercial’s comfort and smoke ventilation solutions can be integrated across many of our products. Our design led approach creates maximum specification flexibility to achieve building requirements.

• Continuous polycarbonate rooflights – Our continuous rooflights offer a cost-effective solution for natural and smoke ventilation and are ideal for commercial and industrial applications and warehouses.
  
  
• Automatic Opening Vent (AOV) rooflights– Durable and thermally efficient, our AOV rooflight range includes automatic opening systems to provide comfort and/or smoke and heat exhaust ventilation.
  
  
• Glass Systems– Our glass systems range are ideal for commercial offices, atriums and public spaces, new build and refurbishment, and can incorporate natural comfort ventilation and smoke ventilation. Our specialist structural glazing systems can be customised to suit specific project requirements, including natural ventilation and SHEV.

Natural ventilation

The incorporation of daylight and ventilation into commercial spaces is a key design principle to help create environments in which occupants are comfortable. Our comfort venting rooflights improve indoor climate factors such as temperature, moisture and air quality. The inclusion of natural venting rooflights also has a positive impact on the wellbeing of occupants.

NSHEV solutions 

Smoke inhalation is one of the most common reasons that prevent occupants exiting buildings safely in the event of fire. Designed to assist in the removal of smoke, heat and toxic gasses from a building as quickly as possible, smoke and heat exhaust ventilation is a critical part of commercial building design. 
 
In the event of a fire, NSHEV rooflights can automatically open in order to release the smoke and heat from a building. This helps to:

• Keep escape and rescue routes passable for longer 
• Reduce the risk of personal injury 
• Minimise property damage

While natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems are often associated with emergencies, their advantages can also be enjoyed on a day-to-day basis, as they can be used to increase the supply of fresh air into the building.

Polycarbonate dome rooflights, continuous rooflights, glass roofing systems and structural glazing can all be fitted with natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilation components, many of which are well concealed until opened. Options include opening modules and surface louvres. For SHEV rooflight installations on flat roofs, fall-through protection systems are also available.