Retail and supermarket · Ventilation
Ventilation in retail and supermarket: what the SRI measures
Ventilation is about demand-controlled ventilation: more air when more people are present or CO2 rises, less when a room is empty. Heat recovery, free cooling with outdoor air and air-quality reporting count as well.
In short
- 1This page shows how the Ventilation domain counts towards the Smart Readiness Indicator for retail stores and supermarkets.
- 2Ventilation carries 2 of 3 weighting levels, indicating a moderately important domain for this building type.
- 3Six smart-ready services within ventilation determine the score, from air flow control to heat recovery and indoor air quality reporting.
Weight of this domain for this building type
Which services count
| Service | Lowest level | Highest level | Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supply air flow control at the room level V-1a · A · 5 levels | No ventilation system or manual control | Local Demand Control based on air quality sensors (CO2, VOC, ...) with local flow from/to the zone regulated by dampers | level 2 or higher |
| Air flow or pressure control at the air handler level V-1c · 5 levels | No automatic control: Continuously supplies of air flow for a maximum load of all rooms | Automatic flow or pressure control with pressure reset: Load dependent supplies of air flow for the demand of all connected rooms (for variable air volume systems with VFD) | – |
| Heat recovery control: prevention of overheating V-2c · 3 levels | Without overheating control | Modulate or bypass heat recovery based on multiple room temperature sensors or predictive control | – |
| Supply air temperature control at the air handling unit level V-2d · 4 levels | No automatic control | Variable set point with load dependant compensation. A control loop enables to control the supply air temperature. The setpoint is defined as a function of the loads in the room | – |
| Free cooling with mechanical ventilation system V-3 · 4 levels | No automatic control | H,x-directed control: The amount of outside air and recirculation air are modulated during all periods of time to minimize the amount of mechanical cooling. Calculation is performed on the basis of temperatures and humidity (enthalpy) | – |
| Reporting information regarding IAQ V-6 · A · 4 levels | None | Real time monitoring & historical information of IAQ available to occupants + warning on maintenance needs or occupant actions (e.g. window opening) | level 2 or higher |
Worked example
If everything in this domain is at level 0, the domain contributes nothing. At the highest level for all services, the indicative total score for this building type rises by about 11 percentage points (from 30 to 41 percent, with all other domains at level 1).
Why does ventilation count in retail stores and supermarkets?
Retail stores and supermarkets operate on fixed schedules. This makes time-based ventilation control relatively straightforward, because occupancy patterns are highly predictable.
Supermarkets also deal with refrigeration units that release residual heat. Good ventilation and heat recovery can partly reuse that residual heat or remove it, affecting energy performance.
Within the Smart Readiness Indicator, the Ventilation domain counts for this building type at 2 of 3 possible weighting levels. This means ventilation has a moderate to significant influence on the overall score, alongside domains such as lighting and cooling.
Which services fall under this domain?
The SRI assesses ventilation through six smart-ready services. Each service has functionality levels from 0 (no automation) to 4 (fully demand-controlled or predictive).
- V-1a: control of supply air flow at room level, for example based on CO2 sensors.
- V-1c: control of air flow or pressure at the air handling unit level.
- V-2c: control of heat recovery to prevent overheating.
- V-2d: control of supply air temperature at the air handling unit level.
- V-3: free cooling with a mechanical ventilation system.
- V-6: reporting of indoor air quality information to users.
A higher level typically means that sensors and controls automatically respond to the actual situation in the store, rather than following fixed time schedules.
What does this mean for the score?
A supermarket with only time-based switching scores low on most services, typically level 1. A store with demand-controlled operation based on air quality sensors and automatic pressure reset can achieve level 3 or 4 on multiple services.
Because this domain carries significant weight, improving ventilation control can have a noticeable impact on the building's overall SRI score.
What this means for you
- Owner
- As owner of a retail store or supermarket, it is worthwhile to check whether ventilation is demand-controlled, for instance via CO2 sensors, rather than operating on a fixed schedule. A higher functionality level in this domain can improve the overall SRI score, which becomes relevant as the delegated act for larger installations above 290 kW is expected to take effect.
- Tenant
- As a tenant or store staff, you will notice demand-controlled ventilation mainly through a more consistent indoor climate, without becoming too warm or stuffy during busy opening hours. Good heat recovery and indoor air quality reporting contribute to comfort without requiring any manual adjustments on your part.
- Advisor
- When assessing, pay attention to the distinction between the air handling unit level (V-1c, V-2d) and room level (V-1a), as these often have different functionality levels in existing retail premises. Also verify whether heat recovery and free cooling (V-2c, V-3) are actually controlled automatically, since in older supermarket installations this is often still done manually.
Next step
Want to know where your building stands?