Status (updated 7/18/2007): Complete
Funding sources: CBE Industry Consortium
Project Objective
Develop the first website devoted to providing an unbiased source of knowledge on underfloor air distribution (UFAD) and related technologies.
Significance to Industry
that it offers over conventional ceiling-based air distribution. Although in recent years there have been an increased number of publications on UFAD technology, there still does not exist a set of standardized design guidelines for use by the industry. Designers having experience with UFAD systems have largely developed guidelines of their own. This public website was developed to address the lack of easily accessible information on UFAD by providing an unbiased description of the technology.
Research Approach
UFAD technology now finds itself in a situation where the number of systems being designed and installed is growing at an increasingly rapid rate, even before a standardized set of design tools and guidelines supported by fundamental research have been developed. This trend is likely to continue in the near future until crucial research has been completed and the industry as a whole has gained the necessary knowledge and experience to consistently apply UFAD systems.
Well-designed UFAD systems can: (1) reduce life-cycle building costs, (2) improve thermal comfort, occupant satisfaction, and productivity, (3) improve ventilation efficiency, indoor air quality, and health, (4) reduce energy use, and (5) reduce floor-to-floor height in new construction. This website is helping to address the large number of outside inquiries that CBE receives on UFAD technology by presenting information at a number of different levels of expertise to appeal to a broad audience. It will also be used to post regular updates on the large ongoing CBE research program on UFAD.
The site has been live since 2001. Please visit: http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/underfloorair/default.htm
