Vent-Axia Sentinel Apex Scoops CIBSE Air Quality Award

Leading British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia has won an award at the prestigious CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2024.

The Sussex-based company won the ‘Product or Innovation of the Year – Air Quality’ category for its Sentinel Apex, the next generation of commercial heat recovery ventilation. The winners were announced at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 29 February, at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London.

The CIBSE Building Performance Awards (BPAs) 2024 recognises the people, products and projects that demonstrate engineering excellence in the built environment. They are the only industry awards that focus on actual, measured performance outcomes, and not just design intent or performance specifications.

Vent-Axia beat stiff competition in the ‘Product or Innovation of the Year – Air Quality’ category. After a rigorous judging process, the judges selected the Sentinel Apex, which they noted supplies fresh, healthy, filtered air to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), removing pollutants such as moisture, carbon dioxide and external fumes. 

The award judges also noted that Vent-Axia’s Sentinel Apex was developed from the outset with equal consideration to operational performance and whole life costing, and this is visible in the data available for the product. Other areas that the judges highlighted include the Sentinel Apex’s local sourcing and manufacturing in a low-energy facility that delivers on Vent-Axia’s low carbon manufacturing claims, with the judges praising the company for providing excellent resources – including BIM, TM65 and sizing information – to help with correct application and sizing.

‘Very proud’

Lorna Kerrigan-Hall, Sales Director C&I at Vent-Axia (pictured above with David Cook, Technical Product Manager), comments: “We are very proud that our Vent-Axia Sentinel Apex has been recognised by the CIBSE Building Performance Awards. This marks the third industry award for the innovative Sentinel Apex since its launch in November 2023.

“We understand the challenges that come with designing low-carbon buildings, which means every aspect has been considered in the Apex’s development to maximise its energy efficiency and performance, while providing excellent IAQ, ultra-low sound levels and thermal comfort.

“We have also designed the Apex to have a low embodied carbon footprint and to help consultants we have used CIBSE TM65 data collection methodology to provide accurate and detailed carbon information.”

Designed to be highly energy efficient with industry-leading low specific fan powers (SFP), the Sentinel Apex has a low embodied carbon too. Occupant comfort has also been a priority in its development with the Apex operating quietly as it efficiently improves IAQ. Meanwhile, to make specification simpler for consultants the Apex features many components and controls as standard. 

Offering ‘simply more as standard’, the Sentinel Apex boasts a range of features, components and controls that come as standard with the unit. This means consultants do not need to specify multiple different components or precisely specify the level of control required when selecting a commercial heat recovery unit. This makes specification simpler and saves time. 

Designed to have a low embodied carbon footprint, Vent-Axia has used the CIBSE TM65 data collection methodology to collect accurate, detailed embodied carbon information for the Apex, working from a component level upwards. This methodology ensures data is comprehensive, accurate, reliable and up-to-date, making it easier for specifiers to focus on designing low carbon sustainable buildings.

More info

The Sentinel Apex is no stranger to winning awards, having also won in the ‘Commercial/Industrial Ventilation Product of the Year’ category at the prestigious HVR Awards 2023.

For further information on the new Sentinel Apex contact the Vent-Axia Commercial & Industrial sales team: [email protected]. For further information on all products and services offered by Vent-Axia telephone 0344 856 0590 or visit www.vent-axia.com.