Since many of the challenges related to building & ductwork airtightness are shared across Europe, the TightVent Europe platform, created in 2011, aims to address the clear need for a strong and concerted initiative to overcome these issues. Indeed, sharing experience on practical issues such as specifications, design, implementation, control, etc. as well as learning from pioneering efforts, will help improve airtightness quality while maintaining adequate ventilation.

TightVent Europe was initiated by INIVE (International Network for Information on Ventilation and Energy Performance) with financial and technical support from industry partners.

An important aspect of ductwork airtightness is performance testing and inspection. Over the past few years, we have observed that companies and experts interested in ductwork airtightness often have a broader interest in performance testing and inspection, including air flow rates, acoustics, draught, energy performance, etc.

Additionally, the recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which introduces new requirements for the inspection of ventilation systems in larger buildings, has a broader scope than ductwork airtightness alone.

We have also received considerable interest in our activities from outside Europe.

As a result, the TightVent Steering Committee has decided to widen the scope of its activities:

• TightVent and TAAC activities will be expanded to include various aspects related to the inspection of ventilation systems
• The scope of TightVent will extend beyond Europe

More information will be available on the TightVent website.