Europe Ventilation Equipment Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

Europe Ventilation Equipment Market Trends and Insights

Tightening EPBD-Mandated Energy-Efficiency Standards

The revised EPBD requires nearly zero-energy buildings from 2030, obliging designers to specify mechanical ventilation with heat-recovery efficiencies ≥75%.^{[1]European Commission, “Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings (recast),” Official Journal of the European Union, eur-lex.europa.eu} Germany enforces the rule aggressively, with federal states mandating heat-recovery systems in multifamily projects exceeding four units. Renovation-wave provisions that target a 3% annual performance gain favor decentralized MVHR units, which avoid intrusive ductwork modifications. Compliance with EN 15251 and ISO 16814 supports uptake of balanced HRV/ERV equipment capable of documenting energy savings for regulatory reporting. As a result, the European ventilation equipment market is pivoting toward high-efficiency units across both residential and commercial segments.

Post-COVID Focus on Indoor Air Quality in Workplaces

Updated ECDC guidance raises minimum ventilation rates to 10 L/s-person, prompting capacity upgrades in existing offices.^{[2]European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, “Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems in the context of COVID-19,” ecdc.europa.eu} Large German employers such as SAP and Siemens have added variable-air-volume systems connected to occupancy sensors, valuing real-time air-quality data over pure energy metrics. IoT-integrated ventilation that reports particulate, CO₂, and humidity levels is becoming standard rather than premium. Suppliers that bundle analytics dashboards with equipment gain preference, reinforcing digitization across the European ventilation equipment market.

Electrification Driving Heat-Recovery Ventilation Demand

Northern European bans on fossil-fuel heating increase reliance on heat pumps, making heat-recovery ventilation essential to maintain coefficient-of-performance targets. Integrated HRV-heat-pump packages improve seasonal efficiency and flatten peak-load profiles, addressing grid constraints in Denmark, Ireland, and Sweden. Commercial buildings adopt the same logic, coupling ERV with large-capacity heat pumps to moderate winter electrical peaks. The European ventilation equipment market, therefore, benefits from electrification policies that favor energy-recovery solutions.

Rapid Retrofit Wave for Mould Mitigation in Social Housing

Awaab's Law obliges UK landlords to fix damp and mould within specific timelines, catalyzing a EUR 3.1 billion retrofit budget focused on positive-input and mechanical-extract solutions. Similar proposals in Ireland and the Netherlands widen demand for humidity-controlled units with auto-boost functions. Manufacturers offering easy-fit PIV products reduce tenant disruption and installation time, supporting fast deployment. This retrofit surge is accelerating cash cycles across the European ventilation equipment market.

Shortage of Certified Installers and Commissioning Engineers

The sector lacks roughly 40,000 qualified technicians, extending project schedules by eight weeks on average and raising installed costs by 25-30%.^{[3]Central Association of German Building Services (ZVSHK), “Skills Shortage Report 2024,” zvshk.de} Germany experiences the deepest gap, but shortages are visible across Northern Europe. Complex HRV balancing and digital commissioning require specialist skills that current training pipelines cannot supply. Manufacturers respond with plug-and-play units and remote-commissioning apps, yet the constraint continues to moderate growth in the European ventilation equipment market.

Volatile Raw-Material Prices Inflating Fan/Motor Costs

Aluminum futures swung between USD 2,100-2,800 per metric ton in 2024, pushing the raw-material share of production cost to 50%. Repeated price adjustments compress margins and depress volume in price-sensitive residential retrofits. Makers such as FläktGroup hedge contracts and redesign housings to reduce metal content. While strategic inventory buffering absorbs shocks, volatility remains a short-term drag on the European ventilation equipment market.

Segment Analysis

By Equipment Type: HRV/ERV Units Lead Market Transformation

Balanced HRV/ERV units accounted for 46.8% of the European ventilation equipment market size in 2024 as EPBD compliance drove adoption across construction and retrofit. Range/cooker hoods are projected to grow at a 7.5% CAGR, spurred by kitchen upgrades and expanding hospitality footprints.

Strong policy alignment means HRV/ERV will continue to anchor product mixes, with Daikin’s 2024 purchase of Robert Heath adding technical depth to its portfolio. Unidirectional fans remain indispensable for directional airflow in data centers, while supply/exhaust systems sustain industrial demand. These trends reinforce value migration toward energy-recovery technologies within the European ventilation equipment market.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By Ventilation Mechanism: Hybrid Solutions Gain Traction

Centralized ducted systems captured a 55.8% share of the European ventilation equipment market size in 2024, mainly in new commercial builds. Hybrid mixed-mode ventilation is set to expand at a 7.1% CAGR as building-management software optimizes between natural and mechanical modes under EN 16798 guidelines.

Operators prioritize flexibility; hybrid solutions cut energy use in mild seasons yet uphold IAQ during high occupancy. Decentralized units thrive in historic or social-housing retrofits where ducts are impractical. Together, these patterns diversify channel demand and support the sustained expansion of the European ventilation equipment market.

By Technology: ERV Systems Accelerate Market Growth

HRV held half of 2024 sales, but ERV is forecast to outpace at a 7.7% CAGR because latent-heat recovery suits humid process and data-center environments. ERV’s ability to manage moisture contrasts with HRV’s sensible-heat focus, widening its addressable base.

Data-center operators seek ±5% RH control under ISO 14644, pushing ERV uptake in hyperscale facilities. PIV excels in UK retrofits by relieving condensation, whereas MEV stays relevant for low-budget ventilation. Technology choices thereby segment the European ventilation equipment market by climate zone and application.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

By End-User Industry: Industrial Facilities Drive Growth

Residential buildings represented 53.6% of the European ventilation equipment market size in 2024, owing to subsidy-backed retrofits. Industrial facilities, led by data centers, are projected to post a 7.6% CAGR to 2030 as hyperscale investments spread from Ireland to Germany.

Manufacturing plants integrate ventilation with occupational-safety sensors, while greenhouses require precise temperature and humidity for crop yield. This mix diversifies revenue streams and elevates the European ventilation equipment market beyond its traditional residential core.

By Application Area: Data Centers Drive Precision Ventilation Demand

Living and sleeping areas held a 46.7% share in 2024, reflecting the residential base. Process/clean-room and data-center ventilation will rise at 8.0% CAGR as operators demand ±1 °C temperature stability.

Edge-computing facilities in Spain and Italy adopt modular air-handling units with predictive-maintenance software, mirroring trends in pharmaceutical clean-rooms. These high-spec niches accelerate premiumization within the European ventilation equipment market.

Geography Analysis

Germany’s prominence stems from mature supply chains, strict energy legislation, and early heat-recovery adoption. Domestic firms refine products for 0.45 W/(m³/h) fan-power limits, then export high-efficiency units across the continent, reinforcing Germany’s 31.4% share. Persistent installer shortages, however, cap potential output and extend lead times.

Spain’s 8.2% projected CAGR reflects EU-funded renovation grants, updated CTE building code ventilation clauses, and attractive renewable-energy tariffs that pull hyperscale cloud operators to Madrid’s post-pandemic data hub corridor. Retrofits in dense urban housing and green-field industrial parks converge, establishing Spain as the fastest-growing node within the European ventilation equipment market.

France, Italy, and the United Kingdom post steady mid-single-digit growth. France’s RE2020 simulation requirement embeds mechanical ventilation into every new design. Italy’s modified Superbonus still funds envelope upgrades that trigger HRV installation, particularly in the North. The UK prioritizes mould-mitigation retrofits after Awaab’s Law, favoring PIV and MEV units that can be installed without decanting residents. Collectively, these markets sustain demand across a diversified European ventilation equipment market.