Kitchen Ventilation Systems in the Catering Trade. How to Design Effective Kitchen Ventilation?

In the professional catering trade, a high-quality kitchen ventilation system is vital – not only for the comfort of the staff but also for hygiene, safety, and operational efficiency. This overview explains the differences between local and full-area ventilation systems, introduces the EN 16282 standard, and sets out the key principles for designing effective ventilation in commercial kitchens.

Local vs. Full-Area Ventilation Systems

Local Systems – Hoods

Local ventilation systems extract air using hoods placed directly above cooking blocks. They are especially suitable for small and medium-sized kitchens with a centralized layout of appliances. Their main advantages are lower investment costs and a shorter route for grease aerosols in the air. The drawback is, they offer limited flexibility if the kitchen layout changes and carry a risk of polluted air escaping out beyond the hood area.

ATREA offers several types of professional extract/supply hoods (GRANDE, ALTURA) to advanced options with integrated heat recovery (OPTIMA), achieving energy savings thanks to an efficiency of up to 68%.

Find out more about ATREA kitchen hoods

Full-Area Systems – Ventilation Ceilings (TPV)

Full-area ventilation ceilings represent a more advanced solution, ideal for larger operations and open kitchens. A TPV ceiling in a so-called closed configuration ensures:

• flat and uniform extraction right across the entire kitchen,
• integration of lighting, UV-C filtration or sprinklers,
• easy cleaning and maintenance,
• protection of building structures and cabling.

ATREA’s TPV ceilings are always designed individually for each project and also allow flexible re-arrangement of kitchen technologies.

Find out more about ATREA TPV kitchen ceilings

EN 16282 and Kitchen Ventilation Design

When designing a professional kitchen ventilation system, compliance with EN 16282 is vital. The standard:

• applies to kitchens with an installed power input above 25 kW,
• requires separation of air supply and exhaust (no recirculation),
• sets a minimum protection class of IP54 for fans,
• supports a slightly negative pressure environment to stop odours leaking out.

It is also recommended to use heat recovery units, which reclaim energy from exhaust air and use it to preheat supply air – a solution that can cut running costs significantly.

Filtration and Hygiene

Efficient filtration of grease aerosols is absolutely key for effective kitchen ventilation. ATREA develops its own lamella and cyclone separators with efficiency up to 95%, preventing grease deposits in ductwork and minimizing fire risk.

For the highest air purity requirements, the system can be enhanced with UV-C technology, which breaks down residual grease and odors into harmless compounds.

We find in real-world projects that high-quality filtration really brings down service costs – especially in busy kitchen operations.

What to be Thinking About in the Design?

• Type of set-up and layout of appliances – local (hoods) vs. full-area (TPV).
• Flexibility requirements – ceilings allow easy layout changes.
• Energy efficiency – heat recovery should be standard practice.
• Hygiene and safety – high-performance filtration and certification according to EN 16282 and VDI 2052.

Do You Need a Hand with Your Kitchen Ventilation Design?

Every kitchen is different – that’s why ATREA offers one-to-one project support. We will help you design a solution that is effective, hygienically safe, and energy-efficient – tailored to suit not only your kitchen technology but also your operational needs.

Get in touch with us and we’ll sort out a solution that works for you.

Written by:

Jan Foret, Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Expert