This paper is the first part of a two-part series which investigate the energy saving potentials in a novel mechanical ventilation system by replacing terminal dampers with decentralized fans. In Part 1, a conventional variable air volume (VAV) ventilation system with dampers is studied as a reference for comparison with the novel ventilation system in Part 2. The present study (Part 1) proposes a new method to implement the pressure reset strategy in practice. A common strategy to control the supply fan speed in a VAV system is to install a pressure sensor in the supply duct system. Then the fan speed is controlled such that a constant static pressure is maintained at the sensor location. Further energy saving can be obtained by resetting the pressure setpoint to a lower value at partial load conditions. This strategy is known as pressure reset control or critical zone reset strategy in the literature. The proposed method has been evaluated through an experimental mock-up in a laboratory environment. Experimental results show a minimum reduction of about 20% in fan power demand with applying the reset strategy compared to a constant static pressure setpoint. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.