Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is affected by Context, Occupant and Building (COB) related factors. This paper evaluates IAQ as a function of occupant-related factors including occupants' Adaptive Behaviours (ABs), occupancy patterns, occupant's CO2 generation rates and occupancy density. This study observed occupant-related factors of 805 children in 29 naturally-ventilated (NV) classrooms in UK primary schools during Non-Heating and Heating seasons. Occupant-related factors affecting IAQ include occupants' adaptive behaviours, occupancy patterns, occupants' CO2 generation rate and occupancy densities. Results of this study suggest that a classroom with high potentials for natural ventilation does not necessarily provide adequate IAQ, however, occupants' good practice of ABs is also required. Average occupancy densities to have CO2 levels of 1000±50 ppm are suggested to be 2.3±0.05m 2 /p and 7.6±0.25 m 3 /p. These values correspond to the classroom area of 62.1±1.35 m 2 and volume of 205.2±6.75 m 3 with a height of 3.3 m. Mean CO2 level is maintained below 900 ppm when all occupant-related factors are in the favour of IAQ, however, it exceeds 1300 ppm when none of the occupant-related factors are in favour of IAQ. It is shown that 17% of CO2 variations are explained by open area (m 2 ), 14% by occupants' generation rates (cm 3 /s) and 11% by occupancy density (m 3 /p). IAQ is mostly affected by occupants' adaptive behaviours than other occupant-related factors in naturally-ventilated classrooms.
Adaptive behaviour has a significant impact on the quality of indoor environment, comfort, and energy consumption. Therefore, facilitating positive occupant behaviours will improve these three factors. The aim of this paper is to develop a design framework that can be used as part of the design process to facilitate adaptive behaviours.This paper reviews studies that focus on reasons behind adaptive behaviours, and implication of these adaptive behaviours on the built environment. This paper highlights that 'Context', 'Occupant', and 'Building' (COB) have the most influence on adaptive behaviours. However, in most cases their influence is not considered holistically. This study also illustrates that adaptive behaviour has implications for the quality of Indoor environment, level of Comfort, and Energy consumption (ICE).This paper introduces a framework consisting of three stages: (1) Evaluate the relation between COB and ICE factors with adaptive behaviours holistically; (2) Design building's controls for 'environmental behaviours', set-up strategies for 'personal behaviours', and find a balance between these two; 3) Monitor the performance of adaptive behaviours through Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE).
Photovoltaic (PV) Panels, one of the more promising renewable energy technologies, are growing rapidly nowadays, especially in developed countries. However, these systems have not achieved public acceptance in some countries due to low energy efficiency and poor economic performance, especially in countries which are subsidized in energy tariffs. In this paper, the energy and economic performance of fourteen rooftop PV systems with the power of 5 kW in the hot and dry climate of Iran are assessed by monitoring the total annual energy production and simulation. The monitored data is used to analyze systems' economic performance via Pay-Back Period (PBP), Net Present Value (NPV), Return of Investment (ROI) and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). Results show that single array configuration systems have the maximum energy production while dividing the system decreases the production. Economic analysis shows that the average PBP is 11.6 years under actual price of electricity (0.21$), however it is 46.9e50.5 years under subsidized average tariffs. ROI values range from 2.6 to 3.2 with the average of 2.9 for actual prices. Under subsidized prices, the cash generated by investment cannot even offset the costs that the investment requires during its lifetime with NCF and NPV being both negative. Overall, the systems are not economically beneficial under subsidized average tariffs in Iran, which discourages private and public sectors to investment on these systems. Environmentally, each PV system can averagely reduce 500 kg CO 2 emission in the first year of installation and fourteen of them can approximately reduce 1,613,900 kg of CO 2 emission during life time of PV panels.
Adaptive behaviour impacts the classroom's environment and the student's comfort. Therefore, a deep understanding of students' adaptive behaviour is required. This study aims to develop a valid and reliable method to realize how children in their late middle childhood (9-11) practise adaptive behaviours as a response to the classroom's Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ).A self-reported questionnaire accompanied with an observation form is designed based on children's 'here and now' sensations, their cognitive and linguistic competence. Validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested by running pilot and field studies in eight primary schools from July 2017 to May 2018. Through transverse sampling, 805 children were observed, and 1390 questionnaires were collected in 31 classrooms.Questions and responses of the designed questionnaire were validated by monitoring answer-process, nonparticipant observations, cross-checking questions and statistical tests. Validating process improved the wording of the questions and response categories and resulted in a questionnaire with a high and valid response rate. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested by measuring the variability and standard deviations of responses under similar conditions.To conclude, the study introduces a questionnaire and an observation form that should be used together to provide a valid and reliable method for studying adaptive behaviour of primary school children.
This paper aims to study children's thermal comfort and related Adaptive Behaviours in UK primary schools. The study was carried out in 32 naturally-ventilated classrooms during Non-Heating (NH) and Heating (H) seasons. Alongside collecting environmental data, a self-reported questionnaire and an observation form were employed to record children's thermal comfort and adaptive behaviours. From eight primary schools, 805 children aged 9-11 were surveyed and 1390 questionnaires were collected. Children's Thermal Sensation Votes (TSVs), Thermal Preference Votes (TPVs) and adaptive behaviours were compared against temperature offset from comfort temperature by EN 15 251 (T diff = T op -T C (CEN) ). Results suggest that children's thermal comfort (T C (children) ) is 1.9 K and 2.8 K lower than that for adults (T C (CEN) ) during non-heating and heating seasons, respectively. Children have lower comfort temperature and higher sensitivity to temperature changes during heating seasons. This can be attributed to children's lower practice of personal behaviours and more consistent indoor conditions during heating seasons. The proportion of children engaged with personal behaviours is one-third lower during heating seasons. As indoor temperature goes above children's thermal comfort band, the proportion of children practising personal behaviours increases during non-heating seasons. Around 80% of window operation is carried out by teachers who have a higher comfort temperature than children.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.