Indoor Environmental Quality Evaluation of Lecture Classrooms in an Institutional Building in a Cold Climate

Abstract

In this paper, ventilation, indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal and acoustic conditions, and lighting were studied to evaluate the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in an institutional building at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. This study examined IEQ parameters, including pressure, illuminance, acoustics, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, temperature, and humidity, with appropriate monitors allocated during a lecture (duration 50 min or 80 min) in four lecture classrooms repeatedly (N = 99) from October 2018 to March 2019 with the objectives of providing a comprehensive analysis of interactions between IEQ parameters. The classroom environments were maintained at 23 ± 1 °C and 33% ± 3% RH during two-season measurements. Indoor mean CO2 concentrations were 550–1055 ppm, and a mean sound level of 58 ± 3 dBA was observed. The air change rates were configured at 1.3–6.5 per hour based on continuous CO2 measurements and occupant loads in the lectures. A variance analysis indicated that the within-lecture classroom variations in most IEQ parameters exceeded between-lecture classrooms. A multilayer artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed on the basis of feedforward networks with a backpropagation algorithm. ANN results demonstrated the importance of the sequence of covariates on indoor conditions (temperature, RH, and CO2 level): Air change rate (ACR) > room operations (occupant number and light system) > outdoor conditions.

Academic and emotional effects of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on engineering students

“…Also, a positive correlation was found in T2 between students' academic development and contact with other students and teachers. Previous literature already pointed out the relationship between the variables studied and the academic development of students (Braat-Eggen et al, 2017;Hviid et al, 2020;Mcinnerney & Roberts, 2004;Piccoli et al, 2001;Sun et al, 2008;Zhong et al, 2019). In this line, our results confirm these relationships between the variables under the conditions of a pandemic and lockdown in engineering students.…”

“…Finally, although it had not received much attention in distance education literature before the pandemic, learning environment conditions, its ergonomics, and access to a quality internet connection are additional and indeed important variables to consider in distance learning. A workspace that does not offer the appropriate conditions represents a risk factor for comfort, well-being, and students' academic performance (Braat-Eggen et al, 2017;Hviid et al, 2020;Parvez et al, 2019;Zhong et al, 2019). The unexpected change to online education due to the COVID-19 pandemic has made researchers and academic staff wonder whether students were prepared to take classes from their home and whether they had an adequate workspace, equipment, and facilities for effective learning.…”

“…All these factors should be considered when designing online courses to avoid detrimental effects on students' academic development (Braat-Eggen et al, 2017;Hviid et al, 2020;Mcinnerney & Roberts, 2004;Piccoli et al, 2001;Sun et al, 2008;Zhong et al, 2019). Numerous studies predicted that the change in teaching methods during the pandemic affected students' academic development and their outcomes, although the results are inconsistent.…”

Indoor Environmental Quality Analysis for Optimizing Energy Consumptions Varying Air Ventilation Rates

“…Several studies about retrofitted school buildings with the implementation of measures in line with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive have been conducted in Mediterranean countries, with the application of cost-optimal methods for designing strategies to achieve nearly zero-energy educational buildings [21]. Other authors focused on the link between energy retrofitting interventions and IAQ in school buildings [22,23]. Another study that was conducted on a school building [24] identified an IEQ index to be used as an indicator of comfort, health, and building management costs.…”

Numerical Study on Indoor Environmental Quality in a Room Equipped with a Combined HRV and Radiator System

“…The obtained results show that the energy consumptions may be strongly reduced by decreasing the air flow rate by 50%, with slight variations in the IEQ. In a similar study, IEQ of lecture classrooms in an institutional building in a cold climate was evaluated by Zhong et al [6] through the artificial neural network method. They examined various parameters such as CO 2 concentration, acoustics, illuminance and humidity in four classrooms.…”