Quantifying the impact of housing interventions on indoor air quality and energy consumption using coupled simulation models

Abstract

While residential energy and ventilation standards aim to improve the energy performance and indoor air quality (IAQ) of homes, their combined impact across diverse residential activities and housing environments has not been well-established. This study demonstrates the insights that a recently-developed, freely-available coupled IAQ-energy modeling platform can provide regarding the energy and IAQ trade-offs of weatherization (i.e., sealing and insulation) and ventilation retrofits in multifamily housing across varied indoor occupant activity and mechanical ventilation scenarios in Boston, MA. Overall, it was found that combined weatherization and improved ventilation recommended by design standards could lead to both energy savings and IAQ-related benefits; however, ventilation standards may not be sufficient to protect against IAQ disbenefits for residents exposed to strong indoor sources (e.g., heavy cooking or smoking) and could lead to net increases in energy costs (e.g. due to addition of continuous outdoor air ventilation). The modeling platform employed in this study is flexible and can be applied to a wide range of building typologies, retrofits, climates, and indoor occupant activities; therefore, it stands as a valuable tool for identifying cost-effective interventions that meet both energy efficiency and ventilation standards and improve IAQ across diverse housing populations.

Assessing the Energy, Indoor Air Quality, and Moisture Performance for a Three-Story Building Using an Integrated Model, Part Three: Development of Integrated Model and Applications

“…To calculate the efficiency of a built school campus in London, Jain et al [3] considered the interrelationships between energy and indoor air environment, and they concluded that building performance depends on two important parameters, energy, and indoor air quality (IAQ) perspective [3]. Underhill et al [4] evaluated a coupled model of energy and indoor air quality using the co-simulation method, and the conclusion of this integrated model has high accuracy in calculating both energy and indoor air quality parameters [4]. Energy, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality performance for underground buildings were evaluated by Yu et al [5].…”

“…This type of buffering material can adsorb or desorb moisture and VOCs from ambient air can maintain its value in the appropriate levels of moisture and indoor air quality performances [17]. Many recent studies have been performed to exploit the combination of EnergyPlus and CONTAM models that the results of this coupling are more accurately compared to single models [4]. WUFI models with CONTAM have been used to increase the accuracy of assessing performances of indoor air quality and moisture [18].…”

Thermal performance of a fixed‐plate air‐to‐air energy recovery system for building application in hot and humid environment

“…World energy consumption is rising rapidly as a result of the increasing demand for energy from emerging and developed economies associated with various sectors, including the building sector. 1,2 More than half of energy usage portion in buildings comes from mechanical systems of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) to achieve better indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort, which leads to high energy cost. This is directly contributing to the global warming phenomenon.…”

The short-term effect of residential home energy retrofits on indoor air quality and microbial exposure: A case-control study

“…Therefore, the indoor environment has been increasingly recognized for its relevance to human health and well-being [ 11 ]. Prior studies on the effects of residential ventilation on indoor exposure has led to a continued concern about the impact of weatherization on human health [ 12 – 18 ]. The World Health Organization (WHO) established a set of 12 housing inadequacies that had sufficient evidence for estimating disease burden [ 19 ].…”