The Effect of Ventilation Strategies on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Consumptions in Classrooms

Abstract

Most of the school buildings in Italy are high energy-demanding buildings with no ad-hoc ventilation systems (i.e., naturally-ventilated buildings). Therefore, reducing the heat losses of schools represent the main aspect to be dealt with. Nonetheless, the indoor air quality of the building should be simultaneously considered. Indeed, to date, energy consumptions and air quality are considered as incompatible aspects especially in naturally-ventilated buildings. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the effect of different ventilation and airing strategies on both indoor air quality and energy consumptions in high energy-demanding naturally-ventilated classrooms. To this purpose, an Italian test-classroom, characterized in terms of air permeability and thermophysical parameters of the envelope, was investigated by means of experimental analyses and simulations through CO2 mass balance equation during the heating season. The air quality was assessed in terms of indoor CO2 concentrations whereas the energy consumptions were evaluated through the asset rating approach. Results clearly report that not adequate indoor CO2 concentrations are measured in the classroom for free-running ventilation scenarios even in low densely populated conditions (2.2 m2 person−1), whereas scheduled airing procedures can reduce the indoor CO2 levels at the cost of higher energy need for ventilation. In particular, when airing periods leading to the air exchange rate required by standards are adopted, the CO2 concentration can decrease to values lower than 1000 ppm, but the ventilation losses increase up to 36% of the overall energy need for space heating of the classroom. On the contrary, when the same air exchange rate is applied through mechanical ventilation systems equipped with heat recovery units, the ventilation energy loss contribution decreases to 5% and the overall energy saving results higher than 30%. Such energy-saving was found even higher for occupancy scenarios characterized by more densely populated conditions of the classroom typically occurring in Italian classrooms.

RETRACTED: Simulation and Analysis of Various Ventilation Systems Given in an Example in the Same School of Indoor Air Quality

“…Analyses of the variations in CO 2 concentration under different ventilation systems are also presented in other publications [18][19][20].…”

Indoor Air Quality: A Focus on the European Legislation and State-of-the-Art Research in Italy

“…Such topics are important because, based on the subpopulation interested, such as suggested by Manigrasso et al [50], which estimated the particle regional respiratory doses for both combustion and non-combustion aerosol sources currently encountered in microenvironments, with special regards to the age of subjects. Recent papers on school environments are related to monitoring PM, NO x , VOCs, and CO 2, with regard to the ventilation efficiency and the energy consumption [51][52][53][54][55][56]. As to the radon exposure, according to two papers, the schools are vulnerable targets due to the long daily childhood presence, and the radon risk could be reduced by low-cost interventions (e.g., implementation of natural air ventilation and school maintenance) [57,58].…”

CO2 Concentration and Occupants’ Symptoms in Naturally Ventilated Schools in Mediterranean Climate

“…In many cases, there is evidence of poor indoor air quality in schools, with negative effects on the health of their occupants, potentially leading to allergic diseases or asthma [15]. In terms of the energy consumption associated with ventilation systems [16][17][18][19], a study analysing different ventilation systems and their associated energy consumption in Italy is a notable example in the Mediterranean area.…”