English

This study focuses on the impact of filtration efficiency level and airflow control, based on CO2, on indoor air quality described by particle concentration in an urban low energy consumption nursery school during an autumn and a winter period. Measurements of indoor and outdoor particle concentrations have been carried out by using three different filter efficiency configurations in the school equipped with a balanced ventilation system with heat recovery. The tested filters are respectively classed G4, M5 and F7 according to NF EN 779 (2012).

Identifying factors that affect classroom concentrations of particulate matter is important for enabling effective mitigation of the associated negative health and cognitive effects, of which children can be especially susceptible. This study examines particulate matter concentrations in school classrooms from across the UK which have participated in the Schools’ Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE) project. Data from the 2023/2024 academic year is analysed and outdoor sources of particulate matter (PM) are shown to be a key source of PM in classrooms.

The project aims to investigate the degree of influence that outdoor conditions may have on the indoor environment in Norwegian schools. It also aims to ascertain whether it is possible to use outdoor parameters such as particulate matter, relative humidity, and air temperature, along with indoor parameters including CO2, relative humidity, and air temperature, to predict indoor particulate matter values.

In high-efficient residential buildings, energy use due to ventilation can reach 60% of the total building. Smart-ventilation systems with variable airflows adapting to the need of buildings and occupants can increase the energy performance of the building and at the same time improve or maintain IAQ. They are also considered as a huge opportunity for new and existing residential buildings. 

This work quantifies the chronic harm caused by long-term exposure to common indoor air contaminants in dwellings located in the global north. Two methods are used to compute DALYs. The first uses incidence data and the second considers toxicological evidence. They are synthesised to produce Harm Intensities, the number of DALYs per person per unit of annual-average concentration the person is exposed to.

In France, the regulation context for ventilation is based on the decree « Arreté de 1982 » which is a prescriptive regulation, requiring extracted flowrate in every utility room. These extracted airflow should respond to several principles:

In many countries, the traditional method of ventilating dwellings involved natural ventilation, based on the operation of windows and high levels of infiltration through the building envelope, particularly through windows and window-wall joints. In Spain, in the middle of the last century, the use of vertical ventilation shafts in the wet rooms of dwellings became widespread, and it is currently the most common ventilation system in existing dwellings.

Efforts must be made to promote the use of efficient ventilation systems in buildings with the aim of reducing energy demand, as ventilation is a major source of energy loss. Nevertheless, the implementation of efficient ventilation systems is frequently constrained by regulations. It is therefore essential that governments and regulatory bodies facilitate and even encourage the use of appropriate solutions through the introduction of performance-based regulations. 

The context of climate change and the need of saving energy has required rethinking the ventilation and the air change rates in buildings, because of their increased impact on thermal losses. Indeed, ventilation plays a crucial role estimated around 30-50% of the energy delivered to buildings, becoming an even higher part in high-efficient buildings.  

This study explored the design optimization possibilities for Danish retirement homes while considering an increased risk of overheating due to elevated temperatures imposed by climate change. The focus was on combinations of design features and technical components ensuring thermal comfort and daylight. The study used a dynamic simulation tool to consider the current Danish design reference year and future climate predictions.