English

With many existing Austrian school buildings to be renovated in the coming years, there are debates between stakeholders, about which ventilation strategy to pursue in existing schools. Therefore, different intervention strategies such as retrofitting ventilation systems, installing CO₂-monitoring signals, or raising awareness among teachers and students should be evaluated. This paper presents the preliminary results of the project “DIGIdat” on air quality measurements in the first quarter of 2023.

This paper presents the results of an Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) monitoring study (including relative humidity, temperature and IAQ in terms of indoor CO₂) in naturally ventilated dwellings (mainly based on vertical shafts and infiltrations) and the analysis of the data obtained. The aim of the study is to identify patterns that relate occupants’ ventilation behaviour to outdoor temperature and to increase knowledge of occupant’s perceptions of IEQ. The results could be used to improve ventilation models and building regulations.

The presentation provides a brief overview of the current situation and a roadmap for decarbonizing the building stock under the context of EU directives. It also discusses how it could be implemented into Spanish building regulations. It examines the evolution of energy and emissions indicators and how they can help tackle the electrification of uses, generalized on-site energy generation, energy storage or building interaction with the grid.

This study examines the impact of heatwaves on indoor operative temperatures of dwellings in Pamplona (north of Spain) and presents a comparative analysis of a typical summer and two extreme summers with heatwaves in 2003 and 2022. The assessment was conducted in two neighbourhoods with different urban morphologies and built periods related to different energy regulations in Spain. EnergyPlus was used to simulate each residential typology for 5 months in 8 different orientations and with the constructive characteristics that correspond to its built period.

In France, in Residential buildings, since 1982 the ventilation regulation imposes air flow rate to be continuously extracted from every room with humidity production. A boosted level of air flow rate shall be reachable in the kitchen. Since the mid-80s demand-controlled ventilation based on humidity level in each room has been allowed, provided that the system is validated by a national commission. In practice, for 40 years every new residential building has a mechanical ventilation system and 95% of them are centralised extract only systems.

While a growing body of scientific literature describes the population health impacts of fossil fuel production and burning via climate and air pollution pathways, less is known about the health impacts of indoor combustion. This paper summarizes the results of studies from the last two decades that investigated the association between exposure to sources of unvented combustion pollutants in homes and a range of health outcomes.

Nowadays, due to climate change, heatwaves become stronger in terms of frequency and intensity. This phenomenon can have serious impact on the indoor environments, indoor thermal comfort and on public health. These situations of high indoor thermal conditions can expose the occupants to health risks such as hyperthermia, dehydration, and heat strokes. Then, the estimation of these risks is crucial. The currently used indices to estimate health risks such as WBGT, HSI and PHS are generally dedicated to outdoor environments and for subjects exerting heavy activities.

Building ventilation demand increased during the “new normal” following the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than completely renovating existing HVAC equipment, it is more practical and cost-effective to maximize their existing ventilation performance. This study focuses on slot line diffusers, which are widely used for handling perimeter heat loads. Its long throw distance and wide coverage effectively block cold drafts and heat flow from the exterior window glass.

In recent years, earth-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) systems, which is a method of pre-cooling and pre-heating outdoor air with earth-to-air heat, have been attracting attention as one of the technologies to achieve ZEB. However, at the operational phase, in order to achieve both energy saving and suppression of dew condensation control, EAHE control methods such as the timing or amount of outdoor air introduction have not been established.

The accurate estimation of the local wind pressure coefficient is crucial in the numerical modeling of natural or mixed ventilation in buildings subjected to wind. Building ventilation modeling typically relies on average wind pressure coefficient values specific to the building façade and wind direction. While the literature provides some correlations and standards for building wall-average pressure coefficients, these values are only useful in the absence of additional information or a database, as they can vary significantly based on urban forms.