The BR E has developed a set of computer-based tools for the management of heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. How can designers and facilities managers use them to improve the performance of buildings?
In the past two decades, a group of health problems related to the indoor environment - generally termed sick building syndrome (SBS) - has emerged. We present an investigation of S BS in employees of a ministry working in a naturally ventilated office building that formerly had been used by a pharmaceutical company. A preceding environmental monitoring had failed to identify the cause(s) for the complaints. We conducted a questionnaire-based investigation and categorized the building sections and rooms according to their renovation status and their former use, respectively.
The Conserval Perforated Plate Solarwall is a metal solar collector designed to provide preheated ventilation (make-up) air for buildings. The system is intended primarily for industrial applications, but also has potential for commercial and multiresidential buildings with large south-facing walls. In 1991, a 420 m2 Solarwall was erected at the General Motors of Canada Battery Plant in Oshawa, Ontario. This installation reduced energy costs in several ways: by capturing solar energy, by reducing heat loss through the south-facing wall of the building, and by destratifying indoor air.
Validated instruments are not available to assess the residential characteristics. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of an interviewer-administered home visit report. The validity of 48 items in the Home Visit Report was examined against: observations made by a researcher, measurements of relative humidity, cat allergen, and ergosterol, a biomarker of fungal exposure and a biochemical test. Test-retest reliability of 10 fixed residential characteristics was assessed comparing the responses obtained in the main study with the pilot study.
Developed by Conserval Engineering of Toronto, Canada, the Solarwall™ is a solar system for heating ventilation air for buildings. The Solarwall looks like conventional metal cladding, but performs like a solar panel.Matrix Energy Inc. of Montreal, in partnership with Conserval, installed the Solarwall system at Bombardier's Canadair facility in Montreal, Quebec. The installation paid for itself in energy savings in just 1.7 years, and allowed the company to stop using fossil fuels, with their associated emissions.
Five classrooms, air-conditioned or naturally ventilated, at five different schools were chosen for comparison of indoorand outdoor air quality. Temperature, relative humidity (RH), carbon dioxide (C02), sulphur dioxide (S02), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (N02), particulate matter with diameter less than 10 μm (PM10), formaldehyde (HCHO), and total bacteria counts were monitored at indoor and outdoor locations simultaneously. Respirable particulate matter was found to be the worst among parameters measured in this study.
Login