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Ventilation has recently become a hot topic, especially with the spreading of COVID-19 pandemic. The relation between a proper ventilated space and the reduction of the transmission of respiratory infections is not new. Models used to estimate the infection risk due to influenza, SARS, tuberculosis or rhinovirus in indoor spaces were early developed in 1978. Recent studies report a reduction in the incidence of infections when improving the ventilation rate to keep carbon dioxide concentrations below 1000 ppm. Proper ventilation is also required to ensure lecturers and students’ wellbeing and enhanced cognitive abilities.

 

In Spain, schools built before 2007 (the vast majority) are usually located in buildings without mechanical ventilation. Thus, the Indoor Air Quality depends on the personal perception of the occupants and the actions they might following undertake. Natural ventilation solutions are seen to be the most practical and effective measures. However, and especially during cold seasons, occupants may not follow the recommendations of opening windows due to thermal discomfort and, therefore, the indoor air quality can be compromised. On the other way round and if recommendations are followed, energy consumption rises to neutralize thermal discomfort.

 

This project aims to optimize the ventilation strategies in educational centres taking into account the indoor air quality thermal comfort, energy consumption and global costs. Defining proper ventilation strategies will ensure that indoor activities in educational buildings are conducted with appropriate indoor air quality and thermal comfort, increasing the wellbeing and health of the occupants along with their productivity and performance.

 

 Objectives

  • Characterization of the indoor air quality and the thermal comfort in Spanish educational buildings, including primary schools, secondary schools and universities.
    • Development of a CO2 monitoring protocol for classrooms and other teaching areas.
    • Determination of current indoor air quality and thermal comfort in classrooms by building a controlled database.
  • Identification and characterization of potential ventilation strategies to be used in classrooms and other teaching areas in terms of investment and operating costs.
  • Modelling potential ventilation strategies and corresponding thermal performance, energy consumption and flexibility through reduced order models.
    • Definition and validation of reduced order models for air renovation strategies.
    • Development of an energy optimizer based on reduced order models. 
    • Development of  a tool to estimate the HVAC systems’ energy flexibility.
  • Development of a multi criteria decision making method for the prioritization of ventilation strategies.
    • Definition of an HVAC-oriented overall risk score and a time-responsive decision support dashboard.
    • Definition of an integrated based decision support model to assist decision-makers in the prioritization of HVAC investments.

 

 Project implementation

 Impact

The most relevant scientific and technical outputs of the IAQ4EDU project are:

  • A CO2 monitoring protocol for classrooms and other teaching areas.
  • A better understanding of the existing indoor air quality and ventilation needs in Spanish educational centres.
  • Identification of the exact ventilation rates to prevent aerosol driven infections while keeping both proper thermal comfort levels and energy efficiency purposes in educational contexts.
  • Operation guide helping users within the educational community to adopt the optimal natural ventilation strategy so as to guarantee proper indoor air quality, enhance thermal comfort and increase energy savings.
  •  Energy optimizer considering the indoor air quality, thermal comfort and the tool to estimate the HVAC energy flexibility.
  • First prioritization framework to make informed, cost-effective and safety-oriented decisions, streamlining investments both in the short- and long-term about how, when and where to carry out maintenance or improvement schemes while taking into account different social, technical, economic, energy and political indicators together with an innovative and integrated HVAC-oriented overall risk score.

The project is also expected to have substantial socio-economic impacts:

  • A positive impact on students’ health and well-being, ensuring their learning experience.
  • Optimization of air renovation strategies in educational buildings.
  • Improving public/private management of available fundings and investment needs within the educational community.

 

 Administrative details

Title of the project: IAQ4EDU - Optimal ventilation strategies for balancing Indoor Air Quality, comfort and energy use in EDUcational buildings.

Principal investigators: Dr. Marta Gangolells and Dr. Pablo Pujadas.

Beneficiary: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

Funding body: Agencia Estatal de Investigación.

Funding program: Programa Estatal de I+D+I Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad.

Reference: PID2020-117366RB-I00.

Funding: 132.011,00 €.

Duration: 36 months.

Starting date: September 2021.


 

 

 

 

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