Energy Cost for Effective Ventilation and Air Quality for Healthy Buildings: Plant Proposals for a Historic Building School Reopening in the Covid-19 Era

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the engineering/technical approach to building and plant design. In Italy, most of the school heritage belongs to historical buildings, which are not only under constraints for the protection and prevention of loss of cultural heritage but are often created with a different intended use. This fact implies that any plant engineering project is really complex. Starting from the current sanitary measures for reopening during the Covid-19 era and the crucial current research on this matter, the feasibility of plant retrofit/refurbishment solutions by means of effective ventilation and air quality are investigated. Various plant solutions based on demand-controlled mechanical ventilation, operating 24 h a day, seven days a week, without air recirculation mode, for a historical high school building were studied using transient simulations. A result comparison showed that it is possible to obtain healthy school environments by means of an optimal compromise between energy savings and the best ventilation conditions for indoor air quality (IAQ). Sustainability is understood as effective and efficient solutions for energy consumption reduction and environmental sustainability as a guarantee for people’s safety and wellbeing.

Computational decision-support tools for urban design to improve resilience against COVID-19 and other infectious diseases: A systematic review

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Impact of Air-Purifying Plants on the Reduction of Volatile Organic Compounds in the Indoor Hot Desert Climate

“…In areas such as architecture, landscaping, and environment, natural purification of indoor air using plants is being actively investigated (Armijos Moya et al, 2021). However, existing studies measure only the effect in unit space, at a basic research level, for determining the effect of plants in improving the environment, in the area of landscaping (Balocco and Leoncini, 2020;Mata et al, 2021).…”

Indoors ventilation in times of confinement by SARS-CoV-2 epidemic: A comparative approach between Spain and Italy

“…Therefore, it is necessary to improve the indoor air quality and, to avoid high concentrations of harmful substances, it is needed to have good ventilation in the house ( Chen Ren, 2019 ; Garcia-Chevesich, 2014 ; Ogen, 2020 ; World Health Organization, WHO Air quality guidelines for particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide: Global update 2005, 2005 ; World Health Organization, Statement on the second meeting of the Emergency Committee of the International Health Regulations (2005) on the novel coronavirus outbreak (2019-nCoV)., 2020c ). Furthermore, the presence of people in a closed space for a number of hours higher than the usual may imply an increase in the concentration of CO 2 in our rooms ( Balocco, 2020 ; De Gaetani, 2020 ; Darmanis, 2020 ; Dudzik, 2020 ; Hye-Sun Jin, 2020 ; Lee, 2020 ; Rossi, 2020 ; Yao, 2020 ). Electronic devices, known as e-noses, may be conveniently used as smart devices to monitor indoor air quality in a living environment ( Sironi, 2014 ; Viccione D. S., 2014 ; Viccione T. Z., 2012 ).…”