Indoor Climate Performance in a Renovated School Building

Abstract

Indoor climate comfort is important for school buildings. Nowadays, this is a topical problem, especially in renovated buildings. Poorly ventilated school classrooms create improper conditions for classrooms. A post-occupancy study was performed in a school building in temperate climatic conditions. The evaluation was based on the results of long-term monitoring of the natural ventilation strategy and measurements of the carbon dioxide concentration in the school classroom’s indoor environment. The monitoring was carried out in an old school building that was constructed in the 1970s and compared to testing carried out in the same school classroom after the building was renovated in 2016. Surprisingly, the renovated classroom had a significantly higher concentration of CO2. It was found that this was due to the regulation of the heating system and the new airtight windows. The occupants of the renovated classroom have a maintained thermal comfort, but natural ventilation is rather neglected. A controlled ventilation strategy and installation of heat recovery units are recommended to solve these problems with the classroom’s indoor environment. Microbiological testing of the surfaces in school classrooms also shows the importance of fresh air and solar radiation access for indoor comfort.

The Effect of Environmentally Adaptive Interiors on Visually-impaired Students in the Schools of North-East

“…[ Mocová, et. al, (2021)] In summary, the study underscores the importance of effective ventilation, especially in renovated spaces with sealed windows, for maintaining school indoor air quality.…”

Analysis of Measured CO2 Levels through Long-Term Monitoring in Renovated Multifamily Buildings: A Common Case

“…However, IAQ has been less studied when considering the post-evaluation of mass renovation for multifamily buildings, currently being intensively measured and monitored for the non-residential sector [19][20][21][22][23]. Within a relevant study [19], the air quality of a renovated office building in Manchester was monitored for two weeks, along with an assessment of the impact of sick building syndrome (SBS).…”

“…CO 2 level, air exchange, and air velocity measurements were undertaken to identify whether the reactivated natural ventilation function of a renovated historical university building (Architecture Hall) was successful within the renovation process; it was found that it was not [20,23]. In [21], CO 2 levels were monitored for a renovated school, located in the Czech Republic; it was found that the renovated classroom had a significantly high concentration of CO 2 after renovation (up to 1981 ppm), due to inadequate ventilation. In [22], several indoor environmental parameters of a historical building located on a university campus in Košice, Slovakia, were monitored.…”

Comparative Research on Ventilation Characteristics of Scattering and Sample Room from Chinese Spallation Neutron Source

“…The air pollutants have wide varieties [17,18], including solid particles, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, microorganisms, chemical volatile organic compounds, and outdoor air, which are the most common types of air pollutants encountered indoors and have different hazards to human bodies [19][20][21]. By optimizing the ventilation mode to reduce air pollutant content, this improves the indoor air quality and meets the needs of radiation workers.…”