Airbase publication

Smart ventilation which provides air renewal thanks to its variable airflows adjusted on the needs can improve both indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy performance of buildings. However, such performance gains should be quantified with performance-based approaches. In this paper, we propose to extend the performance-based approach with a robust methodology to rank the ventilation systems performance. Such a methodology could be used in a decision-making tool at the design stage of buildings.

Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) sensors measuring Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) seem to be an obvious step towards broadly available Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV). The previous research shows that MOS VOC sensors can detect high pollution events such as cleaning, painting, or high occupation density. These abilities seem to make MOS VOC sensors suitable to complement ventilation control systems, especially concerning residential ventilation.

Chile has 1,626 social housing complexes with a total of 350,880 dwellings. Several studies have demonstrated a low thermal performance and high air permeability of the envelope of social houses throughout the country, causing surface condensation on walls, high heat losses in winter and low levels of thermal comfort for their occupants. The presence of high levels of indoor pollutants and/or indoor humidity has also been observed, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the occupants.

Mass gathering events were closed in 2020 to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. These events included music concerts, theatre shows, and sports matches. It is known, however, that the long-range aerosol transmission of pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, can be reduced with sufficient ventilation indoors. This paper examines the risk of reopening these mass gathering events by measuring the CO2 concentration, as a proxy for ventilation effectiveness, at 58 events, with a specific focus on small enclosed spaces with short occupancy.

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.