English

Humidity-controlled mechanical exhaust ventilation (RH-MEV) has been widely used in France for over 35 years, demonstrating high durability and robustness. This exhaust-only ventilation strategy is widely used as an energy-saving measure, replacing constant mechanical exhaust ventilation (Constant-MEV) systems in residential buildings. It demonstrates energy savings due to the restricted airflows, but as a downside, the building's indoor air quality (IAQ) often deteriorates.

This paper shows the results of a survey conducted among 10 AIVC members countries about air quality in garages and current requirements and regulations in this regard. Large differences were found among countries, not only in terms of the scope of the regulations, but also in relation to the parameters that are considered.  

Residential ventilation systems target in an energy efficient manner an indoor atmosphere fulfilling people’s desired comfort requirements with regard to CO2, temperature, and RH. However, the reach of an indoor atmosphere is not limited to comfort only. Ensuring a healthy indoor atmosphere reducing the risk of acute and chronic diseases caused by the inhaled air is also of importance. A number of elements contribute to indoor air pollution, such as: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), infectious aerosols, and Particulate Matter (PM).

The present paper describes an experimental test to identify the possible influences that the presence of plant species may have on the environmental quality of indoor spaces. For this purpose, a selection of houseplants with high air purification capacities was made based on existing literature (Sansevieria, Poto, Spathiphyllum, Ficus Benjamina, Kentia and Areca). Two adjacent rooms within an experimental building were used as test cells. The two rooms have similar characteristics. One room was occupied with the plants and the other was left empty.

Radon is one of the common contaminants inside buildings, with maximum presence in high potential areas classified as radon prone areas. This radioactive gas, which comes from the spontaneous disintegration of radium present in the earth's crust, can penetrate buildings and accumulate inside them. The spaces closest to the ground (basement and first floors) are the most affected. Its inhalation in high doses is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Several techniques are commonly used to mitigate its presence.

This paper investigates the relationship between indoor air quality (IAQ) and overheating in a temperate climate in Spain (Cfb attending to Koppen-Ggeiger classification), in dwellings located in residential buildings and without cooling systems.

Building system engineering can help decrease the risk of being infected by the aerosol which contains virus-laden droplet nuclei. Many techniques can help decrease the concentrations of particles. This paper focuses on the economic renovation of the existing ventilation system of a public commercial space, a small meeting room in Kuijpers, Leiden, to decrease airborne transmission of respiratory infectious diseases.

Schools had covered special attention in the last year, due to their importance to organize daily work as well as since most of the children were still not vaccinated. Under this circumstance, the importance of air renewal to reduce the probability of COVID-19 contagion inside buildings was highlighted. 

Throughout history, the human population has experienced major outbreaks of infectious diseases. In December 2019 the previously unknown SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged, which had a huge impact globally. Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) showed to be highly susceptible to infection due to their frailty. Respiratory infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, can spread among others via the airborne transmission route. This is caused by sharing the same indoor environment.

In this study, a sensitivity analysis on the effects of inhabitant behaviour on the performance of ventilation systems is carried out. Inhabitants behave differently in terms of presence at home, window opening, door opening, etc. Relating to the ventilation system, this is reflected in the ventilation demand and consequently the energy consumption, but also in the indoor air quality. Therefore, care should be taken to compare ventilation systems to each other as the inhabitants can be the most determining factor for the performance.