Ventilation, indoor air quality and thermal comfort.

Ventilation is increasingly a subject of concern due to its relation with health and energy loss. Environmental pollution and global warming demands energy conservation and a Airtight structures are being built to reduce the energy losses due to infiltration. Reduced air change rates may lead to accumulation of C02 and other toxic pollutants to undesirable levels. In view of such concerns tests are carried out here to study the influence of ventilation on indoor air quality and thermal conditions in a naturally ventilated building. The results show that C02 accumulation of depends on the ventilation rate and the level of occupancy. C02 dissipation bears a high correlation with 'open window'. The study indicates that night ventilation can provide appropriate means for passive cooling in buildings and its effectiveness is strongly related to relative differences between indoor and outdoor temperatures.