Ventilation behaviour of occupants driven by outdoor temperature: 12 case studies

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 monitoring was conducted in 12 apartments located in Madrid, Spain, with a cold semi-arid climate, over different periods ranging from 15 to 21 days. Occupants completed surveys providing information on their habits, occupancy patterns, ventilation operations and subjective perception of IEQ.
According to the results, occupant behaviour is strongly influenced by outdoor temperature and could reverse the expected performance of the ventilation system. This influence could be significant enough to be used as a driving variable for a method of modelling human ventilation behaviour.