Evaluation of Different Natural Ventilation Strategies by Monitoring the Indoor Air Quality Using CO2 Sensors

Abstract

Indoor air quality is a characteristic that depends on air pollutants inside a building and that can be affected by different ventilation strategies. There is strong evidence linking poor indoor air quality (IAQ) and harmful health effects, especially on vulnerable collectives, such as children in schools. Due to this concern, this work aims to provide guidance on the design of highly efficient ventilation strategies to improve the air quality of schools’ classrooms. For this, IAQ monitoring has been carried out in eight educational in real conditions centres using CO2 concentration as an IAQ indicator. Variables such as the presence of students and their number, activity developed in the classroom and ventilation strategy used together with break time duration have been also recorded to analyse their influence on CO2 concentration levels. Concluding results have allowed us to determine the maximum number of students allowed in a closed room to maintain CO2 levels at normal concentrations and the time needed to reduce these CO2 levels depending on the ventilation strategy adopted. Moreover, it has been discussed how surrounding school conditions (pollution or noise) and the building isolation are impacting the final IAQ in the classrooms studied.