Research on thermal comfort and indoor air quality: a case study on an office building

Abstract

Indoor air quality rises in importance when considering that people spend large part of their time in enclosed spaces where indoor air is more polluted than outdoor environment. In the scope of this study, experimental research was done to investigate the thermal comfort and indoor air quality at an office building in the central district of Edirne. By choosing two office units, which facing different directions, in the rectangular formed building located at NE and SW directions, environment temperature, relative humidity, velocity of air flow, amount of CO2, PMV (predicted mean vote), PPD (predicted percentage of dissatisfied) and particle matter quantities at different diameters were measured. Measurements were organized so that each office unit has 8 measurements in two- month period. Besides that, measurements were taken at outdoor environment. With the help of tables and graphs, obtained numerical data were compared with limit values of ASHRAE Standard 55. As the result of investigation, it is understood that insolation direction of the office units has the importance on indoor air quality. However, building envelope, office area size and volume, type of heating system, number of user, existing furniture and equipment etc. factors are more important than insolation of the building. Moreover, smoking causes large amount of increase in the level of CO2 and quantity of particle matter in the environment. In fact, it is seen that level of CO2 is so high when also there is not smoking activity in the office.