Assessment of mechanical ventilation performance in Finnish daycare building

Ventilation performance is critical in daycare buildings since they are often designed for high occupancy density and longer occupant periods. During the past decades, broad research and detailed guidance on ventilation design to provide good indoor air quality have been developed in Finland. However, the Covid-19 pandemic revealed the significance of ventilation in preventing airborne transmission within enclosed spaces. Therefore, ventilation strategies are currently being reconsidered for the health emergency arising from the
pandemic. Moreover, even in retrofitted educational buildings, the effect of the intervention showed some differences from what was expected at the design stage. Thus, ventilation performance analysis and detailed ventilation system inspection are required to provide healthy and safe indoor spaces.
This study presents measurement results for assessing mechanical ventilation performance and indoor air quality in several Finnish daycare buildings. Indoor air quality in daycare premises was evaluated by measuring CO2 and indoor temperature. In addition, the mechanical and electrical components of ventilation systems were expected using the Finnish guideline for inspecting ventilation systems. The study revealed differences between the expected and measured ventilation performances. The findings of this study will contribute to understanding ventilation performance and potential measures to improve indoor air quality for daycare premises.