Reduced night ventilation did not impair indoor air quality for occupants in a sample of Finnish school and daycare buildings

Pentti Kuurola; Tuomas Raunima; Joonas Ketko; Oluyemi Toyinbo; Juha Vinha; Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy

doi:10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113470

Reduced night ventilation did not impair indoor air quality for occupants in a sample of Finnish school and daycare buildings

Pentti Kuurola, Tuomas Raunima, Joonas Ketko, Oluyemi Toyinbo, Juha Vinha, Ulla Haverinen-Shaughnessy

Civil Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

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Abstract

Ventilation in buildings plays a significant role from the points of view of indoor air quality, health and comfort. In addition, ventilation is one major consumer of heating energy in buildings. In this study, we investigated the effects of shutting down mechanical ventilation at nights on measured and occupant reported indoor air quality as well as health symptoms. Extensive field measurements and standard MM questionnaire surveys among school personnel and children were carried out three months before and three months after changing the ventilation operation mode (from 24 h ventilation to shutting down when unoccupied) in twelve school and daycare buildings. There were small differences in the estimated mean indoor temperature, relative humidity, and particle concentrations results before and after the operation mode change (intervention), which could also be related to seasonal factors. However, the intervention did not associate with any of the studied occupant outcomes, including reported thermal comfort, stuffy ‘bad’ air, or health symptoms among children or personnel. Therefore, according to the survey responses, shutting down ventilation at night had no noticeable effects on the perceived indoor air quality and health during occupancy.

Original language	English
Article number	113470
Journal	Energy and Buildings
Volume	297
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113470
Publication status	Published - 2023
Publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Funding

This study was conducted as part of the Future Spaces research project, which aims to improve IAQ in service and commercial buildings. The project was funded by Business Finland, the University of Tampere, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, as well as the companies involved. The project is part of the activities of Business Finland's indoor air quality growth engine IAQe (Indoor Air Quality ecosystem). The work conducted by the University of Oulu team was partially funded by the Academy of Finland (decision number 342403).

Keywords

Daycare centers
Finland
IAQ
IEQ
Mixed models
MM questionnaire
Reduced night ventilation
Schools
Survey

Publication forum classification

Publication forum level 3

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Civil and Structural Engineering
Building and Construction
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113470Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S0378778823007004-mainFinal published version, 1.12 MBLicence: CC BY

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202309057980Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Reduced night ventilation did not impair indoor air quality for occupants in a sample of Finnish school and daycare buildings",

abstract = "Ventilation in buildings plays a significant role from the points of view of indoor air quality, health and comfort. In addition, ventilation is one major consumer of heating energy in buildings. In this study, we investigated the effects of shutting down mechanical ventilation at nights on measured and occupant reported indoor air quality as well as health symptoms. Extensive field measurements and standard MM questionnaire surveys among school personnel and children were carried out three months before and three months after changing the ventilation operation mode (from 24 h ventilation to shutting down when unoccupied) in twelve school and daycare buildings. There were small differences in the estimated mean indoor temperature, relative humidity, and particle concentrations results before and after the operation mode change (intervention), which could also be related to seasonal factors. However, the intervention did not associate with any of the studied occupant outcomes, including reported thermal comfort, stuffy {\textquoteleft}bad{\textquoteright} air, or health symptoms among children or personnel. Therefore, according to the survey responses, shutting down ventilation at night had no noticeable effects on the perceived indoor air quality and health during occupancy.",

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note = "Funding Information: This study was conducted as part of the Future Spaces research project, which aims to improve IAQ in service and commercial buildings. The project was funded by Business Finland, the University of Tampere, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, as well as the companies involved. The project is part of the activities of Business Finland's indoor air quality growth engine IAQe (Indoor Air Quality ecosystem). The work conducted by the University of Oulu team was partially funded by the Academy of Finland (decision number 342403). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023",

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AU - Vinha, Juha

AU - Haverinen-Shaughnessy, Ulla

N1 - Funding Information: This study was conducted as part of the Future Spaces research project, which aims to improve IAQ in service and commercial buildings. The project was funded by Business Finland, the University of Tampere, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, as well as the companies involved. The project is part of the activities of Business Finland's indoor air quality growth engine IAQe (Indoor Air Quality ecosystem). The work conducted by the University of Oulu team was partially funded by the Academy of Finland (decision number 342403). Publisher Copyright: © 2023

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N2 - Ventilation in buildings plays a significant role from the points of view of indoor air quality, health and comfort. In addition, ventilation is one major consumer of heating energy in buildings. In this study, we investigated the effects of shutting down mechanical ventilation at nights on measured and occupant reported indoor air quality as well as health symptoms. Extensive field measurements and standard MM questionnaire surveys among school personnel and children were carried out three months before and three months after changing the ventilation operation mode (from 24 h ventilation to shutting down when unoccupied) in twelve school and daycare buildings. There were small differences in the estimated mean indoor temperature, relative humidity, and particle concentrations results before and after the operation mode change (intervention), which could also be related to seasonal factors. However, the intervention did not associate with any of the studied occupant outcomes, including reported thermal comfort, stuffy ‘bad’ air, or health symptoms among children or personnel. Therefore, according to the survey responses, shutting down ventilation at night had no noticeable effects on the perceived indoor air quality and health during occupancy.

AB - Ventilation in buildings plays a significant role from the points of view of indoor air quality, health and comfort. In addition, ventilation is one major consumer of heating energy in buildings. In this study, we investigated the effects of shutting down mechanical ventilation at nights on measured and occupant reported indoor air quality as well as health symptoms. Extensive field measurements and standard MM questionnaire surveys among school personnel and children were carried out three months before and three months after changing the ventilation operation mode (from 24 h ventilation to shutting down when unoccupied) in twelve school and daycare buildings. There were small differences in the estimated mean indoor temperature, relative humidity, and particle concentrations results before and after the operation mode change (intervention), which could also be related to seasonal factors. However, the intervention did not associate with any of the studied occupant outcomes, including reported thermal comfort, stuffy ‘bad’ air, or health symptoms among children or personnel. Therefore, according to the survey responses, shutting down ventilation at night had no noticeable effects on the perceived indoor air quality and health during occupancy.

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Reduced night ventilation did not impair indoor air quality for occupants in a sample of Finnish school and daycare buildings

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Publication forum classification

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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