Module 107: Predicting and delivering good building IAQ using natural ventilation. This CPD module, published in January 2017, explores how natural ventilation can be used to maintain indoor air quality, and its application for school buildings
Building performance is a necessary function for planning and sustainability, however whilst Facility Managers may be well versed in how to control the environment in the building, building users may have conflicting requirements and systems may not always perform as intended.
Regarding the education sector, following the consultation on the revision of the Building Bulletin (BB) 101 guidelines for ventilation and air quality for schools, the government is concluding its consultation period with a goal to publish the updated guidelines in early 2017. The goal will be to improve thermal comfort and indoor air quality to prevent summertime overheating and thermal comfort problems in schools.
Ventilation controls are used to monitor CO2 and where applicable (for hybrid ventilation) temperature. They can be linked into a BACnet system for wider building performance control. This allows building managers to control IAQ throughout the course of the year.
There is a trend towards more visual controllers which can help educate end users as to the functions of the systems and how to operate them. An example would be the Smart Screen Controller from Monodraught. It is a high quality interface that provides a graphical insight into the operation of Monodraught ventilation systems. Through the capacitive touchscreen interface, a user can explore how the systems work, adjust settings, and find out information on the system in order to maintain a comfortable environment with minimal energy use.
By utilising this controller, end-users can use the full benefits of the ventilation system that has been installed and learn more about how they are ventilating their building or room and how to use the controls. The low 24V DC power usage continues to keep the carbon footprint extremely low. Consistent data logging can allow building owners to analyse their cooling and ventilation strategy and mirror in other properties they may own or manage.
A recent case study for natural ventilation in education was an award winning school renovation in France winning a “Green Building” award from the Construction 21 Network for health and comfort.
The Simone Veil nursery and primary school combined a requirement for controlled energy consumption and low carbon emissions with a focus on health and comfort for its pupils and teachers.
The needs of the project were acoustic comfort – essential for student’s attention and air quality, a very important matter for this school as it is built on a former industrial site. In addition consideration was required for summer comfort in the building. Results have shown great indoor air quality and measured CO2 levels within the various rooms are well below the indoor air guide values. Feedback on the system has also been positive with the school being pleased to have manual controls. Find out more.
Our latest CPD module 107 “Predicting and delivering good building IAQ using natural ventilation” with CIBSE looks into this topic in more depth. To read and complete the module please visit the CIBSE Journal website. To find out more about our hybrid ventilation solution, please contact our sales team, you can also find out more on our product pages.