OR-20-C009 -- Indoor Environmental Quality Evaluation of an Institutional Building ✓ Most Recent

Indoor environment in an institutional building, including ventilation, indoor air quality (IAQ), acoustic and thermal conditions, as well as lighting, directly influence the students’ study and health performance. In this paper, all five aspects were studied to evaluate the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in an institutional building. This study examines IEQ parameters, including pressure, illuminance level, acoustics, carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, temperature, and humidity, with appropriate monitors allocated during a lecture duration (50min or 80 min) in four lecture classrooms (59187 ± 1554 ft3, 1676 ± 44 m3) repeatedly from October 2018 to March 2019 with the objectives of providing a comprehensive analysis and updating the literature. Outdoor temperature was -13℉ to 54℉ (-25°C to 12°C) during two-season measurements, while the classroom environment was maintained at 73 ± 2℉ (23 ± 1°C) and 33% ± 3% RH. Indoor CO2 had mean concentrations of 550-1055 ppm and a mean sound level of 58 ± 3 dBA. Using the one-zone steady-state box model, the air change rates were configured at 1.3-6.5 per hour based on continuous CO2 measurements and occupant loads in the lectures. Results were compared to ventilation guideline for lecture classrooms by ASHRAE. Building features and mechanical operation details were discussed to analyze the relationships between building design/operation and IEQ performance. See more