Indoor environmental quality assessment: Part 1: Choice of the indoor environmental quality sub-component models

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Piasecki ◽  
Krystyna Kostyrko ◽  
Sławomir Pykacz

Indoor environment quality is a relative measure of comfort perception by people exposed to the indoor conditions. It is expected that any assessment of energy performance should also include indoor comfort. This study is to review indoor environmental quality models (with respect to thermal and acoustic comfort, indoor air and lighting quality). A simplified indoor environmental quality model is also developed with consideration of EN 15251 draft ‘Guideline for using indoor environmental input parameters for the design and assessment of energy performance of buildings’. This article analyses what components should be modelled and in particular discusses the effect of different weighting schemes on the overall indoor environmental quality index. The analysis includes thermal comfort models, indoor air quality, acoustic comfort and daylight illumination versus lightning. The proposed indoor environmental quality component sub-models will give the most reliable results when the model indoor environment input data are correctly measured and disturbing influences of indoor environmental quality monitoring process are well defined and properly assessed. The final indoor environmental quality result is based on subjoining the uncertainty values achieved in panel analysis of percentage of persons dissatisfied with indoor environmental quality with corrected measurement uncertainty. All simulations for IEQindex sub-components and preliminary metrological analysis of the whole indoor environmental quality model were performed with the NIST program for Monte Carlo tests. The presented indoor environmental quality model proposal is developed to support engineers’ practice as the convenient tool for a practical assessment of building’s occupational satisfaction.

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michał Piasecki ◽  
Krystyna Barbara Kostyrko

Indoor environmental quality index involves a set of indoor environmental quality sub-components, provides an assessment of building user comfort and satisfaction and may be used as a tool to support the design of energy-efficient buildings. Unfortunately, the unknown reliability of the indoor environmental quality model is a recognized barrier for its wider practical use. In this article, a preliminary reliability test for the indoor environmental quality model is presented, providing a correct evaluation of the measurement data results and a step-by-step guide to the expression of its uncertainty. The uncertainty based on the physical parameters is first analyzed and then corrected by considering the impacts of the instability of the physical parameters. In the end, all sources of uncertainty are recognized, including uncertainties introduced by the probability distribution of panel sensory tests. A procedure for detecting internal incongruity in the indoor environmental quality model structure is also provided, and a criterion for elimination of this syndrome is proposed. Finally, in standardized indoor environment, the estimated uncertainty of the IEQindex is presented to be no less than ±17%.


2019 ◽  
Vol 282 ◽  
pp. 02071
Author(s):  
Catarina F. T. Ribeiro ◽  
Nuno M. M. Ramos ◽  
Inês Flores-Colen

Throughout history, it has always been recognised that the spaces in-between in dwellings have the advantage of working as environmental buffer spaces. The aim of this paper is to provide a literature review of the different spaces in-between in dwellings – balconies, shaded balconies and glazed balconies - and their impacts on comfort and on energy performance. The effects of the spaces in-between depend on their design, on the characteristics of the buildings and on the surroundings. They have important impacts on the four factors that contribute to the indoor environmental quality: thermal comfort, lighting comfort, acoustic comfort and indoor air quality. These factors are interrelated and the lack of balance between them can lead to poor indoor environmental conditions and to excessive energy consumption. Based on the review, a synthesis of the key environmental parameters that can be used as indicators for those factors is established. The impacts of spaces in-between on the factors and sub-factors of indoor environment are defined, considering different climatic regions. A holistic approach that conciliates all the above-mentioned factors should be a contribution to the design of spaces in-between in both new construction and rehabilitation projects, in order to achieve better indoor environment with minimum energy consumption.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Nishant Raj Kapoor ◽  
Ashok Kumar ◽  
Chandan Swaroop Meena ◽  
Anuj Kumar ◽  
Tabish Alam ◽  
...  

This review presents the existing state-of-the-art practices of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in naturally ventilated school buildings and is mainly focused on the components of IEQ like thermal comfort, indoor air quality with ventilation, and visual and acoustic comfort. This article also discusses the impacts of COVID-19 on naturally ventilated school buildings, highlighting the obviousness of dynamic applications that concentrate on reducing COVID-19 effects in naturally ventilated school buildings. The importance of the concerned issues and factors are discussed in detail for future research direction. This review is a step toward the development of the IEQ standard for naturally ventilated school buildings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Ribeiro ◽  
Nuno M. M. Ramos ◽  
Inês Flores-Colen

Balconies are an ancient architectural archetype that are being increasingly considered in multi-family buildings of high-density cities. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the impacts of balcony types on the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and energy consumption of dwellings. Of the reviewed studies, 69% were published during the last decade, making it evident that awareness of the positive impact of balcony spaces is continuously increasing. The literature review allowed us to identify three balcony spaces according to their morphology and their boundary system: open balcony (OB), glazed balcony (GB), and eliminate balcony (EB). It was concluded that these balcony types produce relevant impacts in four factors that contribute to the indoor environmental quality: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, visual comfort, and acoustic comfort. Practical design recommendations and constraints were provided according to distinct climatic conditions and building technologies. This review also explored the assessment methodologies used for the optimization of the balconies on the design process. The literature highlighted the lack of a comprehensive study about the impact of balconies in mild and Mediterranean climates, as well as the knowledge limitations concerning the balance between the impacts on IEQ factors.


Author(s):  
Ibiyeye Aminat Idowu ◽  
Mohd Fakri Zaky Ja’afar ◽  
Zalina Shari ◽  
Nur Dalilah Dahlan

Studies have revealed important roles quality indoor environment plays on human health and productivity; consequently, its influence on certain shopping behavior has also been well spelt out. In other to keep up with the demand for quality indoor environment, new trend has been evolving in the design of Malaysian shopping malls. From fully air-conditioned to newly designed ones that integrate passive ventilation strategies; and as such operating under mixed-mode ventilation system. These passive ventilation strategies are implemented to reduce energy consumption and also to improve the indoor environment within the mall’s indoor space. However, the potentials of these designs in terms of their indoor environmental quality (IEQ) performance have not been studied nor have their advantages been revealed. In this study, occupants’ thermal perception and IEQ performance was investigated in two mixed-mode ventilated malls selected based on their design concept (‘open’ and ‘enclosed’). Both subjective and objective measurements were carried out in accordance with the ASHRAE performance measurement protocol for commercial buildings. Five IEQ factors (indoor air temperature, operative temperature, relative humidity, air speed, and carbon dioxide concentration level) were evaluated in the two malls. The results revealed that both malls fell below the ASHRAE comfort requirement but majority of the occupants still found the indoor thermal performance acceptable despite the high indoor air temperature recorded. For both malls, high air speed and low humidity level were recorded. However, higher air movement was still preferred by the occupants while the recorded mean carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration was within the recommended level. The ‘open’ concept mixed-mode ventilated mall proved superior compared to the ‘enclosed’ concept by providing a more thermally tolerance indoor environment for its occupants. Generally, results from this study contribute to the knowledge on the advantages of adopting sustainable designs in commercial buildings for improving the indoor environment as well as the health and general well-being of the occupants. The study will open more opportunities for future IEQ studies to be carried out in hot-humid climatic regions.


Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piasecki

The article presents a practical implementation of the indoor quality model. The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) model, including its essential elements (TCindex—thermal comfort, IAQindex—indoor air quality, ACcindex—acoustic comfort and Lindex—daylight quality), is used to evaluate a case-study single-family building built with the nearly zero energy (NZEB) standard. The results of comfort sub-indices based on the measured indoor parameters are aggregated into one IEQindex value representing the predicted building occupants’ satisfaction in percentage terms. The author’s intention is to use the proposed model in broader civil and environmental engineering practice, especially in terms of supporting the energy performance certification. The results obtained using the IEQ model were also compared with the results obtained with a similar method based on the comprehensive assessment system for built environment efficiency (CASBEE) approach for the same building.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Nishesh Jain ◽  
Esfand Burman ◽  
Samuel Stamp ◽  
Clive Shrubsole ◽  
Roderic Bunn ◽  
...  

Hospitals are controlled yet complex ecosystems which provide a therapeutic environment that promotes healing, wellbeing and work efficiency for patients and staff. As these buildings accommodate the sick and vulnerable, occupant wellbeing and good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) that deals with indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, lighting and acoustics are important objectives. As the specialist nature of hospital function demands highly controlled indoor environments, this makes them energy intensive buildings due to the complex and varying specifications for their functions and operations. This paper reports on a holistic building performance evaluation covering aspects of indoor air quality, thermal comfort, lighting, acoustics, and energy use. It assesses the performance issues and inter-relationships between IEQ and energy in a new building on a hospital campus in the city of Bristol, United Kingdom. The empirical evidence collated from this case study and the feedback received from the hospital staff help identify the endemic issues and constraints related to hospital buildings, such as the need for robust ventilation strategies in hospitals in urban areas that mitigate the effect of indoor and outdoor air pollution and ensuring the use of planned new low-carbon technologies. Whilst the existing guidelines for building design provide useful instructions for the protection of hospital buildings against ingress of particulate matter from outdoors, more advanced filtration strategies may be required to enact chemical reactions required to control the concentration levels of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and benzene. Further lessons for improved performance in operation and maintenance of hospitals are highlighted. These include ensuring that the increasingly available metering and monitoring data in new buildings, through building management systems, is used for efficient and optimal building operations for better IEQ and energy management. Overall, the study highlights the need for an integrated and holistic approach to building performance to ensure that healthy environments are provided while energy efficiency targets are met.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document