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The REHVA www.rehva.eu
Contents
European HVAC Journal Download the articles from www.rehva.eu -> REHVA Journal
Volume: 54 Issue: 3 June 2017

Editor-in-Chief: Jaap Hogeling

[email protected] EDITORIAL 45 The UK is putting IAQ and health on
the agenda again
Associate Editor: Stefano Corgnati, Italy 5 Towards HEAnZEBs! Dr Gráinne McGill & Prof Tim Sharpe
[email protected] Atze Boerstra
Editorial Assistant: Chiara Girardi, 50 Particulate matter reduction in
[email protected] Eindhoven
ARTICLES R. Vervoort, T. van Hooff, B. Blocken & R. Gijsbers
General Executive: Süleyman Bulak, Turkey
6 PEOPLE FIRST!
Interview with Bjarne Olesen 55 An efficiency benchmark for the
REHVA BOARD Atze Boerstra building industry
President: Stefano Corgnati Guruprakash Sastry
Vice Presidents: 9 Performance-based approaches to
Atze Boerstra residential smart ventilation
Frank Hovorka Gaëlle Guyot, Max Sherman & Iain Walker NEWS
Jarek Kurnitski
Milos Lain 60 Building Simulation 2017 Conference
13 Indoor Air Quality Improvement in a Open for Registration
Catalin Lungu
Manuel Carlos Gameiro da Silva
School Building in Delhi
Maija Virta 61 28th FOR ARCH
EDITORIAL BOARD - 2017 63 ACREX India 2017
Francis Allard, France 18 3D printing of HVAC systems
Ahmet Arisoy, Turkey Ziya Haktan Karadeniz & Macit Toksoy
Marianna Brodatch, Russia REHVA WORLD
Vincenc Butala, Slovenia 23 Personal control over indoor climate
Stefano P. Corgnati, Italy 68 New REHVA Board Member
disentangled, Part 1
Francesca R. d’Ambrosio, Italy
Ioan Silviu Dobosi, Romania Runa Hellwig & Atze Boerstra 69 REHVA 2017 General Assembly
Egils Dzelzitis, Latvia 70 REHVA Student Competition 2017
Andy Ford, United Kingdom 27 Green Air Conditioning
Signhild Gehlin, Sweden – Using indoor living wall systems as a 71 Thierry van Steenberghe in Memoriam
Jaap Hogeling, the Netherlands climate control method
Karel Kabele, Czech Republic Tatiana Armijos Moya, Andy van den Dobbelsteen, 72 SCANVAC awarded Per Rasmussen
Jarek Kurnitski, Estonia Marc Ottelé & Philomena M. Bluyssen
Zoltan Magyar, Hungary
Livio Mazzarella, Italy
PRODUCT NEWS
Renato Merati, Italy 32 Indoor Air Quality Monitoring 2.0
– Seeing the invisible 75 New sensor range from Belimo
Birgit Müller, Germany
Louie Cheng The perfect complement to actuators
Natasa Nord, Norway
Bjarne W. Olesen, Denmark
and valves
Branimir Pavkovic, Croatia 39 Metrics of Health Risks from Indoor Air
Dusan Petras, Slovakia
Benjamin Jones 78 EVENTS
Olli Seppänen, Finland
José Tarodo, Spain
Branislav Todorovic, Serbia
Maija Virta, Finland
Peter Wouters, Belgium Advertisers
ADVERTISEMENTS
Ms Chiara Girardi, [email protected] 99 Friterm............. Front cover interior 99 Rettig......................................... 59
99 HVAC2017 – UK Construction 99 Lindab........................................ 67
SUBSCRIPTIONS and Week............................................ 4 99 Belimo........................................ 74
CHANGES OF ADDRESSES
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99 Halton........................................ 38 99 REHVA Guidebooks......Back cover

PUBLISHER
TEKNİK SEKTÖR YAYINCILIĞI A.Ş.
Balmumcu, Barbaros Bulvarı Bahar
Sk. Karanfil Apt. No:2/9
Beşiktaş /İstanbul, Turkey
Next issue of REHVA Journal
REHVA Journal is distributed in over 50 countries through the
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in the Journal are not necessarily those of REHVA or its members. (> Publications & Resources > HVAC Journal > Journal information)
REHVA will not be under any liability whatsoever in respect of
contributed articles. Send the manuscripts of articles for the journal
to Jaap Hogeling [email protected]
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 THE UK’S LEADING SHOW DEDICATED TO HEATING,
VENTILATION AND AIR-CONDITIONING

HVAC2017
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REGISTER FOR FREE Registration includes access to:

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 Editorial

Towards HEAnZEBs!
R
ecently, I was invited by a group of civil servants designed to improve the energy performance of (new
engaged in the update of the current Dutch EPB or existing) buildings should consider indoor climate
regulation based of the expected EPBD revision. conditions in order to avoid possible negative effects
My contact person asked me, beforehand, to focus my ‘such as inadequate ventilation’. It, furthermore, states
presentation on health and comfort of building occu- that aspects like indoor air quality, adequate natural
pants in nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs). light and shading should be taken into account when
(re)designing energy-efficient buildings.
I started my presentation saying: ‘I’m worried about
this and I truly believe that it is high time that you The good news is that countries that want to ensure
start worrying about this too.’ That maybe wasn’t what that the Indoor Environmental Quality of our future
they wanted to hear, but they asked for my honest and nearly Zero Energy Buildings is adequate can now
professional opinion which I was happy to share. find examples of IEQ performance criteria in FprEN
16798-1 (the upgraded version of EN 15251). This
Which are my worries? Since the Paris Agreement, CEN standard presents requirements that can be used
everybody seems to be interested in nothing but the when one wants to avoid problems with overheating,
energy performance of both existing and new buildings. underventilation, installation noise, etc.
I do see the need to fight global warming and drasti-
cally cut back on CO2 emissions. There is no time to Several articles in this special issue of REHVA Journal
lose. However, during the last couple of years I have support the hypothesis that the health and comfort
seen (and investigated) a lot of transformed and new performance of buildings is as important as the energy
buildings, (re)designed with an energy agenda that had performance. Authors from Europe, South-America,
unwanted and serious side effects. China and India explain that aspects like fine particle
exposure, personal control options and sensor tech-
For example, some problems that I have come upon in nology aimed at local IEQ improvement should be
class A (A+) energy performing dwellings, schools and addressed too.
offices include: overheating in summer, underventila-
tion in winter, severely limited daylight penetration, I ended my presentation with the Dutch EPBD recast
too noisy HVAC systems and overcomplicated climate group saying that, in my opinion, we should start to
controls. These are important issues, as a suboptimal systematically create buildings that are both healthy and
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) will affect the energy efficient. It’s a real risk to keep focusing only
wellbeing and productivity of building occupants. on energy performance. ‘Instead let’s create HEAlthy
nearly Zero Energy Buildings (I use the abbreviation
Fortunately, REHVA is aware of the need to look HEA for HEALTH here, in line with the BREEAM
beyond just energy performance improvement. In a certification scheme). What we need is not nZEBs but
previous issue of REHVA Journal, we presented the HEAnZEBs!
REHVA position paper on the European Commission
proposal of the revised Energy Performance of Buildings
Directive (EPBD). In this position paper*, the recom-
mendation No. 1 was: ‘Ensure high indoor environmental ATZE BOERSTRA
quality and energy efficiency at the same time’. PhD, Managing director
BBA Indoor Environmental
This recommendation is in line with the thoughts Consultancy and
behind the original political document, the 2010 REHVA Vice-president
EPB Directive. That document states that measures email: [email protected]

* http://www.rehva.eu/fileadmin/Publications_and_resources/Position_papers/EPBD_proposal_REHVA_position.pdf

REHVA Journal – June 2017 5

 Articles

PEOPLE FIRST!
Interview with Bjarne Olesen
Professor Bjarne Olesen is Head of the
International Centre for Indoor Environment
and Energy (ICIEE) at the Danish Technical
University (DTU) in Lyngby, just North ATZE BOERSTRA
of Copenhagen. Bjarne has 45 years of PhD, Managing director
experience working in the HVAC field, both as BBA Indoor Environmental
a researcher and as a practitioner. Besides Consultancy and
his employment at the Technical University of REHVA Vice-president
Denmark and 1½ year at Virginia tech, he has email: [email protected]
worked many years in the industry. He worked
11 years part-time at Brüel&Kjær and 11 years for Velta and for Uponor. Bjarne has published
over 400 scientific papers and conference papers. He was president of the international
Indoor Air conference that was held in Copenhagen in 2008 and, for more than 35 years, he
has been involved in standard writing (e.g. within ASHRAE, DIN, DS, CEN and ISO). Several of
the EPBD & EPBD recast standards have been developed under his supervision. From 2011
till 2014 he was member of the REHVA board of directors. This summer – at the ASHRAE
summer meeting that is held June 24th–28th in Long Beach, California – he will be installed as
president of ASHRAE.

Keywords: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, productivity, policy, net zero energy
buildings (nZEB), standardisation, ventilation, heating, cooling.

What makes your heart beat faster?

What are you really passionate about? mance and thermal comfort. To my own surprise, the
relation between environment and technology on the

I
think that it is essential that one hand and people, comfort and productivity on the
we create a good indoor other really triggered me. So, I decided to study with
environment in our build- Professor Fanger, to do a Master thesis and after that
ings, that we built and main- a PhD thesis. The subject of course had to be people-
tain offices, schools, dwellings related: it dealt with local discomfort, floor temperature
etc. and their building service and radiant floor heating/cooling.
systems in such a way that
healthy and comfortable living Since then, of course, HVAC technology has developed,
environments are provided for but I still think that it is important to put people first,
all. Of course, all in such a way to always look beyond the technology, to work with
BJARNE OLESEN that low energy use is guaran- IEQ requirements that are system independent and to
teed too. strive at optimizing the energy and health performance
of buildings simultaneously.
For me the people-factor has always been important.
As a Master student in the early 70’s I had planned
to get a summer job as a land surveyor in Greenland,
What are the most important changes
at that time, that paid really well. They did not select
that you saw in more than 4 decades of
me and, then, a certain Professor Fanger asked me to
activity in our field?
do some summer work instead. He involved me in a Certainly, a lot has changed over the years. It is maybe
lab study with subjects that looked at mental perfor- hard to imagine now but, till the 60’s, we kind of only

6 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

Since the Paris Agreement on Climate

looked at air temperatures when we designed HVAC Change, the society seems to be speeding
systems. Then, we and others from the US came up up when it comes to decarbonization of
with the suggestion to systematically include radiant our world, and improving the energy per-
temperature, air speed and humidity, and, at the same formance of our buildings. Some are
time, to look at the combined influence of several afraid that this will have negative side-ef-
parameters such as clothing and metabolism when fects, especially in terms of building occu-
objectifying thermal comfort. pant health and comfort. What is your
opinion about this?
In the 80’s, the focus shifted away from thermal comfort
to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) partly due to a growing I recognize that an overfocus on energy performance
number of stories in the media about Sick Buildings. can lead to health and comfort problems. I know of
In retrospect, I think that the oil crisis in the 70’s and nZEB projects that had severe overheating problems
the fact that we started building more airtight buildings after they were occupied. Problems that, of course,
without well-functioning ventilation systems caused a could have been avoided doing the right kind of calcu-
lot of IAQ problems. Until the 70’s, we all thought lations or simulations beforehand. Furthermore, the
that the only thing we had to deal with were people as fresh air supply can be an issue, in fact, energy efficient
dominant source of air pollution inside buildings and buildings come with very airtight facades, so, when the
CO2 as a tracer for people. At the Denmark Technical ventilation system is not well designed or the system
University, we were able to show that interior materials has not been correctly installed, it will for sure lead to
and HVAC components could be strong emitters too, IAQ problems. That is one other reason why we should
e.g. thinking about volatile organic compounds and pay more attention to the commissioning of HVAC
micro-organisms. systems.

Of course, there is smoking and exposure to second Nevertheless, I am convinced that the different aspects
hand tobacco smoke too. In the 80’s, in many countries can be combined. It is just a matter of good design and
(including Denmark) people were still allowed to smoke smart choices. When a new building is designed or an
in offices, in restaurants, in schools, in airplanes, etc. existing building is renovated, the energy performance
My colleague Geo Clausen, at the time, showed that requirements and, also, thermal comfort, indoor air
if you smoke in a building, any other source becomes quality and noise from building service systems should
more or less irrelevant. be taken into account. One of the EPBD stand-
ards that we have been working on, addresses this:
From the beginning of the 90’s, we saw a growing FprEN 16798-1 (formerly known as EN 15251). This
interest in field studies and in task performance. We standard describes indoor environmental input param-
started to look beyond environmental parameters eters that can be used for the design and assessment of
and investigated how suboptimal conditions affect energy performance of buildings. As a sector, we need
productivity in offices or call centres as well as learning to help create nZEB buildings that are not just energy
performance in schools. At that time, we also saw the efficient but that are also healthy, comfortable and that
introduction of a couple of innovative climate tech- meet relevant IEQ requirements.
nologies that work with a separation of the functions
of temperature control and fresh air supply. Think
of systems such as TABS (Thermal Active Building
The third week of June you will be in-
Systems) and micro-climatisation or personal ventila-
stalled as ASHRAE president. Are there
tion systems.
specific aspects that you will focus on dur-
ing your presidency?
As far as IAQ and materials are concerned, at the end First of all, I want to make ASHRAE more global and
of the 90’s, low emission labels for materials were intro- show that we are not only a North-American society.
duced (like the Danish Indoor Climate label). We need to improve our services to our membership
outside North-America. This will be done in collabora-
Since about 15 years ago, also health effects were on tion and not in competition with other HVAC societies.
the agenda as, for example, the studies of Carl-Gustav For example in Europe, REHVA is a very important
Bornehag and Jan Sundell that linked exposure to partner. Even if our memberships are different we have
phthalates in the air (in dust samples) and asthma in the same goal to provide health and comfort for the
young children. occupants in a sustainable way.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 7

 Articles

Then, I will push for more focus on IEQ and energy use
in dwellings. Traditionally, organisations like REHVA
and ASHRAE focus on offices, schools, hospitals and
other commercial or public buildings. In my eyes, the
residential sector will bring a lot of new opportuni-
ties in the coming years. Our homes have to be made
more energy efficient, and all this in a smart way with
adequate attention to the health and comfort needs of
occupants. To do this we will have to introduce much
more advanced heating, ventilation and cooling tech-
nologies in both new and existing dwellings. In that
respect, I plan to increase ASHRAE’s involvement in
the student competition “Solar Decathlon” not only in
USA; but around the world. We do not just focus on thermal aspects and indoor
air quality, we are also talking to organisations that are
I would also like to capitalize on the research findings specialized in light and noise. So the idea is to become
we have now about IEQ and people-effects, especially an IEQ alliance in the broad sense. For more informa-
task performance. Most decision makers are not overly tion about the Global alliance, see the alliance’s website:
interested in technology per se or IEQ requirements. http://ieq-ga.net/.
Nonetheless, most of them certainly are interested in
end-user effects like productivity, especially when we
can link it to property value assessment and a concrete
Any specific message to those that just
return on investment.
entered our field? A word of wisdom for
young HVAC professionals and young
A third thing that I will focus on is public health
researchers, the leaders of tomorrow?
in relation to the design and operation of building Interesting question. I am determined, during my presi-
service systems. Not just in North America and dency, to convince more young professionals to come
Europe but especially in emerging economies. Certain join our sector and to help us make a better world.
public health risks can be minimized when building
technology is introduced in the right way. Think for Recently one of my PhD students walked into my office at
example of advanced ventilation systems and ditto DTU and he asked: ‘What do I have to do to become like
filtration systems that are designed to keep the parti- you?’. After laughing about the question for more than
cles out in a building that is located in an area with a minute, I answered him and gave him 3 tips-for-live.
suboptimal outdoor air quality.
First, I said, you have to select 1 or 2 areas that you
want to become one of the best in. You really have to
You are one of the initiators of the Global be specialized. If you try to be good at too many things
Alliance IEQ that is also supported by you will never excel in anything.
REHVA. Can you tell a bit more about this?
Originally, this was ASHRAE’s Bill Bahnfleth’s idea and The next thing, I said, was: always make sure that whatever
I have been involved in this from the start. I am very you say, as a professional, is evidence-based. Each argu-
happy that REHVA has decided to join us, as did AIVC ment that you use during a discussion or in a paper has
(the Air Infiltration and Ventilation Centre). to be backup by either your own data, or by research data
from others. No room for fake news in our field, sorry!
The basic idea is to create a platform for organizations
that want to stimulate good indoor environments. My third and last tip was: develop a good, international
The goal of the Indoor Environmental Quality Global network and put people first now and then. Start with
Alliance (IEQ-GA) is to be the world’s primary source the network built already as a student to get things done
for information, guidelines and knowledge on the in the future. To initiate a change, you need to cooperate
indoor environmental quality in buildings. Via this new with others and you can only do that if, beforehand,
global alliance, we hope to establish better contacts with you have invested lots of time in meeting the right kind
global organisations like the United Nations and the of people, e.g. at international conferences and during
World Health Organisation. ASHRAE or REHVA events.

8 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

Performance-based
approaches to residential
smart ventilation

GAËLLE GUYOT MAX SHERMAN IAIN WALKER

Cerema Centre-Est Lawrence Berkeley Lawrence Berkeley
46 rue St Théobald National Laboratory National Laboratory
38081 L’Isle d’Abeau Cedex, France. 1 Cyclotron Road 1 Cyclotron Road
[email protected] Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

Energy-efficient homes require rethinking the ventilation and the air change rates, because
of their increased impact on thermal losses. For these high performance homes, envelope
airtightness treatment becomes crucial (Erhorn et al., 2008) and should be combined with
efficient ventilation technologies.

I
ndoor air quality is another major area of concern pollution in 2012. Health gains in Europe (EU-26)
in buildings which is influenced by ventilation. attributed to effective implementation of the energy
Because people spend most of the time in resi- performance building directive, which includes indoor
dential buildings (Klepeis et al., 2001), especially in air quality issues, have been estimated at more than
their bedrooms (Zeghnoun et al., 2010), and 60–90% 300,000 DALYs per year.
of their life in indoor environments (homes, offices,
schools, etc.) (Klepeis et al., 2001; European commis- In order to conciliate energy saving and indoor air
sion 2003; Brasche and Bischof, 2005; Zeghnoun et quality issues, interest in a new generation of smart
al., 2010; Jantunen et al., 2011), indoor air quality ventilation systems, including demand-controlled
is a major factor affecting public health. Logue et ventilation (DCV), has been growing for 30 years. A
al. (2011b) estimated that the current damage to number of ventilation standards and national regula-
public health from all sources attributable to IAQ, tions have progressively integrated an allowance for
excluding second-hand smoke (SHS) and radon, was smart ventilation strategies and/or DCV systems in
in the range of 4,000–11,000 μDALYs (disability- residential buildings. Simultaneously, progressively
adjusted life years) per person per year. By way of energy performance regulations include the opportu-
comparison, this means that the damage attributable nity to claim credit in energy calculations for savings
to indoor air is somewhere between the health effects from such systems. In Europe, several countries enable
of road traffic accidents (4,000 μDALYs/p/yr) and the use of DCV systems in ventilation codes, including
heart disease from all causes (11,000 μDALYs/p/yr). Belgium, France, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Denmark,
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany (Savin and Laverge,
2014), 99,000 deaths in Europe and 81,000 in the 2011; Kunkel et al., 2015; Borsboom, 2015). The
Americas were attributable to household (indoor) air corresponding energy regulations are more or less recent.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 9

 Articles

Thanks to “performance-based approaches”, such systems tors, calculated through different methodologies and
must often be compared either to constant-airflow systems compared to different thresholds. The common thread
(“equivalence approaches”) or to fixed IAQ metrics in all of these methods is the use at a minimum, of the
thresholds. Given these opportunities, DCV strategies exposure to a pollutant generated indoors (very often
have been used at massive scale, notably in France and in the CO2), sometimes combined with the condensation
Belgium, for more than 30 years. On August 1st, 2016, risk. A minimum airflow rate for unoccupied periods is
23 DCV systems in France, 34 in Belgium, 37 in the also often required.
Netherlands have received an agreement. Most of them
are CO2 or humidity-based strategies. Pushed by the international movement toward nearly-
zero energy buildings, smart ventilation system success
IAQ performance-based approaches could be used in is not about to end. In Europe, two recently published
many ways. Table 1 gives an overview of the perfor- directives n°1253/2014 regarding the eco-design
mance-based approaches used in 5 standards and requirements for ventilation units and n°1254/2014
regulations. Each country uses different IAQ indica- regarding the energy labelling of residential ventilation

Overview of performance-based approaches to residential smart ventilation in 5 standards and regulations.

Country Person in charge Ventilation Equivalence method Calculated IAQ indicators

USA and No specifically defined pollutant.

Canada The manufacturer, specifier or designer is supposed to certify Single zone modelling, Δt < 1 h, constant pollutant emission
Yearly average relative exposure R<1.
(ASHRAE that the calculation meets the requirements. rate.
62.2 2016) At each time-step Ri<5.

Per room, over the heating period:

The manufacturer for each (humidity) DCV system shall pass Multizone modelling with MATHIS, Δt = 15 min, 1/CO2 cumulative exposure indicator E2000 < 400,000 ppm.h.
France
through an agreement procedure. Conventional entry data. 2/Number of hours TRH>75% <600 h in kitchen, 1000 h in
bathrooms, 100 h in other rooms.

Per room, over the year:

Spain The manufacturer for each DCV system shall pass through an Multizone modelling with CONTAM, Δt = 40 s, Conventional 1/ Yearly average CO2 concentration < 900 ppm.
(<2017) agreement procedure. entry data. 2/ Yearly cumulative CO2 exposure over 1600 ppm
E1600 < 500,000 ppm.h.

Per room, over the year:

Spain A performance-based approach for all ventilation systems is 1/ Yearly average CO2 concentration < 900 ppm.
The designer of the building, of the base of information given
(summer going to be implemented, using a software and conventional
by the manufacturer. 2/ Yearly cumulative CO2 exposure over 1600 ppm
2017) data at the design stage of each building.
E1600 < 500,000 ppm.h.

Per room, over the heating period:

1/CO2 cumulative exposure indicator E’950.
2/Monthly average RH> 80% on critic thermal bridges from
Belgium The manufacturer for each DCV system shall pass through an Multizone modelling with CONTAM, Δt = 5 min, conventional December 1st to March 1st.
(<2015) agreement procedure. entry data both deterministic and stochastic. 3/Exposure to a tracer gas emitted in toilets and in
bathrooms.
They must be at least equal that the worst performing
reference system.

No-more existing.
Belgium The person involved in EP-calculation and manufacturer for
An advanced equivalence method has been performed by No-more existing.
(since 2015) each DCV system.
(Caillou et al., 2014) on all the systems having an agreement.

The person involved in EP-calculation (standard approach) Even if correction factors are given in the standard, a
Per person, over the heating period:
The OR complementary equivalence approach can be performed,
Cumulative CO2 exposure over 1200 ppm:
Netherlands he manufacturer for each DCV system (equivalence using the multizone pressure code COMIS, in a semi-
LKI1200 < 30,000 ppm.h.
approach). probabilistic approach.

10 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

units (European Parliament and the Council, 2014)

are moving toward a generalization of low-pressure Acknowledgements
systems, DCV systems and balanced heat recovery The authors would like to thank Samuel Caillou (BBRI,
systems at the 2018 horizon. Belgium), Pilar Linares and Sonia García Ortega (CSIC,
Spain), and Wouter Borsboom (TNO, the Netherlands)
The common thread in all of these performance-based for their help in the description of the past and current
approaches is the use, at a minimum, of the exposure to performance-based approaches for DCV systems in their
a pollutant generated indoors (very often the CO2) and countries.
condensation risk. Such approaches and corresponding Funding was provided by the U.S. Dept. of Energy, CEC
selected IAQ indicators could be criticized in many and Aereco SA. The contribution of Cerema is funded
ways but they exist and have been tested for few years. by the French Ministries in charge of sustainable
They could be considered as an interesting background development, transports and urban planning, and by the
for future IAQ performance-based approaches at the Région Auvergne Rhône-Alpes. The sole responsibility for
the content of this publication lies with the authors.
design stage of every new residential building.

References
Credit in EP-calculation Minimum airflow
Borsboom, W., 2015. Quality and compliance on building
ventilation and airtightness in the Dutch context.
Can be null if the total airflow rate
No. equivalence is required over any 3-hour Brasche, S., Bischof, W., 2005. Daily time spent indoors
periods. in German homes--baseline data for the assessment
of indoor exposure of German occupants. Int. J.
Hyg. Environ. Health 208, 247–253. doi:10.1016/j.
Average equivalent exhausted airflow Switch off not allowed, minimum airflow
(m3/h) can be implemented in the is 10-35 m3/h according to the number of ijheh.2005.03.003
EP-calculation. rooms in the building.
Communiqué de presse - Indoor air pollution: new
EU research reveals higher risks than previously
thought [WWW Document], 2003. URL http://europa.
Yearly average ventilation airflow could be eu/rapid/press-release_IP-03-1278_en.htm (accessed
implemented in the EP-calculation.
11.28.16).
European Parliament, the Council, 2014. Directive
1253/2014 with regard to ecodesign requirements for
Yearly average ventilation airflow could be The minimum airflow during unoccupied
implemented in the EP-calculation. periods is set to 1.5 l.s-1 in each room. ventilation units.
Jantunen, M., Oliveira Fernandes, E., Carrer, P.,
Kephalopoulos, S., European Commission, Directorate
General for Health & Consumers, 2011. Promoting actions
An energy saving coefficient freduc is for healthy indoor air (IAIAQ). European Commission,
extrapolated and can be implemented in Luxembourg.
the EP-calculation.
Klepeis, N.E., Nelson, W.C., Ott, W.R., Robinson, J.P.,
Tsang, A.M., Switzer, P., Behar, J.V., Hern, S.C., Engelmann,
W.H., 2001. The National Human Activity Pattern
Minimum airflows over 10% of the Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure
Published conventional energy saving
minimum constant airflow for each room. to environmental pollutants. J. Expo. Anal. Environ.
coefficients can be used directly in the
An intermittent ventilation is allowed if the
EP-calculation. They depend on the sensing Epidemiol. 11, 231–252. doi:10.1038/sj.jea.7500165.
average on 15 minutes enables to comply
type, type of spaces and the regulation type
with this 10%.
WHO, 2014. Burden of disease from Household Air
Either, Pollution for 2012. World Health Organization.
correction factors given in the standard for
quite a few DCV systems, are used directly Zeghnoun, A., Dor, F., Grégoire, A., 2010. Description du
in the EP-calculation, A function of the number of type of
budget espace-temps et estimation de l’exposition de la
occupants.
OR population française dans son logement. Inst. Veille Sanit.
Correction factors from the equivalence Qual. L’air Intér. Dispon. Sur Www Air-Interieur Org.
procedure can be used.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 11

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 Articles

Indoor Air Quality Improvement

in a School Building in Delhi
MAIJA VIRTA
Mrs. Maija Virta is the Founder and Director of Santrupti. She has 30 years of experience in construction and
HVAC-industry and she has been in India for the last 5 years. Her key areas of expertise are IEQ, energy efficiency
of buildings as well as sustainable building policies and technology. Prior to moving to India, Maija was the CEO
of the Green Building Council Finland. Among her various contribution to this field, she has authored many
books and publications on sustainable buildings and technology. She has lectured on innumerable topics for
ISHRAE, REHVA and ASHRAE. She is the member of ISHRAE IEQ task force preparing the IEQ standard for India
as well as the member of IGBC task force that is developing local wellbeing standard.

After the indoor air quality measurements, occupant satisfaction surveys and system
performance analysis in March 2014, the target was set to reduce indoor air particulate
matter PM2.5 (2.5 µg/m³ and smaller) level to be 70% below ambient air level, to remove
traffic emissions (gases) from supply air and improve the cooling in classrooms. Before
carrying out this project, the indoor air was as bad as outdoor air or in some cases worse.
After finishing the project, the indoor air quality was measured and compared with ambient
air measurements. During the first measurement period, ambient air PM2.5 level was
142 µg/m³ and the air in the classrooms 95% less i.e. 7 µg/m³. To monitor this improvement
continuously, the school has installed in 2016 the continuous Indoor Air Quality monitors in
each classroom, and they now demonstrate continuously the very low particulate matter
levels (95–98% reduction of the ambient levels).

Simultaneous indoor and outdoor air PM2.5 measurement result one year after the refurbishment.

Introduction
in India according to a study by the Organization for
Millions of people die each year due to air pollution and Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)2.
indoor air pollution is the second highest killer in India. According Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB)
Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) is database3 that includes RSPM data of 124 Indian
the main ambient and indoor air pollutant in India1.
Between 2005 and 2010, the death rate rose by 4% 1 UNEP Year Book, 2014. Air Pollution: World’s Worst Environmental Health Risk.
worldwide and by 12% in India. Cost of air pollution 2 OECD Report, 2014. The Cost of Air Pollution: Health impacts of road transport.
to society in 2010 was estimated at US$ 0.5 trillion 3 CPCB, Environmental Data Bank, Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 13

 Articles

cities, 123 cities have the PM2.5 annual average level

above WHO Air Quality Guideline level (10 µg/m³)4.
Delhi annual average PM2.5 value was 122 µg/m³. The
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
and WHO concluded in 2013 that ultra-fine particu-
late matter is carcinogenic to humans5.

In this project, we focused on the indoor air quality

improvement in a one of the largest international
school campuses in Delhi.

The school campus consists of 10 school buildings and

3 residential buildings. Each building has a mechanical
ventilation system with cooling. The typical system School campus in Delhi.
consists of an air handling unit (AHU) located inside
an air handling unit room. The air handling unit is
supplying the cooled air into the classrooms or apart- The school wanted to address increased concerns with
ments via ducts. The return air path is a ceiling void and indoor air quality (IAQ) as it is related to staff and
corridors. Fresh air intake is via a duct from the façade student health. But it was not clear for the school what
into the air handling unit room. Outdoor air volume all need to be done to ensure good air quality inside the
is controlled by a damper at the end of the duct. Some buildings. Room air purifiers had been tested but the air
of the classrooms and apartments have e additional fan quality results were not good and, also, the high main-
coil units for local cooling. All air handling units had tenance was an issue. Lots of plants had already been
either EU2 or EU4 filters. located in school premises to purify air, but mechanical
ventilation system had not been addressed.
4 WHO, 2005, Air Quality Guidelines.
5 IARC and WHO, 2013. Outdoor air pollution a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths, press release no. 221.

User satisfaction results before refurbishment.

14 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

Indoor Air Quality was studied Ventilation System Performance

thoroughly in School Campus Audit
To improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in school campus, During the ventilation system performance review, we
we first had to understand the current performance measured air flow rates in each air handling unit and
of ventilation systems in each building, the current pressure loss across each component (filters, cooling
maintenance practices and the current IAQ & user coil and fan). Air flow rates in all air handling units
satisfaction. In the second phase the recommended were below design value. The current filtration G3+G4
solution was designed and piloted in one of the was not sufficient to remove RSPM. The pressure loss
buildings and then later the same concept with some across the filter section was very low, about 40–100 Pa
improvements were executed in all buildings at the only, indicating the poor quality of current G4 filters.
campus. This was confirmed with visual inspection – there were
lots of damaged filters and due to the regular washing,
During the ‘Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation System the filter media had worn out.
Performance Study’ we reviewed all buildings in the
school campus. We studied the maintenance practices, Recommendations to improve IAQ
we conducted the user satisfaction survey, we measured To improve air quality, ambient air and AHU filtration
the indoor air quality (IAQ) parameters in various loca- needs to be improved, buildings needs to be properly
tions in each building and we studied the ventilation over-pressurized to avoid ambient air from entering
system operation. indoors via windows and doors and each room to have
the sufficient amount of supply air. Maintenance and
The User Satisfaction Survey consisted on three operation of ventilation system needs to be improved.
major elements: perceived indoor environmental HVAC-system components (including AHU rooms)
quality (based on the CBE Berkeley questionnaire), need to be maintained at a high standard. Operation
users’ awareness of air quality problems in Delhi and and maintenance personnel need additional training
user’s Building Related Health Symptoms (based on
the Orebro MM40 questionnaire). We covered the
following areas: Thermal comfort, Indoor air quality,
Lighting and daylight, Acoustic conditions and
Cleanliness. Survey results shows that the Indoor Air
Quality (60% dissatisfied) and Thermal Comfort (40%
dissatisfied) are the two major areas creating dissatisfac-
tion among the users.

The only symptom that stands out is coughing which

may be due to the high level of particulates and irritants
in the respiratory system.

Vaisala
We measured temperature, relative humidity, CO2
and particulate matter in several locations in each
building. Temperature was mainly comfortable in all
those spaces, where either fan coil units were oper-
ating or ventilation was properly functioning. High
temperature and CO2 were problems in the rooms
where there was no sufficient ventilation. Relative
humidity was mainly below 65%, however during Save energy and
the measurements the outdoor air was very dry. The operating costs
biggest IAQ problem were the high ultra-fine particu- with Vaisala’s
late matter (PM2.5) levels. They were very high every- HVAC sensors
where, sometimes even higher than in the outdoor
air, especially near the doors and in the spaces with
several printers and copy machines. The PM5 levels www.vaisala.com/hvac
were between 100 and 200 µg/m³ during the measure-
ment both in indoor air and outdoor air.

CEN-G-HVAC-Ad-Lounge_v2_90x130.indd 1 19.12.2016 16.00

REHVA Journal – June 2017 15

 Articles

Proposed Ambient Air Purifier solution to clean the outdoor air before it is supplied to the AHU room.

to better manage the operation of ventilation and air inside the air handling units and ducts. Ducts and
conditioning system in each building. Regular 3rd party diffusers were cleaned. After installing the Ambient Air
inspection of indoor air quality and HVAC-system Purifier units, some new balancing dampers were installed
operation is required. and all ductworks were balanced in order to have suffi-
cient ventilation and to maintain positive pressure in all
Ambient Air Purifier is the core of the classrooms against outdoor air and other spaces.
IAQ solution
The main target was to reduce indoor air particulate Independent third-party validation
matter PM2.5 level to be 70% below ambient air level. proved the results
Simultaneously, traffic emissions (NO2, SO2, O3) shall After the pilot project the indoor air quality was meas-
be removed from the supply air and cooling capacity ured and compared with ambient air quality as the
needs to be improved in classrooms by ensuring correct target was set relative to that. During the measurement
ventilation rates and balancing the ductwork properly. period, the ambient air PM2.5 level was 142  µg/m³
and in the classrooms 7 µg/m³. This is 95% less than
The selected solution consists of retrofitting an ambient ambient air level. Also, SO2, NOx and O3 levels were
air purifier into each AHU room, repairing and below detectable limit.
cleaning the ventilation system, balancing the ductwork
and improving the system maintenance. Ambient Air This case study shows that indoor air quality can be
Purifier (AAP) is a fan-filter unit that cleans the outdoor improved a lot even in the most polluted cities in the
air before it is supplied into the AHU room. The fresh world by designing and maintaining the ventilation
air supply of each unit was designed at 1.5 l/s,m² (which system properly and that standalone, high maintenance
equals 15% of the total air handling unit air volume), requiring room air purifiers are not necessary. In this
which gives the air exchange efficiency of 2 air changes case, the ambient air purifiers were installed, but the
per hour. Each unit has a place for five filters: washable same result in terms of IAQ could have been achieved
G4 filter, M5 coarse filter, F9 fine filter, chemical filter by retrofitting existing air handling units with similar
and M6 post-chemical filter. This unit shall give the set of filters and new EC fans. However, this would
filtration efficiency that is more than 99% for PM2.5, have meant higher filtration and energy cost, as the
100% for PM10 and remove gases from outdoor air. improved filtration would have been needed for the
total air volume. Now the higher-pressure loss impacts
The ventilation system required lots of small repairs and only 15% of the air and also the number of filters to be
maintenance activities. All air handling unit rooms were changed annually is less. This case study proves, that
cleaned and sealed properly. New G4 filters were installed as long as the main pollution source is the outdoor air,
to all air handling units. Some ductwork modifications good IAQ can be achieved by just properly cleaning
were done. All loose mineral wool surfaces were covered the outdoor air before supplying it into a building.

16 REHVA Journal – June 2017

Sensing both
temperature
& humidity
LG
Newly designed
structure
& material
Providing
up to 26HP
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Enhanced
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Electronics
DESIGNED FOR THE ULTIMATE
 Articles

First presented at the REHVA - Annual Meeting Seminar “HVAC sector challenges ahead” on 04.04.2017

3D printing of HVAC systems

3D-Printing (additive manufactur-
ing) has been a paradigm change
for the manufacturing industry
especially on the last decade. It
is expected that it will be used in
the enterprise within the following
2-5 years. We predict that addi-
tive manufacturing will be the pri-
mary method for the production of
HVAC systems; firstly, components
such as heat exchangers (3D-CM),
followed by the Equipment ZIYA HAKTAN KARADENIZ MACIT TOKSOY
Manufacturing (3D-EM), and finally Dr., Assist. Prof. Dr., General Coordinator,
the technology will be adopted to İzmir Katip Çelebi University, ENEKO A.Ş, Çiğli / İzmir, Turkey,
the integrated design and 3D build- Çiğli / İzmir, Turkey, [email protected]
ing construction (3D-BC). [email protected]

Introduction
on emerging Technologies reports that enterprise 3D
3D-Printing (additive manufacturing) has been a printing is to be used in the main stream industry in
paradigm change for the manufacturing industry the following 2–5 years.
especially on the last decade. It has basically been used
as a hobby tool and for the production of non-func- One of the areas that additive manufacturing will
tional parts to aesthetically control the design, it is also have a significant impact will be the Architecture,
being used for manufacturing functional parts in the Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. The
prototyping phase in a very wide range of industrial hot topic about building technology is integrated
fields. As the technology has been developed, additive design that includes the overall design of a building
manufacturing has also been used for production of including all of its components in harmony. This
fully functional parts, even in the aerospace industry. was also a hot topic in the old times. Two examples
There are many organizations and collaborations of integrated design solutions of the past are Ondol
to study the technology and environmental impact and Hypocaust systems. Ondol system is an example
of additive manufacturing and build the industrial from the eastern world that was used in the traditional
standards. It is expected that additive manufacturing houses of Korea for cooking and underfloor heating
will take the place of today’s industrial production simultaneously. Hypocaust is an example of integrated
methods and affect value chains to a significant extent design of Greco-Roman World, which is a kind of
within the next decades, along with the development central heating system in a building that produces
of relevant design theory and tools. Especially, the and circulates hot air below the floor of a room, and
future of industry shaped upon “cloud manufac- may also warm the walls with a series of pipes through
turing” and “mass customization”, relies on additive which the hot air passes. The hot air carried by the
manufacturing the most. The Hype Cycle of Gartner pipes can warm the upper floors as well [1].

18 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

The hypocaust system was built by bricks, which is a kind integrated design of a module will probably include
of additive manufacturing process (Figure 1). Therefore some or all of the HVAC and sanitary components and
the Hypocaust system can be assumed as the ancestor we can imagine that they will be produced during the
of the near future’s buildings, which will be constructed additive manufacturing phase.
in a holistic approach. The buildings of the future will
be constructed at once by additive manufacturing with Is the HVAC industry ready for the
all of their architectural elements, HVAC systems, and change?
sanitary systems, as their ancestors were built. There are some signs of awareness on the topic, but not
being discussed widely. Additive manufacturing is being
used in the prototyping phase of HVAC components
and equipment, especially by the fan manufacturers.
Some researchers has focused on the heat exchanger
technology. A team from University of Maryland used
direct metal printing (DMP) to manufacture the minia-
turized heat exchanger as a single, continuous piece
using titanium [4]. Another example is the design,
fabrication, and test of a plastic heat exchanger [5].
However, there is not any information about these
research and development studies that they have
Figure 1. A Hypocaust system construction. [2] resulted to mass production by additive manufacturing.

Two important studies on the possible status of additive

An early example on additive manufacturing of build- manufacturing and integrated design are reported by
ings is by the group of Khoshnevisk [2] in 2004. They Tibaut et al. [6] and Joplin [7]. Tibaut et al. [6] intro-
named the method as “Countour Crafting” which is duced the concept “Digital Fabricated Buildings” and
an additive manufacturing application for building reports that additive manufacturing has potential to be
construction. The method is said to be most useful “the next big step forward” for the AECO (Architecture,
for emergency reconstruction by disaster and relief Engineering, Construction and Owner-operated)
agencies working in third world nations devastated by industry. Although application of large-scale addi-
earthquakes, floods, other natural disasters and war. tive manufacturing systems in this industry is in early
However, they worked on developing technologies on research phase, it is expected that are further param-
this subject including a project (together with NASA) eterization of the interoperability demand function,
on using the additive manufacturing for building space BIM maturity, automation of workflow models, and
colonies. They also mention about the integrated design new approaches for engineering of embedded building
needs and the possibility of manufacturing HVAC elements will be the important research and applica-
equipment together with the building itself. tion topics of the near future [6]. New approaches for
engineering includes freeform constructions inspired
More recently, in 2015, World’s first 3D printed apart- by the nature for the building construction elements
ment building was constructed in China. In 2016, and HVAC, sanitary, electrical etc. components. Joplin
world’s first 3D-Printed and fully functional office [7] reported the Innovations That Will Change HVAC
building was constructed in Dubai. All of the furniture Forever including 3-D Printed Air Conditioners as an
of the office were also printed. There are many other expected consumer product of the future.
examples of 3D printed houses and structures around
the world. Some are modest to utopian shelters and We predict that additive manufacturing will be the
the other are fully functional buildings for different primary method for the production of; firstly compo-
purposes. There are also many interesting and/or func- nents such as heat exchangers (3D-CM), followed by
tional designs waiting to be built [3]. What is more, the Equipment Manufacturing (3D-EM), and finally
some of those are designed to be constructed in a the technology will be adopted to the integrated design
modular way which is a very efficient method of using and 3D building construction (3D-BC).
additive manufacturing. Factories having a number
of 3D printers for this purpose may be set up and Preliminary R&D studies
manufacture the modules in the construction site. The A task force has been established to work on a project
modules then will be used to build up the building. The about implementation of additive manufacturing tech-

REHVA Journal – June 2017 19

 Articles

nology to HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilation) systems is very hard. More time, material and money is used
including all three phases of the progress as 3D compo- when supports are used. A more logical solution is
nent manufacturing, equipment manufacturing, and constructing a self-supported geometry that can be
building construction in İzmir (Turkey). The first step manufactured without using any supports. Topology
is component manufacturing and we have started with optimization is the keyword while determining the
the heat exchangers. Cellulose, pet, or aluminum heat most efficient way of manufacturing process, and also
exchangers are mostly used in HRV systems. A wide having an optimized performance of heat exchanger by
range of materials are available for additive manufac- means of heat transfer and pressure drop. There many
turing but ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) was other problems waiting ahead. But the opportunities
used to produce the air-to-air cross-flow plate heat of the additive manufacturing by means of free form
exchanger material. As this is a conceptual study the or non-linear geometric designs will certainly produce
material is not the primary matter of interest, instead more efficient components. Same examples of the heat
producibility is the main concern. exchangers produced by additive manufacturing are
given in Figure 2.
The main parameter that effect the producibility
is geometry. A new approach to geometric design The next level is equipment manufacturing. An ordi-
needed. Different than the conventional manufacturing nary commercial HRV unit which is manufactured
methods, adding material in a discrete manner totally and designed for conventional production. Many
changes the dimensioning and tolerancing strategies processes exist during manufacturing of this unit. A
during design. The critical geometric parameters are hybrid approach is to produce the casing by addi-
layer thickness, single wall thickness, and nozzle diam- tive manufacturing, which can be manufactured as a
eter while using the additive manufacturing method. single continuous piece, and other components (heat
There are a wide range of 3D printers in the market exchanger, fans, filters, and electronic equipment) are
and the technology is in a very fast progress. Therefore, assembled afterwards (Figure 3-a). A more additive
supply and demand balance will be ruled by the demand approach would be to produce the body and the heat
side in the near future. exchanger as a single continuous piece and assemble the
other components afterwards (Figure 3-b). When you
In our case, heat exchangers always have gaps. Another are free about the production method and supply proce-
question is question is how can we build gaps by adding dures, you can free your mind and focus on the main
material? Support materials or supporting structures problem, engineering. The second design (Figure 3-b)
are used during manufacturing. After the manufac- has a heat exchanger volume of almost twice the first
turing process, cleaning starts either mechanically or one (Figure 3-a), when the outer dimensions are kept
chemically. However in tiny gaps mechanical cleaning constant. Engineering and integrated design will be

Figure 2. Same examples of the heat exchangers produced by additive manufacturing.

20 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

more important than ever when the method is fully building. But when we go a step forward, together with
available for the industry. We are on our way. the ducts embedded into the building elements, we will
be able to embed units also into the walls or facade of
The last level of our future perspective is the building the building. Figure 4 shows the integrated design of
construction. By conventional methods we can calculate an apartment for which we have calculated the loads,
the loads and select a system from any manufacturer. prepared a CAM model for additive manufacturing and
Latest technology enables us to embed (immerse) the the HRV unit embedded into a wall together with the
ducts into the building, while we are constructing the ducts. It is ready for construction.

Figure 3. Samples of HRV units produced by additive manufacturing.

Figure 4. Integrated design of an apartment for additive manufacturing.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 21

 Articles

Conclusion
References
Our Perspective is:
[1] Tomlinson, Charles (1850-01-01).  A rudimentary
1. Additive manufacturing will be an alternative tool for treatise on warming and ventilation: being a concise
manufacturing firstly the HVAC components, then exposition of the general principles of the art of
the units (HRVU, AHU, etc.) in the near future. warming and ventilating domestic and public
buildings, mines, lighthouses, ships, etc. J. Weale. p. 53.
2. The days that additive manufacturing will be used for [2] http://stephenjressler.com/portfolio/hypocaust/.
production of all of the components (walls, roof,
[3] Khoshnevis, Behrokh.  Houses of the Future:
ducts) of a building on site in a holistic approach is
Construction by Contour Crafting Building Houses for
not so far. Everyone. University of Southern California, 2004.
3. Additive manufacturing will change the World [3] https://all3dp.com/1/3d-printed-house-homes-
from Cartesian design to non-Cartesian (freeform, buildings-3d-printing-construction/, 24.04.2017.
nonlinear). This will enable more compact unit [4] http://www.ceee.umd.edu/news/news_stor y.
designs with higher performance while keeping the php?id=9709, 24.04.2017.
capacity the same. [5] http://eng.umd.edu/release/new-3dprinted-plastic-
4. Additive manufacturing will enforce designers of heat-exchanger-shows-complex-geometries-are-
possible-from-additive-manufacturing, 24.04.2017.
different disciplines to cooperate for integrated design.
[6] Tibaut, Andrej, Nenad Čuš Babič, and Matjaž Nekrep
5. Integrated building design for additive manufacturing Perc. “Integrated Design in Case of Digital Fabricated
will arise a new sector that will be developing soft- Buildings.” Energy Procedia 96 (2016): 212–217.
ware for 3D printed components designed for both [7] http://www.joplins.net/articles/11-innovations-that-
Cartesian and non-Cartesian geometries. will-change-hvac-forever 24.04.2017.

NEW ! REHVA GUIDEBOOK

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Andrei Litiu (ed.), Bonnie Brook, Stefano Corgnati, Simona D’Oca,
Valentina Fabi, Markus Keel, Hans Kranz, Jarek Kurnitski, Peter
Schoenenberger & Roland Ullmann
This guidebook aims to provide an overview on the different aspects of building automation, controls
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REHVA - Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations

40 Rue Washington, 1050 Brussels – Belgium | Tel 32 2 5141171 | Fax 32 2 5129062 | www.rehva.eu | [email protected]

22 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

Personal control over indoor

climate disentangled, Part 1

RUNA HELLWIG ATZE BOERSTRA

PhD., Professor for Building Physics PhD, Managing director
and Indoor Climate, BBA Indoor Environmental
Augsburg University of Applied Consultancy and
Sciences, Augsburg, Germany. REHVA Vice-president
email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

Most non-residential buildings that were built or retrofitted in the last 20 years use a Building
Automation System (BAS). BASs are installed to efficiently operating buildings and reducing
their energy usage and operating costs. At the same time BASs allow to tightly control the
indoor climate in line with requirements as defined in guidelines, standards and building
decrees. But this tight control does not necessarily lead to higher occupant satisfaction or
lower complaint rates.
Keywords: Perceived Control, Occupant Behaviour, Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ),
Integrated Design, Energy Efficiency, Smart Buildings, Building Automation System (BAS),
Building Management System (BMS).

Introduction
mechanisms involved. In a follow-up article (Part 2)
Recent research shows that too much centralized additional control-related questions will be answered.
control has drawbacks. Depriving building occupants The answers presented in this article are based upon
of options to adjust their indoor climate in line with our own research (as described in e.g. Boerstra, 2016,
momentary needs is contra-productive. Personal control Hellwig, 2005 & Hellwig, 2015), the work of other
in indoor environments has been identified as playing researchers and the feedback from participants during
a major role in the perception of the indoor environ- workshops at Clima 2013 and Indoor Air 2016 confer-
ment. Leaman & Bordass (1999), for good reason, talk ences (reported in: Boerstra & Simone, 2013 and
about personal control as one of the ‘killer variables’ Hellwig & Boerstra, 2016).
that determine a building’s performance. This implies
that HVAC system engineers, facade designers and
facility managers should take personal control needs Q1: What do we mean with personal control?
of building occupants into account when designing Personal control means that in the case of suddenly
and operating buildings and their service systems. In occurring discomfort an occupant has the opportunity
this article we present answers to 10 frequently-asked- to adjust their indoor climate according to his prefer-
questions about control over the thermal environment ence and momentary needs. Also in the case of comfort:
and indoor air quality. The focus in this Part 1 article the knowledge about the opportunity to be able to
is on importance of control, effects of control and change the indoor climate if discomfort would occur

REHVA Journal – June 2017 23

 Articles

gives occupants more confidence in the comfort poten-

tial of their workplaces (Hellwig, 2015). Building occu-
pants can exercise control by adjusting their physical
environment (e.g. by adjusting a wall thermostat) or
by adjusting themselves (e.g. by changing one’s clothing
insulation). Note that in the context of this article we
look at personal control for all aspects affecting heat
exchange of the body with the environment as well
as control over the air quality in one’s breathing zone.
The latter implies that also adjustability of local fresh
air supply is addressed (e.g. via an operable window).

Q2: Is control over indoor climate really an

issue for the modern office worker?
International data, collected using identical method-
ology are not available. But a study conducted in 2011
and 2012 amongst 236 occupants working in a total of
9 modern office buildings in the Netherlands (Boerstra,
2016) revealed that only 31% of the Dutch respond-
ents was satisfied with the amount of control that they
had over their indoor climate. This shows that there is
clearly room for improvement. One could argue in this
context that maybe not every building occupant wants
to be in control over his/her indoor climate at work.
The results of a German field study (ProKlimA) contra-
dict that view: this study revealed that 85% of German
office workers (in total 4596 respondents) wish to have
control over their indoor climate (Bischof et al. 2003).

Q3: What are the main problems with

control over indoor climate in existing Q4: How does control over indoor climate
buildings? affect comfort and satisfaction in offices?
This question was asked during a personal control A number of studies have shown that personal control
workshop organized by the authors at the Indoor Air level is positively associated with wellbeing and occupant
2016 conference (Hellwig & Boerstra, 2016). One satisfaction (e.g. Leaman & Bordass 1999 and Ackerly,
conclusion there was that one can distinguish between Brager & Arens 2012). An analysis of a database that
problems due to limited control options and problems consisted of data from 1612 respondents working in 21
due to mal-performing building service systems. Both Dutch buildings (Boerstra, 2016) revealed that those
can result in a perception of low personal control. More with adequate options for control over temperature and
specific control problems reported by the workshop fresh air supply were significantly more comfortable. The
participants were the lack of openable windows and previously mentioned Dutch field study (also described
missing temperature knobs. The lack of information in Boerstra, 2016) revealed that high control respondents
about control devices’ functioning and lack of ‘intrinsic (those that perceive to be more in control over tempera-
logic’ of interfaces were also reported as prevalent prob- ture and fresh air supply) are significantly more comfort-
lems. A majority of workshop participants agreed that able (about 1 scale unit on the 7 point scale used) than
occupants often do not understand (or are not informed low control respondents. These results are in line with
well on) how technical systems work and therefore do the outcomes from the EU HOPE study (Roulet et al.
not know how to operate them. One example in this 2006). This field study, conducted in a total of 64 office
context are ‘autonomously’ operating sun blind systems, buildings from 8 different European countries, found that
activating or deactivating venetian blinds at random (at a high degree of perceived control was positively associ-
least in the perception of building occupants). ated with occupants’ satisfaction with their environment.

24 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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Q5: Is there an impact of installation type? positively. Also Boerstra (2016) found that high control
Installation type seems to be a factor of importance. occupants estimate themselves to be more productive
The above mentioned German field study ProKlimA than low control respondents.
revealed the following: In window ventilated offices
with radiators, openable windows and light switch,
87% of the respondents feel they have control over Q8: How about sick leave effects?
temperature and air movement; meaning their office The Netherlands database analysis described in Boerstra
environment confirms their expectation towards (2016) indicates that also self-reported sick leave is related
control and hence they express satisfaction (Hellwig to personal control: only 2% of the respondents that said
2005). In the same study, offices with sealed facades and to have access to (effective) operable windows and (effec-
central air-conditioning lead to only 7% respondents tive) adjustable thermostats reported one or more days
saying they have control over the air-movement. For of sickness absence during the previous 12 months ‘due
them, expectation towards control was not met and to an adverse indoor climate’; for those that said not to
therefore they expressed more often dissatisfaction. have access to operable windows and not to have access
Personal control and satisfaction with temperature to temperature controls this was 14%. Compare this to
showed a strong significant interrelation. A meta- Zweers et al. (1992): they found that office workers that
analysis by Mendell & Smith (1990) too concluded indicate to be in control over their indoor climate on
that building related symptoms are more prevalent in average were 34% fewer days sick at home.
buildings without operable windows and with more
complicated HVAC systems. Mendell & Smith suggest
that the more limited possibilities for personal control Q9: What do we know about the
in more ‘advanced’ buildings explain this relation. mechanism involved?
The core assumption is that it is not just the objective
indoor climate (e.g. momentary temperature or indoor
Q6: How about the effect of control on Sick air quality in the breathing zone) that determines
Building Symptoms? whether people feel warm or cold, or are satisfied or
A study amongst 4596 German office workers in 14 dissatisfied with the air quality. Instead, the hypothesis is
buildings showed that a high perception of personal (Hellwig, 2015 & Boerstra, 2016) that personal control
control is related to a lower prevalence of the Sick also has an impact and in fact acts as a moderator in the
Building symptoms (Bischof et al. 2003). This result indoor climate > comfort/health/performance relation
is in line with the outcomes of the Dutch database that is depicted in Figure 1. The idea is that human
analysis (Boerstra, 2016) described before: the analysis responses to sensory stimuli are modified when those
revealed that occupants that perceive to have little or exposed have control over these stimuli (after Brager &
no control over their indoor climate are a factor 2,5 de Dear, 1998).
times more likely to have Sick Building symptoms than
occupants that report optimal control over temperature CONTROL
and fresh air supply. A field study in 24 Danish office (available, exercised
and perceived)
buildings (Toftum, 2010) lead to the conclusion that
Sick Building Symptom prevalence was strongly corre-
lated with occupants’ satisfaction with control options.
COMFORT, HEALTH
INDOOR CLIMATE
& PERFORMANCE
Q7: How does control over indoor climate
affect productivity? Figure 1. Conceptual model that describes how
Office workers that have access to adequate controls are control acts as a moderator.
more productive. Leaman & Bordass (2001) conducted
a field study in 11 English office buildings and found
that self-assessed productivity was significantly and Q10: How about the difference between
positively associated with perceptions of control. Wyon available, exercised and perceived control?
(2000) re-analysed data of several lab and field experi- Personal control has been defined as the combination of
ments and determined that personal control over room available, exercised and perceived control as it is avail-
temperature (with a ± 3 K bandwith) impacts objec- able to individual building occupants (Paciuk, 1990).
tively measured task performance of office workers Available control refers to the presence and effectiveness

REHVA Journal – June 2017 25

 Articles

of building controls like operable windows, adjustable their environment, in a desired direction (Boerstra,
thermostats, fans and blinds. Organisational aspects 2016 and Hellwig, 2015).
play a role too: available control is partly defined by e.g.
dress codes and bans (if any) on control use. Exercised This is the end of part 1. In another issue of REHVA
control refers to the use of controls and the relative journal, the second and last part will be published.
frequency with which occupants engage in indoor In this 2nd article we will explain more about the
climate related behaviour in order to regain comfort. psychological factors involved. And we will focus on
Perceived control is defined as the degree to which the design implications of the latest personal control
building occupants perceive that they can change their findings. The 2nd article will end with some suggestions
local indoor climate. It refers to the confidence that for future indoor climate guidelines and some general
individuals have in their ability to effectively influence thoughts on further control studies.

References
Ackerly K, Brager G, Arens E, 2012. Data collection methods for assessing adaptive comfort in mixed-mode buildings and
personal comfort systems. University of California. Berkeley: Centre for the Built Environment, Centre for Environmental Design
Research. Retrieved from (21.1.2017): http://escholarship.org/uc/item/64p9111k.
Bischof W, Bullinger-Naber M, Kruppa B, Schwab R, Müller BH, 2003. Expositionen und gesundheitliche Beeinträchtigungen in
Bürogebäuden – Ergebnisse des ProKlimA-Projektes. (Expositions and impairments of health in office buildings – Results of the
Proclaim-project) Fraunhofer IRB Verlag, Stuttgart.
Brager G, de Dear R, 1998. Thermal adaptation in the built environment: a literature review. Energy & Buildings, 27 (1998): 83-96.
Boerstra A, Simone A, 2013. Personal Control Over Heating, Cooling and Ventilation: results of a workshop at Clima 2013
conference. REHVA Journal. 50(5). Available via (21.1.2017) from http://www.rehva.eu/publications-and-resources/rehva-
journal/2013/052013/personal-control-over-heating-cooling-and-ventilation-results-of-a-workshop-at-clima-2013-conference.
html.
Boerstra AC, 2016. Personal control over indoor climate in offices: impact on comfort, health and productivity. PhD thesis.
Eindhoven: Eindhoven University of Technology. Available via: http://repository.tue.nl/850541.
Hellwig, RT, 2005. Thermische Behaglichkeit - Unterschiede zwischen frei und mechanisch belüfteten Gebäuden aus Nutzersicht
(Thermal comfort - Natural ventilation versus air-conditioning in office buildings from the occupant’s point of view). PhD Thesis,
Munich University of Technology, Germany, November 2005.
Hellwig RT, 2015. Perceived control in indoor environments: a conceptual approach. Building Research & Information: 43 (3), 302-
315. DOI: 10.1080/09613218.2015.1004150.
Hellwig RT, Boerstra AC, 2016. Workshop ID 37: Incorporating design for high perceived control into the design process. Indoor
Air 2016, 3-8 July 2016, Gent, Belgium.
Leaman A & Bordass B, 1999. Productivity in buildings: The ‘killer’ variables. Building Research and Information, 27(1), 4–19.
DOI:10.1080/096132199369615.
Leaman A & Bordass B, 2001. Assessing building performance in use 4: the Probe occupant surveys and their implications.
Building Research and Information (2001); 29(2): 129-143.
Mendell MJ & Smith AH, 1990. Consistent pattern of elevated symptoms in air-conditioned office buildings: a re-analysis of
epidemiological studies. American Journal of Public Health 80 (10): 1193-1199.
Paciuk M, 1990. Personal Control of the Workspace Environment as Affected by Changing Concepts in Office Design.
Proceedings IAPS 11th International Conference. Ankara, July 8-12, 1990.
Roulet CA, Flourentzou F, Foradini F, Bluyssen P, Cox C & Aizlewood C, 2006. Multicriteria analysis of health, comfort and energy
efficiency in building. Building Research and Information; 34 (5): 475-482.
Toftum J, 2010. Central automatic control or distributed occupant control for better indoor environmental quality in the future.
Building & Environment 2010: 45: 23-26.
Wyon DP, 2000. Individual control at each workplace: the means and the potential benefits. In: Clements-Croome D (ed.),
Creating the Productive Workplace. London (UK): E&F Spon 2000: 192-206.
Zweers TL, Preller L, Brunekreef B & Boleij JSM, 1992. Health and Indoor Climate Complaints of 7043 Office Workers in 61
Buildings in the Netherlands. Indoor Air journal; 2 (1): 127-136.

26 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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Green Air Conditioning

– Using indoor living wall systems as a climate control method
This article seeks to present an optional cooling tool based on the integration of a Living
Wall System (LWS), a fan and a dehumidification process (desiccant) to reduce the use
of an HVAC system. This study showed that it is possible to use the evapotranspiration of
plants for air-cooling and humidity control.

I
Keywords: Indoor Environment, Climate n the current world, people spend on average 80%-
control, Living Wall System, Evaporative 90% of their time indoors; consequently, the risks
cooler, Biofiltration. to health may be greater due to indoor air pollution
than to outdoor air pollution. Doctors around the world
face lots of complains about the fact that people feel
sick because of the misuse of air conditioning system
within their offices and they pay very expensive bills
TATIANA ARMIJOS MOYA every year, so they can work in a “comfortable place”.
Delft University of Technology, In many cities across the world, the air-conditioning
Faculty of Architecture and system has become an essential instrument to achieve
The Built Environment Delft, indoor comfort within most of the buildings. Thus, it
The Netherlands is important that engineers, designers, manufactures
[email protected] and all the professionals involved in keeping a good
the indoor environment explore new alternatives to
improve the current systems since there is an increasing
energy requirement for cooling and air-conditioning
ANDY VAN DEN DOBBELSTEEN of buildings in cities, rising indirectly, the urban heat
Delft University of Technology, Faculty island (UHI) and climate change. Nowadays, Living
of Architecture and Wall Systems (LWS) are an emerging technology that
The Built Environment Delft, utilize the potentials of plants in living environments,
The Netherlands regarding the fact that there is an instinctive bond
[email protected] between human beings and other living systems within
nature (Figure 1). Using plants as design elements in
working environments brings nature inside to create
warm and inviting spaces that reduces stress, oxygenate
the air, and increases your overall well-being, resulting
MARC OTTELÉ in healthier work and living areas that decrease absen-
Delft University of Technology, teeism, increase productivity and overall satisfaction
Faculty of Civil Engineering and and happiness in people’s lives.
Geosciences, The Netherlands
[email protected]

PHILOMENA M. BLUYSSEN
Delft University of Technology,
Faculty of Architecture and
The Built Environment Delft,
The Netherlands
[email protected] Figure 1. Living Wall System, Quito, Ecuador.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 27

 Articles

Some studies have shown that common indoor plants Master of Science Specialized in the field of Building
may provide a valuable strategy to avoid rising levels Technology in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built
of indoor air pollution and cleaning the air inside Environment, TUDelft. Currently, I am PhD candi-
buildings through biofiltration and phytoremediation date within the Green Building Innovation Research
(Wolverton, 1989); and it provides a natural way of Group also at TUDelft with the guidance of my super-
helping combat Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) (Fjeld, visors; Prof.dr.ir. Andy van den Dobbelsteen, Prof. dr.
2000). Besides, it has been shown that it is possible ir. Philomena Bluyssen, and Dr.ir. Marc Ottele.
to use the evapotranspiration of plants for air-cooling
and humidity control around the plant environment Evaporative coolers
(Davis & Hirmer, 2015). The use of vegetation as tools Plants absorb water and nutrients from the environ-
to improve the overall indoor environment is a field ment and carry them from one zone (leaves) to another
that needs more research to prove the real impact of (roots) where their roots represent a hanging system.
the different green systems in the indoor environment; For instance, epiphytes, tropical plants such as English
therefore, this project aims to conduct a multidisci- Ivy, Peace Lily, Reed Palm, Boston ferns and Tillandsia,
plinary research to explore, validate and evaluate the are plants that get their water from the air instead of
efficacy in terms of indoor comfort within office envi- through their roots. They are common houseplants
ronments of LWS climate control systems. that filter the moist out of the air thus reducing exces-
sive humidity levels. Regarding temperature control,
I am Tatiana Armijos Moya, I come from Quito, the evapotranspiration from plants contributes to the
Ecuador where I got my degree as an Architect at the lowering of temperatures around the environment. In
Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. I worked this study, some strategies where reviewed and a proto-
at the University for two years as a researcher in type was built to evaluate its performance within a hot
sustainable design. In 2015, I got my diploma as a humid environment.

HVAC System HVAC System

Solid Dessicant Solid Dessicant

Air Exchange
through the glass

Biophilia

Cooling in the Cooling in the

back side back side

Indoor Air Quali- The system re-

ty quires extra
Greenhouse energy to get
Effect through the
growth medium

Reduce SBS
Moisture Fan System Fan System
Absorption

Air Exchange Increase Pro-

through the glass ductivity

Water Collection Water Pump Noise Control Water Collection Water Pump

Figure 2. Diagrams of the alternatives for LWS. (Armijos Moya, 2016)

28 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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It was considered that a highly humid climate reduces growth media that provides a structural system for the
the effect of the living wall system substantially, acting plants to grow in and it must have the perfect balance
as an evaporative cooler; therefore, it was necessary to between porosity, aeration and water absorption
integrate a dehumidification process within the system. capacity. Furthermore, a fan (15 W, 230 V, 50 Hz) was
Several dehumidification processes and strategies were integrated in the bottom part of the system. This allows
analysed where desiccant dehumidifiers appeared to cooling down the air before it enters the air gap behind
be more suitable to apply in this system because it the substrate, because the air passes over the water
can be regenerated, and it be used again. In fact, for
future applications, it may use waste heat to regen- 3
erate. Desiccant dehumidifiers have several benefits,
such as providing humidity control, removing bacteria
and other micro-organisms and they can use waste heat
4
to regenerate, as mentioned before. Regarding these
factors, it is proposed to use calcium chloride (CaCl2)
as a desiccant dehumidifier because of its properties
5
in control of relative humidity, its flexibility, and size
particles, residual water produced (Lewis, 2002).

As mentioned before, a prototype was built (Figure 3b)

to examine the construction system and climate 1
behaviour of the system. The prototype was assem- 1.
50
m
bled as a plug-in system constituted by a wooden box Inside
(0.60 m x 0.60 m) with mineral wool and cotton as Outside 2

HVAC
HVAC System Connection
Dessicant with remov-
able plastic bucket
Solid Dessicant Drip Line

12 Module of steel
mesh with Selected
Growth Medium
(600mm x 600mm)
Biophilia
Air gap
145mm

Cooling in the
back side Plenum
Indoor Air Quali- Aluminum Alloy Frame
ty
5mm

Selected
600x60
Reduce SBS 0 Indoor Plants

Metal Trellis

Increase Pro-
ductivity

Drainage
Fan System with
Acoustic Protection
Noise Control Water Base Cabinet with
18
Collection 00 Removable Cover
Water Pump
Irrigation System

Figure 3. Prototype. a) Diagram of the LWS Design, b) LWS scaled Prototype and Data logger location, c) Section.
(Armijos Moya, 2016)

REHVA Journal – June 2017 29

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Indoor Plants

Requirements:

% ºC
Light Intensity Relative Humidity Temperature

Indoor plants must be tolerant of Indoor plants prefer a relative Indoor plants generally are adapt-
low light intensities humidity level of between 50-70% able to interior temperature ranges.
to perform well.

Benefits:

Biophilia Psychological Values

There is an instinctive bond Reduce SBS Plants can reduce stress, improve
between human beings and other self-image, teach long term values,
living systems within the nature. provide links between past and
Back-to-earth, back-to-nature present.
Improve Indoor Air Quality

Architecture Cultural and Social Values

Indoor plants as architectural Plants are an integral part of
element define space, provide people’s viasual arts. Plants provide
privacy, screens unpleasant views Increase Productivity a topic of conversation. They offer
and provide new ones. the pride of possession.

Engineering Environmental Values

Indoor plants can be used as traffic Plants can clean the air, water and
control, glare reduction or acousti- soil of pollutants, produce oxygen,
cal control. and may help reverse the green-
house effects.

Growth Medium
Physical Properties

Water-holding ability Aeration Porosity

It is the percentage of total pore It is the percentage of total pore It is the sum of the space in the
space that remains filled with water space that remains filled with air macropores and micropores
after gravity drainage. after excess water has drained

Chemical Properties
pH pH Bulk Density Fertility and CEC
The main effect of pH on plant Bulk density means weight per CEC of a growing medium reflects
growth is its control on nutrient volume. its nutrient storage capacity and it
availability provides an indication of how often
fertilization will be required.

Figure 4. Indoor Plants: Benefits and Requirements.

30 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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storage of the system. This location of water allows a air circulated. Air must be circulated to ensure a good air
better cooling effect within the system and it allows an quality, but the air conditioning unit relies on a closed
easier maintenance. The selected desiccant (CaCl2) was cycle, where if new air is brought in it needs a greater
placed in the top of the air cavity to dehumidify the air amount of cooling. Therefore, it is expected that this
before it leaves the system to the outside (Figure 3). method will have important effects on the amount of
energy used by a standard HVAC system regarding that
The evapotranspiration from this living wall, the fan and recirculating the air through the LWS will omit the process
the desiccant working together contributed to the lowering of cooling outdoor air because the indoor air will already
of temperatures around the planting environment. be at the required temperature and humidity level. It is
recommended that for further applications the building
To build an optimum system, some requirements were where the system in going to be integrated should incorpo-
taking in account to select the type of plants to be used, rate a solar thermal collector or a gas heater to help regen-
such as light conditions, climate conditions and growth erating the desiccant. What is more, the desiccant-based
medium. Consequently, non-pollinating and, medium- air conditioning systems, in general, also use a humidifier
and low-light-tolerant plants, and an inorganic growth as part of the process because the air inside sometimes is
medium were used (Figure 4). too dry. Therefore, this system will most likely help to
decrease the loads for humidifiers as well.
Regarding all these aspects, spider plants and anthu-
riums were tested during this evaluation because they There is still a lack of solid and significant figures available
are epiphytes, which are plants that absorb moisture to understand all the possible benefits of an active LWS
from the environment to get their nutrients. The plants as a climate control system such as the true pollutant-
were pre-grown and re-pot within the LWS to allow removal mechanisms, and even more the effect of these
them to adapt to the new growth medium. Irrigation systems within the energy performance of the building.
is provided at different levels along the prototype, using For forthcoming studies, this system is going to evaluate
a drip irrigation method using gravity to let water flow the possibility of reducing the levels of indoor pollution
through the growing media. through phytoremediation and biofiltration.

Conclusions and recommendations

for further research
Phytoremediation
After the evaluation, the system presents several positive
results such as reducing the temperatures around the
Use of plants to remove pollutants from the air,
system with a green climate control method (LWS) water and soil. Plants have been shown to uptake
which generate pleasant and healthier environment. air pollutants via their stomata during normal gas
Some challenges were faced during the study. First, exchange.
the rise of relative air humidity (RH) in the areas
with plants is one of the major issues. In fact, a highly Biofiltration: the process of drawing air in through
organic material (such as moss, soil and plants),
humid climate reduces the effect of the LWS acting as
resulting in the removal of organic gases (volatile
an evaporative cooler; thus, it was necessary to integrate organic compounds) and contaminants with a
a dehumidification method within the system, in this mechanical system involved.
case a desiccant material, to control the moisture level
in the environment. Subsequently, it seems that this
green climate control system will reduce the load on the
HVAC system more significantly in a dry hot climate
References
Davis, M., & Hirmer, S. (2015). The Potential for Vertical
due to the natural evapotranspiration of the system; Gardens as Evaporative Coolers: An adaptatioon of
thus, not needing a dehumidification process at all. the ‘Penman Monteith Equa on’. Elsevier, Building and
Environment, 135–141.
On the other hand, the air conditioning system is like Fjeld, T. (2000). The Effect of Interior Planting on Health
the lungs of any building. It draws in outside air, filters and Discomfort among Workers and School Children.
HorTechnology , 46–52.
it, controls and maintains the temperature, humidity,
Lewis, G. &. (2002). The Dehumidification Handbook.
air movement, air cleanliness, sound level, and pressure Amesbury: Munters Corporation: Dehumidification Divition.
differential, circulates air around the building, then expels Wolverton, B. (1989). Interior Landscape Plants for indoor
a portion of it to the outside environment. However, it Air Pollutioon Abatement. NASA.
is in constant competition between the air cooled and

REHVA Journal – June 2017 31

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Indoor Air Quality Monitoring 2.0

– Seeing the invisible
In China, the new battle is for clean air and
to keep the ubiquitous pollution at bay.
Therefore, China is plenty of opportunity
for professionals in the IAQ industry having
the world’s highest levels of public aware-
ness of indoor air quality combined with
incredible growth in built environments. As LOUIE CHENG
the market has matured, one of the fastest President PureLiving China
trends has been the continuous monitoring Shanghai China
to track and validate indoor environmental [email protected]
quality. Yet, for all the interest, there are still
many questions about how to select and
use monitors.
Why monitor?
Keywords: Monitoring, IAQ, Sensors,
China is an ideal proving ground to acid test sensors
QLEAR, China, RESET™, Standards
and monitors. The frequent high levels of pollution
“air quality”.
outdoors paired with a cultural preference for natural
ventilation provide challenging requirements. We often
Practitioner’s perspective find that sensors created in North America or Europe
The perspective of a consulting and engineering firm fail quickly in China, and perhaps, not unsurpris-
is providing IAQ consulting, ventilation system design, ingly, most of our preferred technology is domestically
implementation of systems and their monitoring. This produced. Against this backdrop, we have seen very
article is aimed at the practitioner and operator. fast growth in the adoption of monitors for a number
of reasons.
Four years ago, a client requested the ability to continu-
ously monitor their air quality after we had installed an 1. Monitors are critical for developing recognition
office-wide filtration system. After a market search failed of an indoor air quality (IAQ) problem, which
to yield suitable systems that could measure PM2.5 then drives improvement. Traditionally, facility
levels and report over the internet, we had no choice managers or building owners had to commission
but to create our own monitor, one of the first of its long and in-depth audits with handheld particle
type for non-industrial use in China. Less than a month counters to determine whether there was a problem.
after we installed the monitors, Shanghai experienced However, today, continuous monitors make it
some of the highest levels of pollution ever recorded possible to quickly, inexpensively, and meaningfully
locally (over 1800% higher than the WHO 24-hour depict the health performance of a space.
health standard). The monitoring system showed that 2. Moore’s Law – sensors have come way down in
despite the high outdoor levels, the filtration system price while increasing in performance. There are
achieved 93% average reduction with a healthy level superior monitors today at, approximately, one third
inside. Instead of having to respond to employees’ panic of the cost compared to those provided only two
and absenteeism, our client won staff trust and scored a years ago.
PR coup for employees’ care and wellness. Since then, 3. There is growing recognition that monitoring
we have sought to integrate monitoring into schools, is critical to validate performance. In China,
offices, and buildings, and currently oversee more than the phrase “PM2.5” was the fourth most searched
3000 monitors streaming live data over a cloud moni- term on the internet (per Baidu.com) in 2015.
toring network. Visitors entering elevators in the popular SOHO

32 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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office complexes have a full colour display showing operate the systems. Typically, a unit is only consid-
outdoor versus indoor air quality readings. With ered successfully commissioned if it achieves over
the easy availability of inexpensive consumer grade 95% single pass reduction from the outlet vs. inlet
monitors (as low as ~USD40), it is easy and natural readings and either below PM 2.5 of 35 μg/m³ over
for employees and tenants to test out their homes a 24 hours’ average, or greater than 90% ambient
and offices. If they discover problems, they will room reduction during the same period. However,
usually share the information on social media or we found that in reality, once we left, results would
else challenge their managers, facilities managers, or often degrade due to:
operations teams. This can either be a PR nightmare
or, as in the case of our first monitoring client, a a. Improper system operations – speed, on/off, filter
marketing, selling or recruiting point. maintenance
4. Monitoring data enables self-auditing and green b. Failure to control infiltration of outdoor air, or;
building certification performance validation. c. Negative pressurization bringing in unfiltered
Most sophisticated clients want to show the Return outdoor makeup air
of Investments (ROI) on projects to justify their
investment. They may also want to keep their Training helps, but it is very difficult to overcome
building or office space performing at a high level ingrained habits such as opening the windows for
over time. The addition of furnishings, increase of “fresh air” during cleaning or out of habit. Opera-
headcount density, maintenance, outdoor air infiltra- tions staff also frequently turn over, resulting in a
tion and occupant activity all are factors that impact new crop of untrained personnel. Experience has
air quality after commissioning. An unnoticed side shown that the best answer is to take the operator out
effect of air quality monitoring is a mind shift in of the equation, using automation software powered
involving the facilities managers and operations team with live readings to govern filtration and ventilation
in the “care and feeding” of their indoor environ- system operation “on-demand” only when needed.
ment, because they have a feedback loop now which Automation systems should generally also have a
allows them – and other stakeholders – to view cause scheduling system to differentiate between working
and effect. and non-working (or non-occupied) hours. Not only
5. Monitoring enables automation. In the past, we does this ensure consistent performance, but, such
used to design and implement solutions for clients. systems can also reduce energy usage up to 90%
We, then, would train teams on how and when to (compared to continuous operation).

Figure 1. Indoor air quality monitoring data screenshots as displayed in a hotel public spaces.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 33

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Figure 2. On-demand Automation vs. Manual Operation (µg/m³ equals μg/m³). [Source: “Every breath we take–
transforming the health of China’s office space,” JLL & PureLiving Research Report, December 2015.]

All sensors are not created equal facturers. However, sensors are impacted by design
(i.e. sensor proximity on a Printed Circuit Board may
One of the most frequent questions we are asked is lead to elevated temperature readings and premature
“How do I select a monitor?” After all, monitors today failure.) Sensors often also vary widely in terms of
may cost between $35 to more than $5000. long-term stability. Therefore, monitors must be
either performance tested by the end user’s representa-
tive over time or by a reputable multi-brand dealer.
3. Realistic expectations of accuracy. Instead of looking
for accuracy that is close to the reference source, evalu-
ators should test by batches of at least 4 units and look
for repeatability of readings and fit to the reference
monitor’s response curve. This indicates manufac-
turing and sensor quality. Accuracy also needs to be
evaluated over a wide range, not just a single reading.
Cheaper sensors may match a reference method
Figure 3. Various types of continuous monitoring within a common range, but not at low or high ranges.
equipment. 4. RESET™ monitoring standards are key to identifying
the difference between good and poor sensors. Created
in China in 2011 and adopted by companies across
Typically, we guide monitor selection with a few the world, RESET™ is a healthy building standard
considerations: for indoor air quality built around continuous moni-
1. Pick a monitor based on the sensors needed, the toring data. In addition to whole building and inte-
criticality of performance, and how challenging the riors certifications, RESET™ also certifies monitoring
environment is. The parameters presented in Table 1 hardware with a set of requirements that categorize
are the most important in IAQ monitoring. monitor quality into three groups: A for calibration-
2. “Paper specs” are not a good indicator of perfor- grade, B for commercial-grade, and C for consumer-
mance. Often, sensor capabilities listed in technical grade. RESET™ includes requirements that one would
or marketing data sheets are used to compare and not normally consider such as a data buffer so that in
select sensors, even by inexperienced monitor manu- case communications fails, data will still be stored.

34 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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Table 1. The most important parameters in IAQ monitoring.

IAQ parameter Common sensor technologies Recommended measurement Selection notes

range (Grade B)
Particulate Matter Optical particle counter (OPC) 0–300 µg/m³ Sensors should be able to provide particle count, not just mass concentration. Critical
(PM) considerations: humidity compensation, stability, repeatability, accuracy over the ranges
likely to be encountered.
Carbon Dioxide NDIR 0–2000 ppm CO2 indicates the “quality” of ventilation and is possibly the most important IAQ
(CO2) parameter. Select sensors that have auto-zeroing features and that can be field-
replaceable.
Total Volatile Metal Oxide Sensors (MOS) 0.15–2.00 mg/m³ Both MOS and PID sensors are indicative only and used mainly to show relative
Organic change. They will not usually match lab testing. High chemical levels will also require
Compounds (TVOC) recalibration.
Photoionization Detector (PID)
Temperature Thermocouples; Resistive Temperature 0–50°C Many inexperienced manufacturers or first generation monitors suffer from inaccuracy
Devices (RTDs); Silicon diodes due to heat generated from nearby components on same PCB.
Relative Humidity Capacitive 20–90% Generally, field-replaceable, important to measure due to impact of humidity on
measurements of other parameters.
Formaldehyde Colormetric, electrochemical; chemical 0.03–0.3 mg/m³ Currently, there are no real-time technologies known to the author that reliably match
laboratory HPLC analysis. Avoid.

Figure 4. Varying accuracy of three monitors show the difference between monitor quality grades. General rule:
if you can’t calibrate it, don’t buy it. Only Grade A and Grade B monitors are accepted for RESET™. Latest RESET™
standards are here: http://reset.build/resources/RESET_Accredited_Air_Monitor_Requirements

5. Costs subscription basis and can be paired with different

•• Initial. Monitors meeting RESET™ standards hardware. Annual costs may be free for limited
typically cost about $100–300 for Grade C basic versions or $100–300 per monitor per year
(Consumer-grade) monitors, about $600–1400 depending on total number of monitors and the
for Grade B (Commercial-grade) monitors, and sophistication of the software.
upwards of $3000 for Grade A (Calibration- •• Hosting and connectivity. If privacy is a concern,
grade). Costs vary depending on number of local hosts and networking may be required, but
sensors, convenience features, and brand. in most cases, monitors simply need to connect
•• Maintenance. Annual or semi-annual calibration to the internet. Initial installation can be done by
is critical for maintaining accuracy, particularly in third parties or DIY.
polluted environments and is generally manda- •• Leasing options. Increasingly, service providers
tory for recertification. Generally, annual calibra- are offering “pay-as-you-go” monitoring packages
tion and maintenance costs are typically 10-20% that include hardware, calibration, cloud-ware,
of initial cost. and support on an annual basis. This way, hassle
•• Software. Most professional software is on a is minimized and technology is future-proofed.

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Deployment Tips:
iour or indoor sources filter or contaminate this
Deployment location, choice of communications air, we want to measure the air being supplied by
protocols, power supplies, should be carefully the ducts. The use of a duct box that penetrates
planned to ensure representative data – or data at the duct as well as secures the monitor, can
all – is received for analysis. achieve this. Tip: monitoring outdoor air supply
ducts is a convenient way to measure outdoor air
1. Connectivity. The ability for the monitor to quality without needing an outdoor “hardened”
transmit data is a major source of problems if not monitor to be exposed to the elements.
carefully considered when monitors are selected •• Documentation. It is very important to create
and deployed. IT departments must be involved – and maintain – the location of monitors
early on or can pose challenges later (see Table 2). on a floorplan or BIM (building information
2. How many monitors are needed? Monitors read management) system plan. Monitors have a way
only the nearby air quality. Therefore, the appro- of moving and accountability can be a problem
priate number of monitors depends on how many over time, especially with staff turnover.
representative environments are in a space. A small 4. Power options. Corded power packs, while
500 m² office with staff area, conference rooms, convenient, are likely to be unplugged, so DC
canteen, and lab, for instance, may need four from within the walls is preferred. If power cords
monitors, while a 2000 m² factory floor with the must be used, select outlets that are less utilized,
same equipment and ventilation system may only and mark the power plugs with signs saying, “Do
need two. In a mixed-use office environment, the not unplug”, etc. Some monitors have a battery
general rule of thumb is about one per 500 m². option, which can be convenient for validation or
Building standards and certification programs such calibration against fresh air.
as RESET™ may have their own requirements. 5. Validation. Monitors must be checked against
Also, sensitive populations may expect monitoring reference machines, preferably before deployment
around them. Generally, focus on staff areas. and then once again on-site. Documentation
3. Location and placement should be kept in case of challenge. Outdoor air
•• Height. Generally, in the breathing zone – may be used as a field expedient check for CO2
1–2 m high above the floor is ideal. However, if and TVOC. Be careful about comparing spot PM
there are children (i.e. school) or theft/interfer- readings against published PM readings, which are
ence is an issue, mounting monitors above head typically hourly averages and, also, not co-located.
height or in lockable boxes are options. If many monitors are being deployed (typically
•• What to avoid. Monitors should not be located more than 10), it is often advisable to also deploy
near windows or areas of outdoor air intrusion, a high quality handheld reference machine or
near HVAC supply ducts (unless the supply air an “alpha class” monitor that can be used as a
is being monitored), or any sources of unusual comparison.
IAQ pollutants. If possible, a site survey taking 6. Signage. As previously mentioned, occupants may
handheld readings to check the representative- often impact monitoring, either by moving the
ness of planned monitoring locations should be monitors, unplugging them, breathing on them,
done ahead of time. doing construction work near them, or even
•• Tables vs wall mounted. If possible, wall stealing them. If the monitors cannot be deployed
mounted is preferable, as occupants are major in a secure manner or out of reach, clear dual
sources of IAQ pollution and can particularly language signage that says, “Ongoing monitoring,
impact CO2 and VOC readings. Wall mounts please do not touch or unplug” is necessary.
do require some installation (see photos) but 7. Renovation or other indoor sources. If possible,
also are less likely to be disrupted, unplugged, monitors should not be installed until just before
or moved. For new construction, be aware that occupation. Since monitors can be a useful tool in
newly painted walls can impact TVOC readings. gauging the readiness of indoor air for move-in,
•• Ducts. Generally, we are most interested in they can be set up before, but never should be
measuring the actual ambient air that occupants exposed to construction activity such as painting,
are breathing and place the monitors in the which can damage or destroy sensitive sensors. If
breathing zone. However, if our purpose is to they must be installed during construction, they
measure the building’s own ventilation system or should be bagged up in airtight bags and secured
filtration systems before the occupants’ behav- to avoid loss.

36 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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Table 2. The pros and cons of different communications types.

Communications
Pros Cons
type

Useful for portable hand-carried or wearable

monitors, but not fixed ones; useful if application Very limited range; pairing problems; Bluetooth is
Bluetooth
requires frequent communications with mobile still not a universal standard
phones

Can be unstable; routers settings or passwords often

Ubiquitous in most places; if not many monitors,
changed due to business process; some monitor
easy to set up a dedicated “hotspot” style Wi-Fi
Wifi chipsets cannot handle 5.0 GHz bands; most
router. Mainly useful in residential or small
monitors cannot handle username login systems
business and non-critical sites
that businesses often use

Can be used anywhere there is mobile signal; Cell coverage can be spotty and change over time;
GPRS can be used to augment gaps; separate GPRS must remember to keep subscription paid; cost of
(mobile SIM card) modem may be more acceptable to some security GPRS modem; must check compatibility of network
requirements than piggybacking on inter/intranet with monitor’s SIM card module

Requires “hub and spoke” setup; ZigBee router is

Longer distance than Wi-Fi, penetrates walls and
Zigbee cost prohibitive if just several monitors; not very
solid materials better
popular with monitor suppliers

Some IT departments and business rules don’t allow

Very stable; fewest chances of connectivity
LAN (RJ-45) third party devices to get on network; physical
problems
cabling needed

Similar to LAN; very stable; good for hotels or Generally, only available during construction (or
Coax/analog
buildings; inexpensive requires opening up walls); less common

Cloud-ware and analysis Due to space constraints, software, visualization, and

Sensor data is of little value, especially to non-experts. data analysis will be the subject of a follow-on article.
Data needs to be aggregated, made visually meaningful,
and interpreted to drive action. In the old days, software Conclusions & takeaways
was like cleanroom software – unattractive, purpose- Continuous air quality monitoring is a critical compo-
built, not flexible, and local to the building. Today, the nent of effective IAQ systems, from assessing the base-
software is built on the cloud to provide remote access, line condition to optimizing settings to maintenance.
be interoperable, create easier interoperability, allow The monitoring hardware industry is growing rapidly,
benchmarking and trend analysis, and enable automa- but “soft knowledge” – selecting the right hardware,
tion. However, privacy issues may impact this deci- deploying monitors correctly, and getting maximum
sion. Although the focus is currently on air, software value out of the data with a cloud analysis platform and
platforms are enabling us to increasingly include other automation software – will need attention in order to
environmental parameters, such as light and sound. actually achieve results.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 37

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 Articles

Metrics of Health Risks from

Indoor Air
and furnish buildings emit harmful gases and harbour
biological organisms. Unvented combustion processes
for space and food heating emit gaseous and particulate
contaminants and can be a source of moisture that is
a primary driver of biological growth. Human activi-
ties, such as cooking and vacuum cleaning, also emit
particulates, cleaning and deodorizing products emit
BENJAMIN JONES gaseous contaminants and particulates, and smoking
Dr, University Of Nottingham emits over 7000 different compounds of which many
are harmful (CfDC, 2010). Pets harbour and transport
biological contaminants, and can themselves be aller-
gens. People and pets also emit gaseous bio-effluents
In a recent review of 31 green building cer- that are disagreeable to smell, and harbour pathogens
tification schemes used around the world, that produce disease. These examples show the many
IAQ was found to contribute to only 7.5% potential hazards and contaminant sources in build-
of the final score on average (Wei et al., ings, for which there are multiple exposure pathways,
2015). As policy makers strive to reduce and not all of them are airborne.
the energy demands of buildings by seal-
ing or reducing outdoor air ventilation rates, The measurement of airborne contaminant concen-
an unintended consequence could be the trations is generally a task carried out by experts, and
reduction in the quality of indoor air with reported in academic journals and technical reports.
corresponding negative health effects at a The presence and concentrations of contaminants is
population scale. This article summarizes often measured without careful consideration of their
the discussions of an Air Infiltration and relevance, and those measured may not be the most
Ventilation Centre workshop on IAQ met- prolific or the most harmful. Some contaminants are
rics held in March 2017 (AIVC, 2017). It first inappropriately grouped together; for example, there
identifies the types of contaminants found are over 1 million volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
in many buildings today, the mechanisms of and their toxicities are generally unknown, yet they are
exposure to them, and methods of mitigat- sometimes reported as single values and referred to as
ing their effects. It then explores metrics total VOCs (TVOC). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is often
that could be used to quantify the quality of used as an indicator of poor IAQ, although it does not
indoor air. negatively affect the health of occupants in the concen-
trations usually found in buildings, it is a marker of
Keywords: Indoor air quality, metric,
human bio-effluents. Its presence is a function of occu-
health, contaminant, pollutant.
pancy, occupant activity, gender, age and physiology,
combustion, and transport from elsewhere. Without an
Problems understanding of these variables, indoor CO2 cannot
be used to assess indoor air quality or ventilation. And,
Building materials and systems, and the activities it can never be used to indicate the presence of other
carried out in them, can be a source of contaminants important indoor contaminants, such as formaldehyde
that are harmful to human health. For example, there emitted from building materials, whose emission is
is evidence that some of the materials used to construct unrelated to CO2 concentration.

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However, existing measurements of contaminants, Ventilation Filtration

whose type and toxicity are known, still give cause for
concern (Logue et al., 2011). They could negatively
affect the health of occupants of any building they were Coagulation Recirculation
Chemical Reaction
found in and, when extrapolated to larger building
stocks, could adversely affect healthcare systems and Exfiltration
economies. Phase Change
Ventilation Reemission and
What do we think we know about IAQ? Resuspension Infiltration
Ventilation is the primary method of contaminant dilu- Sorption and Filtration
tion and removal in buildings. Ventilation standards Deposition

generally agree that indoor air should be perceived as

fresh and pleasant by a significant majority of occupants Ventilation Mechanisms and Pollutant Behaviours
and so they set a baseline ventilation requirement of Indoors.
around 8 l/s per person to dilute bio-effluent odours to
an acceptable level for anyone who enters an occupied
room from relatively clean air (Persily, 2015). They allergens, such as those produced by dust mites, are
then attempt to account for other contaminants, such contained in bedding, carpets, and soft furnishings and
as building materials and furnishings, by increasing the are inhaled (Biddulph et al., 2007). The complexity of
baseline rate to around 10 l/s per person, although the such exposures shows that ventilation is an insufficient
increase is not based on specific contaminants (Persily, remediation measure on its own and inherently doesn’t
2006). Ventilation rates in national standards around deliver acceptable IAQ, especially when contaminant
the world differ by up to 4 times, and their origins sources are not reduced or eliminated.
aren’t always known or documented (Borsboom,
2017). Comparisons of measured ventilation rates Practical solutions
against those prescribed by national standards suggest By the mid-1800s, a pioneer of modern hygiene and
that there is also a widespread inability to implement environmental science, Max Joseph von Pettenkofer,
them effectively in many building types (Persily, 2016), had identified source control as the most effective first
such as houses (Dimitroulopoulou, 2009) and schools step towards acceptable IAQ.
(Chatzidiakou et al., 2012). This suggests that they are
smelly, but they could be unhealthy too.

There are limits to the ability of ventilation to mitigate “If there is a pile of
these contaminant exposures. Occupants are exposed manure in a space,
to contaminants via three mechanisms: inhalation, do not try to remove
dermal absorption (through the skin), and ingestion. the odour by ventilation.
For example, infections are carried by fomites, such as Remove the pile of
skin cells, hair, clothes, bedding, utensils, and furniture, manure.”
and are spread by all three mechanisms. The pumping Attributed to
action of doors, the movement of bedding, and the Max Von Pettenkofer
action of sitting on soft furniture can all re-suspend fine
particles that can be inhaled into the lower respiratory Source Control
tract. Large droplets produced by breathing, talking, (Fanger, 2006).
sneezing, and coughing contain mucus, saliva, cells,
and infectious agents that are transmitted over distances
of less than 1 m. When source control is impossible, then local exhaust
ventilation, such as a kitchen cooker hood, is effective
Such particles can be inhaled into the upper respira- in removing contaminants before they are able to mix
tory tract (Atkinson et al., 2009). Semi-volatile organic in a space.
compounds (SVOCs), such as those emitted by dry
cleaned clothing or flame retardants, are absorbed These devices are imperfect, and so it is still necessary
through the skin from clothing and can be sorbed by to dilute well mixed contaminants using ventilation,
food and ingested (Weschler & Nazaroff, 2008). Organic or to remove contaminants using an air cleaner. These

40 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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devices can be a useful alternative to ventilation, but One method of analysis is to ask occupants to person-
they have energy and financial penalties, as well as ally assess IAQ. The human nose is as sensitive to some
performance limitations. There is also evidence that gaseous contaminants as chemical analyses and using it
they can reemit collected particulates, and serve as indicates occupant preference and ensures that people
sites for microbiological growth or chemical reactions are the focus of an assessment. Perceived air quality
that create secondary contaminants, such as ozone, (PAQ) is the basis of most ventilation standards and
formaldehyde, and other VOCs (Siegel, 2016). There is used to assess indoor odours (ISO, 2014) and air
is a pressing need for standardization and performance quality in buildings (Wargocki et al., 2004). However,
data for these devices. its very subjectivity, the inability of the nose to smell all
harmful contaminants (CO is odourless, for example),
its high dependence on temperature and relative
humidity (Fang et al., 1998), and the propensity of
people to adapt to malodours after only a few minutes
(Berg-Munch et al., 1986), are acknowledged by some
as fundamental concerns.

A second method might be to identify properties of

a building that are known to affect IAQ directly, for
example using a tick-box approach. Each feature could
be weighted according to their hazard and aggregated
to produce a single metric. This method could be used
to develop a third-party rating system, similar to many
existing energy rating schemes, and should be helpful
to someone who is particularly sensitive to specific
contaminants in choosing a house to live in.

To obtain a comprehensive picture of the IAQ in a

building it would be necessary to measure a range of
contaminants, but their individual concentrations may
be incomparable because of different health impacts
Capture efficiency of a range hood commonly found and time scales, and units; for example, radon (Bq.m-3)
in the U.S.A (Image courtesy of Iain Walker at the and particulate matter (μg.m-3). One approach is to
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory). convert the individual contaminant concentrations into
sub-indices, which may be a function of their health
Some contaminants, such as carbon monoxide, are risks, before they are aggregated into a single index.
harmful when the exposure is acute and so sensors However, the summing of sub-indices can lead to situ-
and alarms can be useful for monitoring indoor levels. ations where they are all under individual health thresh-
However, many others require exposures to be chronic olds, but the final index shows exceedance. Conversely,
before negative health effects occur. Traditionally, CO2 the averaging of sub-indices can lead to a final index
has been used as a marker for IAQ although its limita- that indicates acceptable IAQ when one or more sub-
tions have already been highlighted. Therefore, devices indices are greater than their individual thresholds. One
that are capable of indicating the presence of specific solution is to use the maximum of all sub-indices as the
contaminants should be used, but given the plethora final index (Sharma and Bhattacharya, 2012), but this
of possible contaminants it is not always clear which does not indicate overall IAQ. Other methods weight
should be measured first, and what thresholds the meas- the sub-indices before aggregation (Abadie et al., 2016).
urements should be compared against. To do this, a
system of measurement is required. Exposure limit values (ELV) are used in occupational
environments to prevent or reduce risks to health from
IAQ metrics hazards, such as vibrations (HSE, 2008), by setting a
An air quality metric should identify when the quality maximum quantity experienced per person per day.
of indoor air is unacceptable and should be based on its This principle could be applied when measuring the
effects on human health and comfort, acknowledging concentrations of a range of contaminants in a building.
that they may not be immediate. Here, the ratios of their maximum concentrations to

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their respective ELV concentrations give a quick indica- effect. Disability is weighted by its effect on person’s
tion of risk, where a ratio 1 might be acceptable but one life in general, and so can account for mental illness. In
approaching or exceeding unity may be problematic. the case of IAQ, the burden of disease is a measurement
of the difference between the current health status of
A problem with IAQ indices and ELVs is that it isn’t a population of building occupants and an ideal situa-
clear how a change to either metric, say by 10%, would tion where they all live into old age, free of disease and
affect occupant health and comfort. Here, an indica- disability (WHO, 2009). The DALY has been used by
tion of the relationship between exposure and health the AIVC (2016) to prioritize indoor contaminants
consequences is required. found in houses for mitigation.

The disability adjusted life year (DALY) is a measure Next steps

of time where a value of unity is one year of healthy life For a metric to be useful and accepted as best practice,
lost to some disease or injury. DALYs are calculated as it must be robust and trusted. Unreliable evidence
the sum of years of life lost to premature mortality and can be disputed and could lead to litigation. A metric
morbidity in a population for some negative health must have robust technical specifications, prescribing

Figure 4. Estimated population averaged annual cost, in DALYs, of chronic air contaminant inhalation in U.S.
residences (AIVC, 2016).

42 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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the methods of measurement and calculation. It must When non-compliance is identified, then pre-defined
clearly identify measurement locations, device types, sanctions must be imposed. It is also important to
tolerances, calibration intervals, and measurer and define who is liable and the actions in cases of non-
analyst competences. This will aid consistency, and compliance. To develop and apply metrics, there is a
increase the likelihood that two different assessors clear need for resources, such as technical, legal, and
surveying the same building arrive at the same metric administrative staff, and for equipment. Towards this
score. end, it is fundamentally important to actively involve
stakeholders so that they ensure they meet any IAQ
Metrics should not be a barrier to innovation, and metric required in their building and support the
so it is important that methods of pollution control enforcement of infringements.
are not prescribed. This follows the principles of
performance-based building design, which focus on There are many hurdles to overcome, but the AIVC has
the end result and not on the means of achieving begun to discuss key issues and challenge preliminary
it. Any remediation measure should consider the ideas. It will continue to research IAQ metrics and to
need to simultaneously provide acceptable IAQ and give guidance on their development. The considera-
energy use reduction, and so they should only be tion of IAQ and its effects on occupant health and
used when they are effective in achieving both ends. comfort will lead to a new paradigm in building stand-
This requires good sensing and control devices whose ards and guidelines, moving them beyond the control
performance is understood. of odour towards the provision of indoor environ-

Figure 5. Controlling the Dominant Pollutant (AIVC, 1996).

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ments that consider occupant health. ASHRAE 62.2

(ASHRAE, 2016) has begun this transition, and as Acknowledgements
other standards join, they will begin to have a tangible The author is grateful to Max Sherman, Andrew Persily, Iain
Walker, and Rémi Carrié for their comments on this article.
effect on people, healthcare systems, and economies.

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Chatzidiakou L, Mumovic D, Summerfield AJ. What do we know about indoor air quality in school classrooms? A critical review
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Dimitroulopoulou C. Ventilation in European dwellings: A review. Building and Environment. 2012; 47:109-25.
Fang L, Clausen G, Fanger PO. Impact of Temperature and Humidity on the Perception of Indoor Air Quality. Indoor Air. 1998; 8:80-90.
Fanger PO. What is IAQ? Indoor Air. 2006; 16:328-34.
HSE. Hand-arm vibration. - The Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. Health and Safety Executive. ISBN 0-7176-6125-3.
Richmond, UK. 2008.
ISO. 16000-30 Indoor air: Sensory testing of indoor air. International Standards Organization. 2014.
Logue JM, McKone TE, Sherman MH, Singer BC. Hazard assessment of chemical air contaminants measured in residences. Indoor
Air. 2011; 21:92-109.
Persily A. Challenges in developing ventilation and indoor air quality standards: The story of ASHRAE Standard 62. Building and
Environment. 2015; 91:61-69.
Persily A. Field measurement of ventilation rates. Indoor Air. 2016; 26:97-111.
Persily A. What We Think We Know about Ventilation. International Journal of Ventilation. 2006; 5:275-90.
Siegel JA. Primary and secondary consequences of indoor air cleaners. Indoor Air. 2016; 26:88-96.
Sharma M, Bhattacharya A. National Air Quality Index. Central Pollution Control Board. Ministry of Environment, Forests, &
Climate Change; 2012.
Wargocki P, Fanger PO, Krupicz P, Szczecinski A. Sensory pollution loads in six office buildings and a department store. Energy
and Buildings. 2004; 36:995-1001.
Wei W, Ramalho O, Mandin C. Indoor air quality requirements in green building certifications. Building and Environment. 2015; 92:10-9.
Weschler CJ, Nazaroff WW. Semivolatile organic compounds in indoor environments. Atmospheric Environment. 2008; 42:9018-40.

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The UK is putting IAQ and

health on the agenda again

DR GRÁINNE MCGILL & PROF TIM SHARPE

Mackintosh Environmental Architecture Research Unit,
Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew St, Glasgow, G36RQ

This article presents an overview of current UK developments in the field of indoor air qual-
ity and health, in particular the outcomes of the AHRC funded HEMAC (Health Effects of
Modern Airtight Construction) Network and the UK Indoor Environments Group 2017
Conference (26th April 2017, held in Glasgow, Scotland).
Keywords: IAQ, health, UK, UKIEG, HEMAC, Conference

I
t is apparent that there is an increasing awareness guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care
of the potential health effects of indoor air pollu- Excellence (NICE) in collaboration with Public Health
tion in the UK. Links between health and outdoor England (PHE).
air pollution have been understood by the medical
community, and this was well publicised last year At the same time, initiatives from indoor and built
following the launch of a report on Every breath we environment communities are raising the agenda of
take: the lifelong impact of air pollution, by the Royal IAQ and health in UK homes. A recent review entitled
College of Physicians (RCP) and the Royal College of Each Home Counts published in December 2016 on
Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH). Importantly, consumer advice, protection, standards and enforce-
the report also identified the risks of indoor air quality ment of energy efficiency and renewable energy, calls
and acknowledged that some aspects are not fully for measures to tackle problems with inadequate venti-
understood and more evidence is needed. As a result, lation, poor quality installations and moisture prob-
RCPCH and RCP have joined with the Building lems in buildings. A workshop report launched by the
Research Establishment (BRE) and the Adaption and UK Indoor Environments Group on Healthy Indoor
Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC) network Environments: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy
to establish a new working party to tackle indoor air Makers, calls for collaborative action across UK govern-
quality in homes. This shift coincides with the recent ment departments to develop an effective, coordinated
announcement of the development of indoor air quality strategy to improve indoor environmental quality in

REHVA Journal – June 2017 45

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buildings. A campaign launched by the BEAMA group the Health Effects of Modern Airtight Construction
on My Health, My Home aims to raise awareness among (HEMAC) network (25th April, 2017), followed
the general public of the dangers of poor indoor air by the 14th annual UKIEG Conference (26th April,
quality in the home environment and there is also an 2017). These events marked the bringing together
All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) set up last year of researchers and practitioners from across the UK
called Healthy Homes and Buildings. and beyond, to deliberate ways of addressing the chal-
lenge of improving the quality of the UK indoor built
There have been increasing reports in the media environment.
raising awareness of the dangers of poor indoor air
quality in airtight homes, including BBC coverage HEMAC Network
of a report funded by the Scottish Government on The HEMAC network (Health Effects of Modern
Occupier Influence on Indoor Air Quality in Dwellings. Airtight Construction) was established to bring together
A recent report published by Which? (the largest researchers and practitioners from the fields of indoor
consumer body in the UK) reveals potential exposure air quality (IAQ), health and the built environment to
to high levels of pollutants in the home, following develop shared research agendas and identify ways of
everyday activities. addressing these. The network has a particular focus
on challenges concerning IAQ in new-build and/or
Two recent events hosted by the Mackintosh retrofitted airtight dwellings. The HEMAC network
Environmental Architecture Research Unit (MEARU) is made up of a steering committee of researchers
at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow and practitioners from medicine, indoor air science,
School of Art, aimed to accelerate and strengthen microbiology, engineering, architecture and ventila-
this expansion of the IAQ and health agenda within tion; including participants from the UK, Ireland, the
the UK. The first was a sandpit event, organised by Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and China.

Participants attending sandpit session on: The Changing Nature of Pollutant Exposure in the Home Environment.

46 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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Participants attending sandpit session on: Ventilation Noise Levels and Occupant Perception in Airtight Homes.

Attendees at UKIEG 2017 Conference. (photo credits: Vivian Carvalho)

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Lunch and poster viewing at UKIEG 2017.

The network was funded by the Arts and Humanities The purpose of the sandpit event was to take these
Research Council (AHRC) and has supported a series of ideas further and develop them as funding proposals for
events, including a symposium (21st September 2016), collaborative projects between academia and industry.
a workshop event (30th November 2016) and most Six proposals were developed in total. Some of these
recently a sandpit, held at the Glasgow School of Art in were focused specifically on addressing the evidence
Scotland (25th April 2017). The symposium provided gap between IAQ and health, whilst others proposed
a platform for members to present recent findings, and mapping studies of chemical emissions in the home.
put forward ideas regarding gaps in the knowledge Several proposals addressed specific concerns regarding
and possible research questions; which were deliber- ventilation performance standards, in particular the
ated during a discussion session at the end of the day. need for improved ventilation noise characterisation
This was followed by an online survey, which collated and ventilation control metrics. The event concluded
opinions of symposium participants concerning key with a networking dinner.
problems and challenges in the field.
UK Indoor Environments Group
This information, together with the outcomes of the The UK Indoor Environments Group (UKIEG) is a
symposium, was used to develop a series of workshop multidisciplinary network committed to the devel-
sessions to discuss the state of knowledge in the field opment, synthesis, dissemination and application
and stimulate ideas for multidisciplinary projects, to of evidence concerned with UK policy and practice
address the challenges of designing healthy, energy effi- on the indoor built environment. Set up in 2003 to
cient homes. Some sessions explored the need for prac- co-ordinate UK activity relating to the improvement
tical guidance for design and construction professionals of indoor environments for people, the group organises
on ventilation and source control and the challenges of annual conferences to provide a platform for members
ensuring effective ventilation in airtight homes. Others to discuss areas of common interest. The UKIEG
addressed specific gaps in knowledge, such as the role of Committee also organises and promotes expert work-
dwelling ventilation and IAQ on the health of suscep- shops and reports.
tible groups, or the influence of housing ventilation
on the indoor microbiome. Nine workshop sessions This year’s UKIEG conference was supported by the
were held throughout the day, which culminated with HEMAC network and MEARU, at the Glasgow School
a sequence of presentation pitches from the workshop of Art in Scotland. The theme of UKIEG 2017 was
chairs on proposed multidisciplinary projects, to an Indoor Environments and Health in Buildings. The
audience of invited participants. conference kicked off with a keynote presentation

48 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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by Prof Jan Sundell, who presented evidence on the Several challenges regarding ventilation performance
relationship between ventilation and health in homes, were highlighted, with presentations dealing with the
including interesting new findings from China on relationship between ventilation noise (and associated
risk factors for asthma and allergies. The conference occupant behaviour) and overheating in homes, issues
included 10 oral and 10 quick-fire / poster presenta- regarding passive ventilation provision in retrofitted
tions, on topics including indoor air quality, occupant Irish homes, and the influence of design decisions on the
control, comfort and perception, ventilation perfor- performance of MVHR systems in practice. Challenges
mance and green infrastructure. of setting appropriate ventilation standards in homes
were discussed, following a presentation on the intro-
duction of a new Belgium workplace ventilation require-
ment, which stipulates an ambitious carbon dioxide
concentration threshold limit of 800 ppm. Evidence
was also provided on the importance of control (whether
available, implemented or perceived) on the stimulus-
response relationship between indoor environmental
parameters and occupant comfort, productivity and
health. The conference concluded with a presentation
by Allergy UK, which provided details of a number of
initiatives to help improve knowledge and awareness
of allergic diseases among health care professionals and
reduce allergens in the indoor environment, through
endorsement schemes with product manufacturers.

Remarks
The two events held side-by-side provided a meeting
point for UK researchers and practitioners to share
ideas and insights on how to improve the quality of the
indoor environment for people. The HEMAC sandpit
brought together a diverse group of people to facilitate
the development of cross-disciplinary collaborations,
whilst the UKIEG conference provided a platform for
researchers to present new findings and promote knowl-
edge exchange. It is hoped that the outcomes of the
HEMAC sandpit might lead to some large-scale multi-
Visitors at industry stand at UKIEG 2017. disciplinary UK projects or initiatives to improve IAQ
(photo credits: Vivian Carvalho) and ventilation provision in contemporary dwellings.

References
Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution, available at www.rcplondon.ac.uk
For information on the working party Better Homes, Better Air, Better Health, see www.arcc-network.org.uk/wp-
content/pdfs/IAQ-action-group-report-Apr2017.pdf
For details on the NICE IAQ guidelines, see www.nice.org.uk
Each Home Counts: Review of Consumer Advice, Protection, Standards and Enforcement for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, available at www.gov.uk
Healthy Indoor Environments: Challenges and Opportunities for Policy Makers, available at www.ukieg.org (news section)
For more details on the My Health, My Home Campaign, see www.myhealthmyhome.com
For details of the APPG Healthy Homes and Buildings, see: www.healthyhomesbuildings.org.uk
Investigation of Occupier Influence on indoor Air Quality in Dwellings, available at www.gov.scot
Which? report Revealed: the hidden air pollution in your home, see: http://www.which.co.uk/news/2017/03/revealed-the-
hidden-air-pollution-in-your-home/
For more information on the HEMAC network and related events, see: www.hemacnetwork.com

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Particulate matter reduction

in Eindhoven

R. VERVOORT B. BLOCKEN
ir. prof. dr. ir.
[email protected] a [email protected] a, b

T. VAN HOOFF R. GIJSBERS

dr. ir. dr. ir.
[email protected] b, a [email protected] c

aBuilding Physics and Services, Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. box 513, 5600 MB
Eindhoven, The Netherlands

b Building Physics Section, Department of Civil Engineering, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 40, bus 2447, 3001 Leuven, Belgium

c ENS Technology, Grotestraat 41, 5431 DH Cuijk, The Netherlands.

High traffic intensities in cities are a cause of high particulate matter (PM) concentrations
due to tailpipe emissions and tire and brake wear. The objective of this study, is to assess
whether PM removal in parking garages by implementation of electrostatic precipitation,
can reduce PM concentrations in the wider urban surrounding.
Keywords: Air quality; Air pollution; Fine dust; Particulate matter; Computational fluid
dynamics (CFD); Electrostatic precipitation; Positive ionization; Urban physics.

The effects of particulate matter

(WHO), daily and long-term exposure to PM is strongly
exposure
related to human morbidity and mortality [1]. Health
The collection of all solid and liquid particles suspended effects are closely related to the size of the inhaled particles
in the atmosphere, known as particulate matter (PM), [1]; large particles can be filtered by the nose and throat,
is currently one of the most dangerous forms of air however, particles smaller than 10 µm (PM10) can enter
pollution. According to the World Health Organization the bronchi and lungs. Particles smaller than 0.1 µm

50 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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(PM0.1) can directly be transported into the bloodstream [9]. For PM2.5 these values are set at 10 and 25 μg/m³
[1]. Many studies have linked PM exposure to lung respectively [9]. Worldwide, more than 80% of the
cancer, respiratory, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary people that live in urban areas are exposed to air quality
diseases (e.g. [2-3]) (an extensive overview of references levels that exceed the WHO limits [10]. While in Asia
is given in the paper by Blocken et al. [3]). Furthermore, all the global cities fail to meet the 10 μg/m³ PM2.5
links with Alzheimer, Parkinson, dementia, multiple limit, in Europe few are able to pass (e.g. Helsinki,
sclerosis and stroke incidences are found (e.g. [2-4]). Edinburgh and Stockholm) [10]. In a global context,
Groups with pre-existing lung or heart diseases, elderly ambient PM2.5 concentrations in European cities
people and children are especially vulnerable [2]. PM seem relatively low. For example, when considering
exposure affects lung development of children; i.e. lung PM2.5 concentrations, annual mean concentrations in
functioning is impaired and lung growth rate is chroni- Paris are exceeded by a factor 1.8 while in Delhi this
cally reduced [5]. According to the Organization for is a factor 12.2 [10]. Although the WHO limits are
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), air defined strictly, it is important to keep in mind that
pollution will become the world’s top environmental epidemiological studies were unable to define a specific
cause of premature mortality by 2050 when no measures threshold for which PM concentrations have no effect
are taken [6]. According to the European Environment on human health [2]. It is expected that there is a very
Agency (EEA), the world-wide number of premature wide range in susceptibility; some individuals might be
deaths due to PM exposure, as presented in Figure 1, at risk when exposed to very low concentrations [2].
will climb from approximately 1.5 million today, to
3.5 million in 2050 [7]. Given that good health and a High ambient concentrations of PM are found in
long life are highly valued in society, analysis shows that regions with high traffic intensity, including urban
economic costs of air pollution are significant [8]. areas, due to tailpipe emissions and tire and brake wear
[11]. Other studies showed that PM is accumulated
Air pollution in the city in parking garages [12–13]. In the surroundings of
The WHO provides limits for the annual mean PM parking garages the ambient PM concentrations are
concentrations. i.e. for PM10 the annual mean is set highly dependent on parameters such as traffic inten-
at 20 μg/m³ and the 24 hour mean is set at 50 μg/m³ sity, meteorological conditions and urban geometry.

Figure 1. Projected premature deaths due to PM and ground-level ozone [7].

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Exposure to high ambient PM concentrations does not CFD model Eindhoven city center
only occur outside, in streets where the traffic intensity A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) case study
is high, but also in buildings due to ventilation. Since is conducted for the city center of Eindhoven (the
people roughly spend 85–90% of their time indoors Netherlands), including ESP units in 16 parking garages.
[14], PM exposure is certainly a very serious problem, Eindhoven is located in the south of the Netherlands and
putting health at risk. it is the fifth largest city of the Netherlands with 225,020
inhabitants [17]. The city center of Eindhoven is char-
Air purification in garages acterized by a mixture of low-rise and a few high-rise
Various solutions are available to limit ambient PM buildings, both commercial and residential, with open
concentrations, such as porous media filters, cyclonic areas such as roads, parks and squares. The generated
separators, wet scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators computational grid consisting out of 65.7 million cells,
(ESP). ENS Technology [15], a manufacturer of ESPs as presented in Figure 2, covers an area of about 5.1 km².
based on a positive ionization technology, applied two
of their ESP units in a parking garage in Cuijk (the To determine sources of PM10 in the model, traffic
Netherlands). The technology captures fine particles and intensity, traffic emission data, parking garage use
ultrafine particles without the use of traditional filtering and background PM10 concentrations are considered.
techniques. In the ESP, particles are bound together, Terrain roughness is taken into account by assigning the
forming coarse dust that cannot be inhaled (since it is correct aerodynamic roughness height (y0), equivalent
not airborne). One of the advantages of this system is sand-grain roughness height (kS) and roughness constant
that most of the energy penalty, associated with the pres- (CS) to the wall surfaces. Simulations are performed for
sure drop across media filters (traditional technique), is a reference wind speed (Uref) of 1 m/s at 10 m height
eliminated. Furthermore, it is found that the applied and a south-east wind direction. The southeast wind
systems do not add to the normal background ozone direction is chosen because ambient concentrations in
level, unlike several other ESP-based technologies. In Eindhoven are generally higher for this wind direction
Cuijk it is found that PM10 concentrations are strongly [18]. Thermal effects are not taken into account.
reduced in the parking garage, but also in the shopping
mall connected to the garage [16]. This leads to the ESP units are implemented in the garages by means of
idea of large-scale application of ESP units in parking a PM10 sink term. The units run at a volume flow rate
garages, which would thus function as ‘lungs of the city’. of 9,000 m³/h and a PM10 removal efficiency of 70%

Figure 2. Overview of the computational grid of the city center of Eindhoven (65.7 million cells) [3].

52 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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[16]. Three different cases are modeled: a reference case In this study, the steady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes
without ESP units, a case including 99 units (one unit (RANS) approach is used in combination with the real-
per 65 parking spots) and a case including 594 units (six izable k-ε turbulence model [19] for turbulence closure.
units per 65 parking spots) spread over the 16 parking A sub-configuration validation study is conducted using
garages. Garage ventilation is imposed based on the wind tunnel measurements of gas dispersion in regular
Dutch building regulations (10.8 m³/m²h). arrays of rectangular building blocks by Garbero et al.
[20]. The reader is referred to Blocken
et al. [3] for more information on this
validation study.

Case study results

Figure 3 presents the PM10 concentra-
tion contours at a height of 1.75 m
(pedestrian level) for the reference case
without ESP units (Figure 3a) and
for the case including 594 ESP units
(Figure 3b). Results are presented for
the region where most of the parking
garages are located and where the urban
density is relatively high. The concentra-
Figure 3. Contours of PM10 concentrations (µg/m³) in a horizontal plane tions exceed 60 µg/m³ but in this case
at 1.75 m height without units (a) and including 594 units (b) installed the maximum concentration shown is
over 16 parking garages in the city center of Eindhoven. Wind direction limited to 40 µg/m³ for visualization
South-East Uref,10m = 1 m/s. purposes.

Figure 3 shows that relatively high

PM10 concentrations are found near the
exhaust openings of the parking garages
(> 40 µg/m³). High PM10 concentrations
are found in the area with a high concen-
tration of parking garages. Furthermore,
in this area the urban density is relatively
high compared to the rest of the city,
resulting in relatively low wind velocities.
Figure 3 shows that PM10 concentrations
are significantly reduced near the garages
and in the exhaust flow from the garage.
This is also shown in Figure 4 where the
PM10 concentration is compared with the
reference case. Figure 4a, c presents the
PM10 reduction percentage for the case
including 99 ESP units and Figure 4b,
d presents the PM10 reduction for the
case including 594 ESP units. For the
case with 99 ESP units, reductions of
up to 10% are found near the garage.
However, further away from the garages
the reductions are insignificant. For the
case with 594 ESP units, reductions of
up to 30% are found near the garages
Figure 4. Contours of PM10 concentration reduction percentage at a height (locally even up to 50%). Further away
of 1.75 m for the case with 99 units (a, c) and 594 units (b, d) relative to the from the garages reductions of up to
reference case without units. Wind direction South-East Uref,10m = 1 m/s. [3] 10% are found.

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Discussion and conclusion

distributed over the subdomains (instead of assigning
Although the study has some limitations, it can them to the exact locations of streets) and the emis-
be concluded that local removal of PM in parking sions are averaged over a period of 10 hours. It can be
garages can be an effective strategy towards higher expected that during rush hours local concentrations
outdoor air quality. As previously mentioned, studies are higher. For this reason unequal spreading, both
have shown that PM exposure is strongly related to in time and space, of traffic and thus of PM emis-
human morbidity and mortality. For this reason the sions will be taken into account. In addition, thermal
presented work could be very interesting for cities in effects can be included in future studies. In this way,
which problems related to PM exposure are severe (e.g. the dispersion of emissions can be taken into account
where the urban density is high). Further research will in a more accurate way and different meteorological
focus on the limitations of the current study. First of situations can be analyzed. While the current research
all, the maximum PM10 concentrations in the current work and suggestions will certainly not solve the PM
simulations are rather limited (< 80 µg/m³). This is city problem completely, at least it can be a significant
due to the fact that all the emissions are uniformly step in the right direction.

Acknowledgements
Twan van Hooff is currently a postdoctoral fellow of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) and is grateful for its financial
support (project FWO 12R9715N). The authors also gratefully acknowledge the partnership with ANSYS CFD.

References
[1] WHO 2014. Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. Fact sheet N°313, updated March 2014. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/
[2] WHO 2013. Health effects of particulate matter – policy implications for countries in eastern Europe, Caucasus and central Asia, ISBN 978 92 890 0001 7.
[3] Blocken B., Vervoort R., van Hooff T. (2016). Reduction of outdoor particulate matter concentrations by local removal in semi-enclosed
parking garages: a preliminary case study for Eindhoven city center, J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 159, pp. 80-98.
[4] Chen H., Kwong J.C., Copes R., Tu K., Villeneuve P.J., van Donkelaar A., Hystad P., Martin R.V., Murray B.J., Jessiman B., Wilton A.S., Kopp A.,
Burnett R.T. (2017). Living near major roads and the incidence of dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis: a population-based
cohort study, Lancet 389, 718-726.
[5] Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu (RIVM). Luchtkwaliteit.
[6] OECD 2012. OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: the Consequences of Inaction. 350 p. 9789264122246 (PDF).
[7] EEA 2015. World premature deaths due to urban pollution from particulate matter and ground-level ozone. http://www.eea.europa.eu/
data-and-maps/figures/world-premature-deaths-due-to. European Environment Agency.
[8] WHO 2015. Economic costs of health impact of air pollution in Europe: clean air, health and wealth.
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/276772/Economic-cost-health-impact-air-pollution-en.pdf?ua=1
[9] WHO, 2005. Air quality guidelines, global update 2005. Particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. ISBN 92 890 2192 6.
[10] WHO 2016. WHO Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database. http://www.who.int/phe/health_topics/outdoorair/databases/cities/en/
[11] Rogge WF, Hildemann LM, Mazurek MA, Cass GR, Simoneit BRT. 1993. Sources of fine organic aerosol. 3. Road dust, tire debris, and
organometallic brake lining dust — roads as sources and sinks. Environm. Sci. & Techn. 27(9): 1892–1904.
[12] Kim SR, Dominici F, Buckley TJ. 2007. Concentrations of vehicle-related air pollutants in an urban parking garage. Environ. Res. 105(3): 291–299.
[13] Zhang GS, Li TT, Luo M, Liu JF, Liu ZR, Bai YH. 2008. Air pollution in the microenvironment of parked new cars. Build. Environ. 43(3): 315–319.
[14] Valavanidis A, Fiotakis K, Vlacogianni T. 2008. Airborne particulate matter and human health: toxicological assessment and importance of
the size and composition of particles for oxidative damage and carcinogenic mechanisms. J. Environ. Sci. Health Pt. C – Environ. Carcinog.
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[17] Eindhoven Municipality, 2015. http://www.eindhoven.nl/home.htm.
[18] AiREAS. Meetdata Eindhoven, www.aireas.com.
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Infosys EC-53 building, Bengaluru.

An efficiency benchmark for

the building industry
GURUPRAKASH SASTRY
Regional Head - Infrastructure
Infosys Limited, Bengaluru

About the Author: Guruprakash Sastry is a building industry professional with over 12 years of experience.
Currently, as Regional Head – Infrastructure at Infosys, he is responsible for driving sustainability initiatives
across Infosys campuses. These include energy efficient facades, efficient HVAC systems and efficient water
and waste water treatment systems. He has been instrumental in implementing several innovative HVAC
technologies in buildings including the first radiant cooled building in India.

Buildings account for over one third of global energy consumption and are responsible for an
equally significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In the Indian context, with rapid
urbanization and growing energy demand, it is essential to make sure that the upcoming
building stock is built in the most efficient way. The fact that 70% of the India of 2030 is still
to be built, provides a great opportunity for the building industry fraternity to transform the
way buildings are designed and to adopt a sustainable approach. Though renewable energy
sources like solar photovoltaic (PV) are getting cheaper and are witnessing tremendous
growth, it is important to understand that the first step to being sustainable is to bring down
the demand (energy, water, materials, etc.) through resource efficiency measures, and the
second step is to meet the demand through renewables, recycling, etc.

W
hile the building industry embarks on unreasonable and challenging, but at the same time
the path of efficiency, it helps to have a practically achievable. One such benchmark is the
building efficiency benchmark to guide Infosys EC-53 building, which was inducted into the
design and operations. The benchmark should be ACREX Hall of Fame in 2017.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 55

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Building Features
Selecting the Right Systems and Efficient
The Infosys EC-53 building, located in Electronics Equipment
City, Bengaluru, is a combination of innovation The second most important step for achieving a high-
and excellence in building design and operation. performance building is to select the most efficient
Sustainability measures were an integral part of the system. LED lighting is used throughout the building
design right from the concept stage, and included the to ensure low energy consumption and low mainte-
building envelope, innovative cooling system, energy nance due to long life of LED lamps. All the rest of the
metering, automation and continuous performance rooms are equipped with motion sensors that ensure
monitoring. The salient features of the building are switched off lights when there is no occupancy.
described below.

Pushing the Envelope

Building envelope is the most important aspect of
an efficient building design and can impact up to
50% of cooling demand. While most critics would
vote against insulation in a moderate climate like
Bengaluru, the EC-53 building has a fully insulated
high performance envelope. This includes insulated
walls (U value: 0.4 W/m²K), insulated roof (U
value: 0.3 W/m²K) and a high-performance glass
and shading for windows. What this has resulted
in is an exceptionally low cooling requirement of
about 160 TR* (563 kW or 37,5 W/m²) at peak for
a building area of about 15,000 m² (160,000 ft²). Efficient LED lighting in the building.
High performance spectrally selective glass (light
transmission of 42%, solar factor of 0.22 and U
value of 1.05 W/m²K) and shading on windows The EC-53 building was the first in India to implement
has ensured that there is ample natural light inside a radiant panel based cooling system. The radiant panels
the building and at the same time occupants feel (supplied by Uponor) are in the form of ceiling tiles and
comfortable without glare or heat radiation from have small pipes within them through which cold water
the windows. at 16°C circulates to take care of the sensible load in

Natural day-lighting inside the building.

* 1 TR (Tons of Refrigeration) = 3,517 kW

56 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 Articles

the building. One floor of the building uses radiant Other important features of the HVAC system include:
panels developed by the Infosys team to achieve cost •• All equipment with variable speed drives (chillers,
effectiveness and higher cooling efficiency. Air handling pumps, cooling towers, AHUs).
units take care of the latent load in the building and •• Magnetic bearing chillers for high efficiency and low
are equipped with two cooling coils – one with 16°C maintenance.
chilled water and the other with 7°C chilled water. •• Automatic tube cleaning system to ensure chiller
efficiency.
•• Dual source units (DX + chilled water) for critical
areas like server rooms.

With all these interventions in HVAC, the annual

average efficiency of the chiller plant (chiller, pumps
and cooling tower) was measured to be 0.42 kW/TR.

Performance Monitoring
An efficient design does not always translate into effi-
cient operation if the right metering and performance
measurement is not carried out. The EC-53 building is
equipped with a Building Management System (BMS)
Uponor radiant panel system. with accurate sensors that enable efficient operation
of the building systems including proper scheduling
and control of different equipment remotely. The
role of the BMS does not end here. Smart algorithms
defined in the BMS make sure the systems ramp up
or down based on the building requirement. The effi-
ciency of various equipment like chillers and pumps
is continuously tracked with respect to their design
curves, and any deviation is highlighted to enable the
operations personnel to take appropriate action. Any
critical parameter going out of range triggers an alarm
and notification to the operations personnel so that
any equipment failure can be foreseen and preventive
action taken. Effective use of BMS for control as well
as continuous performance monitoring of the building
is a distinguishing feature of the EC-53 building and
Radiflux radiant panels developed by Infosys team. several other buildings of Infosys.

Screenshot of floor wise energy consumption.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 57

 Articles

Granular metering in the building enables study of The Infosys EC-53 building has a very low water
energy patterns among different systems in the building, demand of 25 liters per person per day in all (15 liters
and helps in focusing action on the right system to mini- fresh water and 10 liters recycled water), owing to
mize energy consumption. Separate energy meters for low flow fixtures, dual flush toilets, waterless urinals,
lighting, computers, ceiling fans and other plug loads etc. Hundred percent of the wastewater is recycled in
at the floor level give an accurate account of the energy the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), and the recycled
consumption and identify opportunities for savings. water is used for flushing, irrigation and cooling tower
makeup requirements. Rooftop rainwater is harvested
in a dedicated tank and used for potable purposes.
Last year, about 42% of the fresh water requirement
in monsoon months was met through rainwater.

Benchmarking Parameters
•• Energy Performance index (EPI): 84 kWh/m² per
annum (includes all the energy consumed in the
building) for 100% daytime occupancy and 50%
night time occupancy.
•• Building peak electrical load: 2.85 W/ft² (0.26 W/
Central Command Center for monitoring performance. m²) (peak observed at building incomer in a year).
•• Light Power Density (LPD): 0.5W/ft² (0,05 W/m²)
•• Peak cooling capacity: 1000 ft² per TR (37,5 W/m²)
Solar Energy •• Chiller plant efficiency: 0.42 kW/TR (annual
The EC-53 building has an installed capacity of average).
90 kWp solar PV plant on the rooftop. A unique •• Solar PV plant capacity: 90 kWp (meets about 10%
feature of the plant is that it consists of 5 different of annual energy requirement).
solar technologies of equal capacity on the same roof. •• Water requirement: 25 liters per person per day.
This makes for a very accurate comparison between
different technologies for the same weather parameters Conclusion
including temperature, humidity, dust, etc. The tech- All the above strategies are replicable for other
nologies installed are monocrystalline, polycrystalline, buildings as well. The cost of the building is not
HIT, CIS thin film and Cd-Te thin film. The plant is higher than a regular building. At Infosys, we have
able to meet about 10% of the energy requirement of consistently observed that efficient buildings are less
the building on an annual basis. expensive than regular buildings when there is a focus
right from the initial design stage. It only requires a
Water Wise small additional effort at the design stages and setting
Water is a precious resource, the value of which is inad- the expectations right with the entire design team.
equately understood by the society today. Water scarcity It requires questioning every assumption and frugal
is a serious problem that is increasing every day. When engineering. It requires rejecting thumb rules and
a significant population of the country does not have adopting a data driven approach. Most importantly,
access to clean water, it is more imperative to use the it requires will from the entire design team including
available water most judiciously and harvest every drop the owner to achieve a sustainable high performance
of rainwater. building.

Different solar PV technologies on the roof of EC-53 building.

58 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 THE RIGHT PRODUCT
IN THE RIGHT PLACE

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 News

Building Simulation 2017 Conference

Open for Registration

S
AN FRANCISCO, California (March 1, 2017)
– For the first time since 1995, the international
Building Simulation conference will be held in
the United States this year. Registration is now open
for Building Simulation 2017, which will take place in
downtown San Francisco, California August 7–9.

Building Simulation 2017 will include presentations on Building performance simulation is gaining a unique
leading-edge research and on best practices. Sessions will position at the center of the push for high performance
cover all types of simulation – airflow, light, moisture, buildings, zero-energy buildings, and smart cities.
acoustics, egress, and energy – at scales from compo- Simulation plays a central and increasingly vital role in
nents to buildings to cities. Other activities will include integrated design and optimized operation. As a design
pre-conference software training workshops, optional tool, simulation allows practitioners to make informed
tours of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and decisions when they seek to optimize building perfor-
Stanford University, and an exhibition of simulation mance, in areas such as energy efficiency, comfort, and
software vendors. health and safety. As a research tool, simulation is used
in development of new building technologies and tech-
The conference will bring together simulation prac- niques. Simulation is also widely used to develop and
titioners, building designers, researchers, software evaluate policy options, such as building energy codes.
developers, and policy makers from around the world.
Practitioners will be able to learn how firms around According to keynote speaker Anica Landreneau,
the world use simulation for building design and code Director of Sustainable Design at the architecture firm
compliance and will find out which tools they are HOK, “Energy modelling is a no-brainer for HOK, and
using. Researchers, software developers, and practi- we believe for our clients. It’s like reading the MPG (miles
tioners will have the opportunity to exchange ideas per gallon) rating before you buy a car. It’s basic perfor-
about the future of simulation and building science. mance information every building investor should know.”
Conference chair Philip Haves of Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory says, “I’m excited about the blend The International Building Performance Simulation
of research and practice coming together at this confer- Association (IBPSA) is a nonprofit organization
ence, and I hope that everyone involved in building devoted to advancing and promoting the science of
performance analysis takes advantage of this special building simulation in order to improve the design,
learning opportunity.” construction, operation, and maintenance of new and
existing buildings and urban developments.
The downtown waterfront conference venue is the
Hyatt Regency Embarcadero hotel, which offers IBPSA-USA, the U. S. regional affiliate of IBPSA, is the
walking access to shops, restaurants, and attractions host of Building Simulation 2017.
and is conveniently accessed by public transportation.
Registration is open for discounted rooms via the More information:
conference website. Mike Wilson, Executive Director, IBPSA-USA, [email protected]

60 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 News

28th FOR ARCH

No. 1 building trade fair in the Czech Republic,
will offer all imaginable construction solutions
in one place this September

I
n September this year, the FOR ARCH interna- it will be merged into one whole roofing all the existing
tional building trade fair, one of the most impor- topics under one name.
tant construction exhibitions in Europe, will be
held already for the twenty-eighth time in Prague, This means that visitors can look forward not only to
Czech Republic. The interest of exhibitors is record- various news, like every year, but also to the best prod-
breaking already now. The number of visitors is likely ucts and services from the area of building elements
to grow as well, thanks to their will to invest and and materials, HVAC solutions, wooden buildings,
spend money, and the number will approach eighty swimming pools, saunas and spa facilities. A new
thousand. This year’s edition will not be divided into branch focused on current trends and technologies in
several simultaneously held trade fairs, but conversely, the field of security technology, building protection

REHVA Journal – June 2017 61

 STAVEBNÍ KOMPONENTY, MATERIÁLYMATE
STAVEBNÍ KOMPONENTY, A PO
News BUILDING COMPONENTS,
BUILDING MATERIALS ANDMATERIALS
COMPONENTS, EQUIPMEN

STAVEBNÍ KOMPONEN
YSTAVOVATELŮVYSTAVOVATELŮ BUILDING COMPONENT
PARKING PARKING
OR EXHIBITORS FOR ARCH | MEZINÁRODNÍ STAVEBNÍ VELETRH
FOR EXHIBITORS INTERNATIONAL BUILDING TRADE FAIR

19.–23. 9. 2017
VYSTAVOVATELŮ KOUPELNY,
BAZÉNY, SAUNY,
KOUPELNY, BAZÉN D
DVEŘE, SCHODY, PODLAHY
DVEŘE, SCHODY, PODLAHY
SPA
PARKING WELLNESS
SPA WEW
DOORS, STAIRS, FLOORS
DOORS, STAIRS, FLOORS
BATHROOMS, POOLS, SAUNAS, POOL
BATHROOMS,
FOR EXHIBITORS SPA WELLNESS
SPA WE
KOUPE
DVEŘE, SCHODY, PODLAHY SP
DOORS, STAIRS, FLOORS BATHRO
SPA
FOR ARCH | MEZINÁRODNÍ STAVEBNÍ VELETRH
STAVEBNÍ KOMPONENTY, MATERIÁLY A POMŮCKY
INTERNATIONAL
BUILDING COMPONENTS, MATERIALS BUILDING TRADE FAIR
AND EQUIPMENT

19.–23. 9. 2017
STÍNICÍ TECHNIKA,
SUSO SUSO OKNA, VRATA A STÍNICÍ
PLOTY
TECHNIKA, ELEKTROTECHN
KOTLE
BOILERS ELEK
CRAFTS OKNA, VRATA A PLOTY
VYSTAVOVATELŮ CRAFTS
SHADING TECHNOLOGY, WINDOWS, ELECTRICAL ENGINEE
ELECT
PARKING COMPETITION COMPETITION SHADING TECHNOLOGY, WINDOWS,
GATES AND FENCES 4 4
FOR EXHIBITORS GATES AND FENCES ZABEZPEČEN
KOUPELNY, BAZÉNY, SAUNY, STÍNICÍ
ZA
DVEŘE, SCHODY, PODLAHY SUSO SPA DŘEVOSTAVBYTECHNIKA,KRBY SECURITY
WELLNESS FIREPLACES
DOORS, STAIRS, FLOORS BATHROOMS,
CRAFTS SPA OKNA,
POOLS, SAUNAS, VRATA
WOODEN BUILDINGS
A PLOTY
COMPETITION SHADING TECHNOLOGY, WINDOWS,
WELLNESS

GATES AND FENCES 4

STAVEBNÍ KOMPONENTY, MATERIÁLY A POMŮCKY
KAMNA
BUILDING COMPONENTS, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
STOVES
KOTLE
SUSO STÍNICÍ TECHNIKA,
ELEKTROTECHNIKA VYTÁPĚNÍ BOILERS
CRAFTS OKNA, VRATA A PLOTY VĚTRÁNÍ
VYSTAVOVATELŮ SHADING TECHNOLOGY, WINDOWS, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING HEATING VYTÁPĚNÍ
COMPETITION
PARKING GATES AND FENCES 4 VENTILATION HEATING
ZABEZPEČENÍ
FOR EXHIBITORS SECURITY
KOUPELNY, BAZÉNY, SAUNY, DŘEVOSTAVBY KRBY
DVEŘE, SCHODY, PODLAHY SPA
DOORS, STAIRS, FLOORS
WELLNESS WOODEN BUILDINGS FIREPLACES
BATHROOMS, POOLS, SAUNAS,
SPA WELLNESS

KAMNA
STOVES

SUSO STÍNICÍ TECHNIKA,

ELEKTROTECHNIKA VYTÁPĚNÍ
CRAFTS OKNA, VRATA A PLOTY VĚTRÁNÍ
SHADING TECHNOLOGY, WINDOWS, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING HEATING VYTÁPĚNÍ
COMPETITION
GATES AND FENCES 4 VENTILATION HEATING
ZABEZPEČENÍ
SECURITY

4
4

4
4 4

4
4
4
4

systems, security services and cybernetic protection of Prague as a cultural and business metropolis of
will be presented this year for the first time. One entire Europe continues to rise, the organisers expect that
hall will be dedicated to heating. Dozens of exposi- the interest in FOR ARCH will continue to grow also
tions will offer to visitors various equipment which is among foreign exhibitors and visitors.
not seen at first sight in houses and flats, but which
makes the building a comfortable place for living. The PVA EXPO PRAGUE exhibition centre is the
Boilers, heat pumps, solar panels, fireplace inserts, largest trade fair centre in the capital city of the
electric as well as gas boilers, specific fuels and many Czech Republic. This multifunction venue under-
other things will be presented at the exhibition. went extensive renovations in several last years and
has become a unique and modern centre which is
The last year’s twenty-seventh edition of the FOR able to host even the most technically demanding
ARCH Trade Fair was visited by more than 71,000 events. The PVA EXPO PRAGUE exhibition centre
visitors. The trade fair, held in Prague’s largest exhi- now offers 105,000 m² of surface area, excellent
bition venue PVA EXPO PRAGUE, showcased 841 traffic accessibility, state-of-the-art equipment and
exhibitors from 15 different countries on the gross all necessary background services for both organisers
exhibition area of 39,203 m². As the importance and exhibitors.

62 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 News

ACREX India 2017

BY RAKESH KUMAR
MANAGING EDITOR, ISHRAE JOURNAL

ACREX India is an annual celebration of the achievements of HVAC&R industry, showcasing

its innovations, technical expertise and manufacturing prowess. It is also a platform for
networking between the industry players from India and abroad. Recognised as the largest
exhibition of air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration and building services in South Asia
and the sixth largest in the world, it is more than an exhibition. It is an array of events that
flow seamlessly across each other, leaving you breathless yet rejuvenated. And it is a
valuable brand that epitomizes the spirit of the industry.

T
his year, ISHRAE was instrumental in bringing There were several concurrent events like workshops,
together all the major associations in the field of seminars and interactive panel discussions, meetings
building solutions under the umbrella of Build with domestic and international associations, signing
Fair Alliance (bfa), resulting in five major exhibitions of MoUs, meeting with industry captains and book
being held simultaneously at one venue for the first time releases. The evenings glittered with events like the
– ISH India powered by Indian Plumbing Association, Curtain Raiser, ACREX Awards Night and ACREX
glasspro INDIA, FensterbauFrontale India, FSIE (Fire Hall of Fame Night. And there was the immensely
and Security India Expo) and ACREX India. popular student event aQuest.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 63

 News

Inauguration The Curtain Raiser

T O
he event was inaugurated on the morning of n the eve of inauguration of ACREX India 2017,
February 23 with the lighting of the traditional a Curtain Raiser was held at Le Meridien,
lamps of knowledge by dignitaries. In addition New Delhi on February 22 in the presence of
to ISHRAE President Sachin Maheshwari, National a large number of distinguished professionals from
Steering Committee members and Host Committee the industry. The theme was ‘Realonomics: New
members, there were celebrities who came from Direction for Real Estate in Changing Environment’.
all over the world for the occasion: Timothy Wentz Carrier-Toshiba was the event partner.
(ASHRAE President), Jeff Littleton (Vice President,
ASHRAE), Didier Coulomb (Director General, IIF-IIR),
Andy Ford (Past President, CIBSE), Frank Hovorka
(Treasurer, REHVA), Jaap Hogeling (Editor-in-Chief,
REHVA Journal), Prof. Okumiya (President, SHASE,
Japan) and several others. Heads of many Indian
associations also graced the occasion. Workshops and Seminars

W
orkshops conducted by domain experts
are a regular feature of the ACREX program
schedule. The inauguration of workshops
was held in the forenoon of the first day of ACREX.
Voltas was the Knowledge Partner this year.
The workshops were spread over 3 days, beginning
February 23. The topics covered included Tall
Buildings, Healthcare and Standards.
Concurrently, there were seminars on topics as diverse
as Legionella Control to IEQ and Energy Analytics
to Green Secondary Refrigerant, interspersed with
interactive panel discussions.

ASHRAE President Timothy Wentz and REHVA Treasurer

Frank Hovorka at the inauguration.

ACREX Awards Night

A
CREX Awards of Excellence are presented
annually for products displayed in the exhibition
for excellence
in various categories.
The awards function
was in the evening
of February 23 in the
IEML lawns. Daikin
was the Partner in
Excellence, and
Kanwal Jeet Jawa,
MD and CEO, Daikin
A i r- c o n d i t i o n i n g
India was the host of
the evening. Ashish Rakheja addresses the Sachin Maheshwari, Tim Wentz, M. Gopi Krishna and Frank
audience at ACREX Awards Night. Hovorka light the lamp to inaugurate the workshops.

64 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 News

aQuest – the Ultimate Engineering Face-off

T
he fourth edition of aQuest, an all-India student quiz chapters among student chapters across the country.
competition in which a large number of ISHRAE The final round had a compelling format that held
student chapters across India participated, was a the participants as well as the house-full audience
part of the bouquet of events that comprised ACREX India spellbound for a full three hours. It alternated between
2017. Johnson Controls-Hitachi was the Quiz Partner. serious quizzing, questions to the audience and pure
With the tagline ‘The ultimate engineering face-off’, entertainment.
its preliminary rounds were held by various ISHRAE

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REHVA Journal – June 2017 65

 News

ACREX Hall of Fame Night

A
CREX Hall of Fame is a recognition instituted and the Jury to sift through the applications and data to
by Danfoss India and ISHRAE to celebrate the select the ultimate inductee.
excellence achieved in conserving energy by An audio-visual introducing the top 10 nominees was
commercial buildings in the Indian subcontinent. The played for the audience.
Hall of Fame was introduced at ACREX 2016 for the first A coffee table book featuring the top ten buildings,
time. In its second edition in 2017, a sub-committee of specially prepared for the occasion, was released by
ISHRAE headed by Sushil Choudhury (Chair, ISHRAE Dr. Prem C. Jain, Ravichandran Purushothaman and
Technical Committee) shortlisted the entries, which were representatives of the 10 buildings.
then evaluated by the Jury. A social media campaign was carried out to select
Rajesh Premchandran, Vice President – Danfoss, set a building for the Danfoss Popular Choice Award from
the tone for the evening by speaking about sustainability, among the top ten buildings. Indira Paryavaran Bhawan
the energy scenario, urbanization and air and water won this award. Excitement built up as the name of this
quality. He emphasized that 70% of tomorrow's year's inductee to the Hall of Fame was declared. Infosys
buildings are yet to be built. Technologies to achieve EC-53 Campus at Bengaluru received this distinction.
energy efficiency are already available. As much as 38% The coveted recognition was awarded to Infosys for
of the total reduction in emissions can come from energy being a front-runner in promoting energy conservation
savings. and sustainable work environment. With an integrated
He disclosed that this year there were about 50 approach to developing energy efficient buildings that
nominations for the Hall of Fame, of which 10 were include harnessing natural light, efficient LED lighting,
shortlisted by the Technical Committee. Most of the intelligent sensors and controls and the implementation
nominees were Platinum rated buildings, with one of a radiant panel based cooling system developed in-
being a net zero energy building. He acknowledged house, Infosys reaffirmed its commitment to develop
the massive efforts made by the Technical Committee and maintain a green infrastructure.

The team behind Infosys EC-53 Campus is all smiles while receiving their awards

66 REHVA Journal – June 2017

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 REHVA world

REHVA 2017 General Assembly

The 61st REHVA General Assembly was held on Monday April 3rd, 2017 in London, UK.

A
bout 73 were the participants from 23
countries. After a welcoming address by
the host, CIBSE President, John Field,
Professor Stefano Corgnati, REHVA President,
opened the REHVA General Assembly with the
presentation of the 2016 Annual Report.

During the meeting, President Corgnati thanked

the members of the board having contributed to
his first presidential year.

During the meeting, the REHVA Members

delegates elected a new member of the REHVA
Board, Catalin Lungu that replaced Egils Johnny Andersson
Dzelzitis at the end of his mandate as Vice-
President of REHVA.

The General Assembly also accepted as new

REHVA Member the Polish association PZITS.

All REHVA Committees’ Chairs presented their

reports of activities, outcome and future goals.

After the General Assembly, the REHVA

Dinner was organized in the Montague on the
Gardens Hotel in London, during which the
REHVA Professional Awards were assigned to:

Andris Kreslins (AHGWTEL – Latvia) received

a REHVA professional award in education. Andris Kreslins Enno Abel Peter Luscuere

68 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 REHVA world

Enno Abel (SwedVAC – Sweden) received a

REHVA professional award in education.

Peter Luscuere (TVVL – the Nederlands)

received a REHVA professional award in
design

Johnny Andersson (SwedVAC – Sweden)

received a REHVA professional award in
technology

Ongun Berk Kazanci (DANVAK - Denmark)

received a REHVA Young Scientist Award. The REHVA Gold Medal, the highest REHVA recognition, was
Ongun Berk Kazanci was not present at the handed to Prof Michael Schmidt in recognition of his outstanding
REHVA Annual Meeting and the Award has services to REHVA and for his excellent contributions to science
been delivered to a DANKVAK representative. and engineering in heating, ventilation and air-conditioning.

New REHVA Board Member

REHVA installed a new board member at its Annual Meeting in London. Prof. Catalin Lungu was elected as Vice
President of REHVA. His term began at this year Annual Meeting and will last till REHVA Annual Meeting in 2020.

One new board member for 2017-2020 has been Q: What are the main changes you would like to make
elected during the REHVA General Assembly within REHVA?
2017 in London: Prof. Catalin Lungu was elected
as Vice President from 2017 to 2020. — REHVA is like a “living” body, getting stronger and
stronger as long as all its “organs” (i.e. members) will
keep strong. Strength means good communication,
honesty and deep involvement for the promotion of the
Q: Prof. Lungu, how has your background and experience
innovation in our technical fields. One single person
prepared you to be effective as REHVA Vice-president?
could never change a big organization as REHVA. A
— I am university teacher in HVAC field, since 1996. united team (REHVA board), if one has the goal of
Since 1997, I was also involved in AIIR activities (AIIR- changing something, will succeed. Me, as the newest
Romanian Association for Building Services Engineers) vice-president, I will try to understand, to learn, to
as member and, since 2012, as board member (vice- communicate and to help!
president). Since 2014, I am a full member of 3 tech-
nical committees of the national standardization body Q: How do you see REHVA in 3 years’ time? Exactly when
(ASRO). For the last 3 years (2014-2016), I was invited your mandate will end or you will be re-elected?
professor at ENSE3 (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de
l’Energie, l’Eau et l’Environnement) from INP (Institut — My mandate will finish in 2020. Meanwhile, I
National Polytechnique) in Grenoble-France. I am also will manage the organizing team for CLIMA 2019,
the general manager for RCEPB (Romanian Conference the REHVA world congress, which will take place in
on the Energy Performance of Buildings), organizing, Bucharest-Romania. A big challenge for us and simul-
until now, 9 annually international editions. REHVA was taneously a greater responsibility for the new REHVA
introduced to me after 2010 when dr.eng. Ioan Dobosi, image related to CLIMA! Balancing the responsibilities
former REHVA vice-president and my close friend and between all REHVA members could be a more visible
adviser, invited me to attend several committees’ meetings gain in the next few years. More REHVA members are
and the REHVA student competition as a scientific tutor. involved in new EU technical and scientific projects
All these organizational, academic and professional skills with REHVA’s help and more added value will get
which I acquired during more than 20 years of activity, REHVA, finally, a larger budget could be used for
will probably help the REHVA board to become more competing successfully on all markets for building
pragmatic, transparent and of course more effective. services.

REHVA Journal – June 2017 69

 REHVA world

REHVA Student Competition 2017

During the REHVA Annual Meeting 2017, on Tuesday April 4th, 2017 in the University College London, UCL, the
REHVA Student Competition has been organized.

U
nder the leadership of Manuel Gameiro
da Silva, REHVA Vice-President, twelve
candidates representing eleven countries,
competed for the Trophy Cup, the certificates and
the financial prizes sponsored by Eurovent Certita
Certification.

Romania has been represented by a team of two students.

During the morning of April 4th, 2017, all the students’
presentations have been shown to a crowded room that
also included the REHVA jury represented by:

• Manuel Gmerio da Silva, ODE and REHVA Vice

President

• Uwe Schulz, SWKI

• Murat Çakan, TTMD

• Dusan Petras, SSTP

• Juan Travesi, ATECYR

In the afternoon of the same day, during the REHVA

Seminar on HVAC sector challenges ahead, the jury, the
REHVA President and Mr. Erick Melquiond, Eurovent
Certita Certification President handed out certificates
of participation to each Students and financial prizes to
the three students in the podium.

The third prize was awarded to the German student

from the RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Ben
Krämer, while the second prize went to the Swedish
student from the KTH, Royal Institute of Technology,
Stockholm, Fanny Lindberg.

The winner, Rob Vervoort from Eindhoven University

of Technology for his work “Lungs of the city of
Eindhoven: Reduction of outdoor particulate matter
concentrations by local removal in parking garages: a
case study for Eindhoven“, received the financial prize,
the certificate and the Trophy Cup directly from the
winner of 2016, Arash Rasooli from Delft University
of Technology.

70 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 REHVA world

Thierry van Steenberghe in Memoriam

Thierry was a great person to work with, pleasant,
dependable and accurate. The EU project teams
benefitted his expertise and understanding of the prac-
tical issue related to dissemination of project results.
For REHVA his work was priceless. The projects were
always in budget, all reporting to the Commission were
perfect and on time. The Commission did not have
to do auditing of the projects when Thierry made the
reports. He was really a perfect employee to work with.

We learned a lot from him about Belgian culture and

Brussels during the times we worked together and had
often lunch together. He always had his glass of red wine
while having lunch, but only one. A custom which was
new to us but part of the Belgium culture. His knowledge
of cultures did not limit to Europe, he had travelled a lot
and had enjoyed hiking in various environments and we
often shared our experience from our hiking trips.

B
ackbone of increased visibility of REHVA in the
2000´s has been the participation in the projects Thierry was an experienced expert when he joined
financed by the European Union. Participation REHVA and was willing to use his knowledge for the
began around 2005 with some simple project but the benefit of REHVA. He understood REHVA´s mission
REHVA activity rapidly increased when Thierry got and objectives and worked for them. He left REHVA
involved in the REHVA projects, first as a consult and, in the retirement age, and had, unfortunately, only a
after some years, as a REHVA employee. During the few years to enjoy with his loved ones.
busiest times, REHVA participated close to ten projects
simultaneously. Due to its good reputation REHVA We have been extremely lucky to know Thierry and
became a popular partner in the projects. work together for the benefit of REHVA during our
time as president and secretary general for REHVA.
Thierry´s contacts and understanding of the EU
OLLI SEPPÄNEN and FRANCIS ALLARD
administration were invaluable to REHVA. Without
Thierry´s active participation in the REHVA proposals
and projects, REHVA would not be what it is now. “I am sure we all, who have known Thierry for a
Thierry´s work in REHVA was not limited to the EU long time, will remember him as our always friendly,
projects, he also took care of all administrative issues reliable colleague. He has significantly contributed
when REHVA office was established in Brussels and to our work and he has had quite an importance to
when REHVA became a legal entity and employer in REHVA`s wellbeing.”
Belgium. MICHAEL SCHMIDT

REHVA Journal – June 2017 71

 REHVA world

SCANVAC awarded Per Rasmussen

S
candinavian Federation of HVAC Associations, SCANVAC is well known all over the world through its
SCANVAC, awarded its former president famous conferences. RoomVent Conference has been
Mr Per Rasmussen from Denmark with the organised regularly since 1987 in all Scandinavian
honorary membership of the federation, the highest countries and every second time outside Scandinavia.
ranking award of SCANVAC. During his presiden- The next conference is in Finland June 2–5, 2018
tial term Mr. Rasmussen enhanced remarkable the (http://roomventilation2018.org/).
cooperation between the Scandinavian and Baltic
HVAC Associations. He also made SCANVAC better The first Cold Climate HVAC was organised in 1994.
known internationally. He initiated the organisation The next conference will be in Kiruna, Sweden (located
of SCANVAC congresses RoomVent and HVAC in far north from Arctic Circle), March 12–15, 2018
Cold Climate outside the Scandinavian countries such (http://www.cchvac2018.se/).
as Korea, China, Brazil and Canada.
SCANVAC members are the HVAC Associations for
The award was given to Per Rasmussen in Kongen´s Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland, listed
Lyngy, Denmark, in the occasion of a jubilee in the order of the number of members, totally about
seminar organised at International Centre for Indoor 20.000. More information on the SCANVAC activities
Environment and Energy at Danish technical University can be found at www.scanvac.info.
(DTU). The seminar was organised for celebrating the
change of the leadership in the Centre. Prof. Bjarne The current president of SCANVAC is professor
Olesen retired and Ass. Prof Pawel Wargocki was nomi- emeritus Olli Seppänen, and secretary general Ms Siru
nated to his successor, both of them have long working Lönnqvist, both from Finland. OS
relations with SCANVAC.

72 REHVA Journal – June 2017

 REHVA world

Stay Tuned for the REHVA Brussels Summit 2017

REHVA Brussels Summit 2017 will be held on November 13th and 14th, 2017. SAVE THE DATE!

REHVA will organize Committee Meetings on November 13th and a Seminar on November 14th, 2017.

More information:about the exact location and schedule will be upload on the REHVA Website in the next months.

REHVA Annual Meeting 2018

Announced to be held in April 2018 in Brussels, Belgium.

The next REHVA Annual Meeting will be held in Brussels by ATIC, the REHVA Member organizing it.

More information:about the exact location and schedule will be upload on the REHVA Website in the next months.

REHVA World Congress CLIMA2019

May 26th to 29th, 2019, Bucharest, Romania

The next REHVA World Congress, CLIMA2019 was promoted during the last REHVA Annual Meeting by
the new REHVA Board Member Catalin Lungu as vice – president of AIIR, the REHVA Member organizing
it. The next CLIMA Congress will be held in the Romanian Parliament Palace in Bucharest between May
26th and May 29th, 2017.

More information: http://clima2019.org/

REHVA GUIDEBOOKS

REHVA Guidebook on Mixing Ventilation

In this Guidebook, most of the known and used in practice methods for achieving
mixing air distribution are discussed. Mixing ventilation has been applied to many
different spaces providing fresh air and thermal comfort to the occupants. Today, a
design engineer can choose from large selection of air diffusers and exhaust openings.

REHVA - Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations

40 Rue Washington, 1050 Brussels – Belgium | Tel 32 2 5141171 | Fax 32 2 5129062 | www.rehva.eu | [email protected]

REHVA Journal – June 2017 73

 Belimo
Seamlessly integrated.
The new sensor range from Belimo.
With a complete range of sensors, Belimo is now your single source for HVAC field devices. The sensors for
measuring temperature, humidity, air quality and pressure have been designed to work seamlessly with all major
building automation and control systems. Further advantages are:

• Easy installation thanks to quick-mount snap-on cover and detachable mounting plate
• NEMA 4X / IP65 and UL compliance for demanding and outdoor applications
• Easy commissioning and parameterisation over BACnet and Modbus communication protocols
• Time and cost savings during wiring due to tool-free connection and output protection
• 5-year warranty and highest quality backed with first-class service and support

We set standards. www.belimo.eu

BELIMO Automation AG, Brunnenbachstrasse 1, CH-8340 Hinwil, Switzerland

Tel. +41 43 843 61 11, Fax +41 43 843 62 68, [email protected], www.belimo.com
 Product news

New sensor range from Belimo

The perfect complement to actuators and valves
Belimo is proud to announce the expansion of its product range with new and innovative
HVAC sensors. The sensors are the ideal complement to actuators and valves from
Belimo, optimising system performance and improving energy efficiency.

T
he new sensor range is the result of over four The highly resistant sensors also carry a five-year
decades of experience, intensive research and warranty, conform to NEMA 4X / IP65 require-
focus on providing added value to customers. ments and are UL compliant. Belimo offers sensors for
measuring temperature, humidity, pressure, CO2, and
The sensors can be seamlessly integrated into all major VOC (volatile organic compounds) for pipe, duct and
building automation and control systems (BACS) and outdoor applications.
are extremely reliable, guaranteeing high quality.
“Sensors from Belimo not only deliver reliable and
Belimo’s expertise and ability to innovate are evident in accurate readings,” states David Alliband, Product
the universal compact enclosure design, intuitive tool- Manager, “but the sensor enclosure design also
less snap-on cover and detachable mounting plate which features a modular conduit fitting and a plug-in
make installation and commissioning easy. BACnet and terminal that installers and technicians will love.”
Modbus communication protocols provide superior
application data access. More information: www.belimo.eu

ISH Shanghai
REHVA Journal – June 2017 75
A REHVA supporter is a company or an organization that shares the same objectives as REHVA. Our REHVA
supporters use the latest European technologies to make their products. The REHVA Supporters are also
members of reHVAClub. For more information about REHVA Supporters’ services, please contact
[email protected] or call +32 2 5141171.
 REHVA MEMBERS
Network of European
HVAC associations

NETWORK OF 30 European HVAC Associations with 100.000 experts

REHVA Office: 40 Rue Washington, 1050 Brussels — Belgium
Tel: +32 25141171 ● Fax: +32 2 5129062 ● www.rehva.eu ● [email protected]
 Send information of your event to Ms Chiara Girardi [email protected]

Events in 2017 — 2018

Conferences and seminars 2017
Faculty for Building Services
The Holistic Approach: From Building to
June 8-9 Engineers, Bucharest, http://www.rcepb.ro/
Sustainable Urban Design Romania

Theater De Flint, https://www.tvvl.nl/bijeenkomsten/

Dutch National Congress of Sanitary
June 19 Coninckstraat 60, 3811 WK bijeenkomsten-detail/1550/nationaal-congres-
Technologies Amersfoort, The Netherland sanitaire-technieken-2017/about#.WSVQiGiGPct

June 19-25 EU Sustainable Energy Week Brussels, Belgium http://eusew.eu/

August 7-9 Building Simulation 2017 San Francisco, California, USA www.buildingsimulation2017.org

43rd International Symposium of CIB W062

August 23-25 Haarlem, The Netherlands http://www.tvvl.nl/cib-w062-2017
Water Supply and Drainage for Buildings 2017

September 13-14 Ventilating healthy low-energy buildings Nottingham, United Kingdom http://www.aivc2017conference.org/

7th International Conference on Solar

September 28-29 Tarragona, Spain http://www.solaircon.com/
Air-Conditioning - PV Driven/Solar Thermal

October 24-25 European Heat Pump Summit 2017 Nuremberg, Germany https://www.hp-summit.de/en

7th International Conference on Solar

October 31 Abu Dhabi, UAE http://www.solaircon.com/
Air-Conditioning - PV Driven/Solar Thermal

Second ASHRAE Developing Economies

November 10-11 Delhi, India https://ashraem.confex.com/ashraem/de17/cfp.cgi
Conference

November 13-14 REHVA Brussels Summit Brussels, Belgium http://www.rehva.eu/

Conferences and seminars 2018

January 22-24 2018 AHR Expo Chicago, IL www.ahrexpo.com

February 22-24 ACREX 2018 Bengaluru, India http://www.acrex.in/home

March 12-15 Cold Climate HVAC Conference 2018 Kiruna, Sweden http://www.cchvac2018.se

June 3-6 ROOMVENT & VENTILATION 2018 Espoo, Finland http://www.roomventilation2018.org/

Exhibitions 2017
Shanghai New International
September 5-7 ISH Shanghai & CIHE 2017 www.ishs-cihe.hk.messefrankfurt.com
Expo Centre, Shanghai, China

September 19-23 FOR ARCH Prague, Czech Republic www.forarch.cz/en/

October 10-12 HVAC 2017 NEC, Birmingham, UK www.hvaclive.co.uk

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 REHVA GUIDEBOOKS
REHVA
 
 
 

REHVA Guidebooks are written by teams of European experts

 


Ventilation Effectiveness. Improving the ventilation effectiveness Energy Efficient Heating and Ventilation of Large Halls.
No.2 No.15
allows the indoor air quality to be significantly enhanced without This Guidebook is focused on modern methods for design, control
Ventilation the need for higher air changes in the building, thereby avoiding the Energy Efficient
Heating and and operation of energy efficient heating systems in large spaces
Effectiveness ventilation of
higher costs and energy consumption associated with increasing Large Halls and industrial halls. The book deals with thermal comfort, light
Elisabeth Mundt (ed)
Hans Martin Mathisen
Peter V. Nielsen
Alfred Moser
the ventilation rates. This Guidebook provides easy-to-understand Karel Kabele (Editor)
Ondřej Hojer
Karel Kabele
Miroslav Kotrbatý
and dark gas radiant heaters, panel radiant heating, floor heating
descriptions of the indices used to measure the performance of a and industrial air heating systems. Various heating systems are
Klaus Sommer
Dušan Petráš
rehva rEHva
Federation of European Heating and Air-conditioning Associations Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDEBOOK NO 2 GUIDEBOOK NO 15

ventilation system and which indices to use in different cases. illustrated with case studies. Design principles, methods and
modelling tools are presented for various systems.

Chilled Beam Cooling. Chilled beam systems are primarily used HVAC in Sustainable Office Buildings – A bridge between
No.5 No.16
for cooling and ventilation in spaces, which appreciate good indoor owners and engineers. This Guidebook discusses the interaction
environmental quality and individual space control. Active chilled of sustainability and heating, ventilation and air–conditioning.
HVAC
Chilled Beam in Sustainable
Application Office Buildings
Guidebook beams are connected to the ventilation ductwork, high temperature – A bridge between
owners and engineers HVAC technologies used in sustainable buildings are described.
Maija Virta (ed.)
David Butler
Jonas Gräslund
Jaap Hogeling
Erik Lund Kristiansen
cold water, and when desired, low temperature hot water system. Maija Virta (ed.)
Frank Hovorka
Andrei Litiu
This book also provides a list of questions to be asked in various
Primary air supply induces room air to be recirculated through the phrases of building’s life time. Different case studies of sustainable
Mika Reinikainen Jarek Kurnitski
Gunnar Svensson

rehva reHVA
Federation of European Heating and Air-conditioning Associations Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDEBOOK NO 5 GUIDeBOOK NO 16

heat exchanger of the chilled beam. In order to cool or heat the room office buildings are presented.
either cold or warm water is cycled through the heat exchanger.

Indoor Climate and Productivity in Offices. This Guidebook Design of energy efficient ventilation and air-conditioning
No.6 No.17
shows how to quantify the effects of indoor environment on office systems. This Guidebook covers numerous system components
Indoor Climate
and Productivity
in Offices
work and also how to include these effects in the calculation of Design of energy
efficient ventilation of ventilation and air-conditioning systems and shows how they
and air-conditioning
How to integrate productivity
in life-cycle cost analysis
of building services building costs. Such calculations have not been performed previ- systems
can be improved by applying the latest technology products.
Pawel Wargocki, Olli Seppänen (editors)
Johnny Andersson
Atze Boerstra
Derek Clements-Croome
ously, because very little data has been available. The quantitative Nejc Brelih (ed.)
Olli Seppänen
Thore Bertilsson
Mari-Liis Maripuu
Special attention is paid to details, which are often overlooked in
relationships presented in this Guidebook can be used to calculate the daily design practice, resulting in poor performance of high
Klaus Fitzner hervé Lamy
Sten Olaf Hanssen alex vanden Borre

rehva rehva
Federation of European Heating and Air-conditioning Associations Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations

REHVA
GUIDEBOOK NO 6 GUIDeBOOK NO 17

the costs and benefits of running and operating the building. quality products once they are installed in the building system.

Legionellosis Prevention in Building Water and HVAC

Low Temperature Heating And High Temperature Cooling. No.18
No.7 Systems. This Guidebook is a practical guide for design, operation
This Guidebook describes the systems that use water as heat-carrier Legionellosis
Prevention and maintenance to minimize the risk of legionellosis in building
and when the heat exchange within the conditioned space is more
Low temperature in Building Water
heating and
high temperature
and hvaC Systems
a Practical Guide for Design, Operation
and Maintenance to Minimize the risk
water and HVAC systems. It is divided into several themes such as:
cooling
than 50% radiant. Embedded systems insulated from the main Sergio La Mura (ed.)
Cesare Maria Joppolo (ed.)
Luca alberto Piterà (ed.)
Air conditioning of the air (by water – humidification), Production
building structure (floor, wall and ceiling) are used in all types of
Jean Pierre angermann

of hot water for washing (fundamentally but not only hot water
Mark Izard
Jan Babiak
Bjarne W. Olesen
rehva
Dušan Petráš Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations

buildings and work with heat carriers at low temperatures for heating
GUIDeBOOK NO 18

Guidebooks
for washing) and Evaporative cooling tower.
rehva
Federation of European Heating and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDEBOOK NO 7

and relatively high temperature for cooling.

Mixing Ventilation. In this Guidebook most of the known and

Computational Fluid Dynamics in Ventilation Design.
No.19
used in practice methods for achieving mixing air distribution are
No.10
CFD-calculations have been rapidly developed to a powerful Mixing
Ventilation
discussed. Mixing ventilation has been applied to many different
Computational
Fluid Dynamics
tool for the analysis of air pollution distribution in various spaces. Guide on mixing air
distribution design spaces providing fresh air and thermal comfort to the occupants.
in Ventilation Design
However, the user of CFD-calculation should be aware of the basic Dirk Müller (Ed.)
Claudia Kandzia
Risto Kosonen
Arsen Krikor Melikov
Today, a design engineer can choose from large selection of air
principles of calculations and specifically the boundary conditions. diffusers and exhaust openings.
Peter Vilhelm Nielsen

Peter V. Nielsen (ed.)

Francis Allard REhVA
Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations
Hazim B. Awbi
Lars Davidson GUIDEBOOK NO 19

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) – in Ventilation Design

Alois Schälin

rehva
Federation of European Heating and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDEBOOK NO 10

models is written by a working group of highly qualified interna-

tional experts representing research, consulting and design.
Advanced system design and operation of GEOTABS build-
No.20
ings. This Guidebook provides comprehensive information on
Air Filtration in HVAC Systems. This Guidebook will help the
advanced

No.11
system design
and operation
GEOTABS systems. It is intended to support building owners,
designer and user to understand the background and criteria for of GeOTaBS
buildings architects and engineers in an early design stage showing how
Air Filtration air filtration, how to select air filters and avoid problems associated Franziska Bockelmann
Stefan Plesser
GEOTABS can be integrated into their building concepts. It also
with hygienic and other conditions at operation of air filters. The
in HvAC Systems
gives many helpful advices from experienced engineers that have
hanna Soldaty

rehva
Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations

GUIDeBOOK NO 20

Jan Gustavsson (ed.)

Alain Ginestet
Paolo Tronville
selection of air filters is based on external conditions such as levels designed, built and run GEOTABS systems.
of existing pollutants, indoor air quality and energy efficiency
Marko Hyttinen

reHvA
Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDeBOOK NO 11

requirements.
Active and Passive Beam Application Design Guide is the
No.21
result of collaboration by worldwide experts. It provides energy-
Active and
Passive Beam efficient methods of cooling, heating, and ventilating indoor areas,
Solar Shading – How to integrate solar shading in sustainable
Application

No.12 Design Guide

For Global Application especially spaces that require individual zone control and where
buildings. Solar Shading Guidebook gives a solid background on internal moisture loads are moderate. The systems are simple to
the physics of solar radiation and its behaviour in window with
Joint publication of

operate and maintain. This new guide provides up-to-date tools

REHVA and ASHRAE

Solar Shading
How to integrate solar shading

solar shading systems. Major focus of the Guidebook is on the

in sustainable buildings GUIDEBOOK No. 21

and advice for designing, commissioning, and operating chilled-

REHVA Edition

Wouter Beck (ed.)

Dick Dolmans
Gonzague Dutoo
Anders Hall
effect of solar shading in the use of energy for cooling, heating beam systems to achieve a determined indoor climate and includes
and lighting. The book gives also practical guidance for selection,
Olli Seppänen

reHvA
Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDeBOOK NO 12 examples of active and passive beam calculations and selections.

installation and operation of solar shading as well as future trends
in integration of HVAC-systems with solar control.
Introduction to Building Automation, Controls and Technical
No.22 Building Management. This guidebook aims to provide an over-
Indoor Environment and Energy Efficiency in Schools – view on the different aspects of building automation, controls and
No.13 Introduction to
Building Automation,

Part 1 Principles. School buildings represent a significant part of Controls and

Technical Building
Management technical building management and steer the direction to further
the building stock and also a noteworthy part of the total energy
Indoor
Environment and
Energy Efficiency Andrei Litiu (Ed.)
Bonnie Brook
Markus Keel
Hans Kranz
in depth information on specific issues, thus increasing the readers’
in Schools
use. Indoor and Energy Efficiency in Schools Guidebook describes
Stefano Corgnati Jarek Kurnitski

awareness and knowledge on this essential piece of the construc-

Simona D’Oca Peter Schoenenberger
Valentina Fabi Roland Ullmann
Part 1 Principles
rehva

the optimal design and operation of schools with respect to low

Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations

tion sector puzzle. It avoids reinventing the wheel and rather

Francesca R. d’Ambrosio Alfano (ed.) GUIDEBOOK NO 22
Laura Bellia
Atze Boerstra
Froukje van Dijken
Elvira Ianniello
Gino Lopardo

energy cost and performance of the students. It focuses particularly

Francesco Minichiello

focuses on collecting and complementing existing resources on

Piercarlo Romagnoni
Manuel Carlos Gameiro da Silva
REhvA
Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations

GUIDEBOOK NO 13

on energy efficient systems for a healthy indoor environment. this topic in the attempt of offering a one-stop guide.

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