Indoor microclimate in a South Africa School: impact of indoor environmental factors

Essah, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1349-5167, Kwawu, W. and Motsatsi, L. (2016) Indoor microclimate in a South Africa School: impact of indoor environmental factors. In: Indoor Air Conference 2016, 4-8 July, Gent, Belgium.

Abstract/Summary

Demand for good indoor air quality is increasing as people recorgnise the risks to their health and productivity from indoor pollutants. There is a tendency to reduce ventilation rates to ensure energy conservation in buildings; in this instance schools. However, evidence reviewed shows that this can be detrimental to health and wellbeing in schools because of the learner density within a small area (1.8 - 2.4m2/person); eventually indicating that carbon dioxide (CO2) levels can rise to very high levels in classroom occupancy periods. A preliminary study to investigate the impact of indoor environmental parameters has been performed in a secondary school classroom in Pretoria, South Africa. Factors monitored include temperature, relative humidity, lighting, air velocities and CO2 concentrations. From the results low air velocities are recorded (i.e. 0.1-0.3m/s) impacting on the retention of CO2 build-up in the classroom. Results presented in this paper are the initial findings of ongoing research.

Item Type	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/61218
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Interdisciplinary centres and themes > Energy Research Science > School of the Built Environment > Energy and Environmental Engineering group
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