SEASONAL VARIATION OF INDOOR AIR QUALITY IN CLASSROOMS OF A 1970s CONVENTIONAL, A PRE-PASSIVHAUS AND A PASSIVHAUS PRIMARY SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN THE UK

A number of studies argued that poor indoor air quality (IAQ) in primary school classrooms can have a measurable impact on the concentration and learning ability of pupils (Bakó-Biró et al, 2012). As children’s academic performance is seen to decrease in deprived areas in the UK, the classroom environment needs to be assessed with a focus on its impact on pupils’ learning. The conflict between winter thermal comfort and natural ventilation has been investigated in a number of studies and, while it is understood that the risk of poor IAQ in the classroom is higher in winter, more often than not there is not enough evidence to support a correlation between indoor temperatures and IAQ. This study uses monitoring data to investigate if classrooms in a naturally ventilated and poorly insulated building are more prone to a negative correlation between mean outdoor temperature and indoor CO2 levels, compared to a naturally ventilated super-insulated and a Passivhaus building. Findings from this study, suggested that in order to eliminate the risk of a negative effect on children’s health and performance due to poor IAQ in colder climates, we need to invest in well-insulated airtight Passivhaus schools equipped with mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, and CO2 dictated supply rates. Further research shall use thermal dynamic simulation and CFD analysis for classrooms in different building types in the UK, to reveal the ideal strategy and design.