Classroom ventilation is often overlooked, despite us as children spending the majority of our day in school.
Most schools and lecture theatres have sub-par air quality because the CO2 level is not measured and displayed in the room. Energy is wasted by incorrectly using natural ventilation when the conditions outside are not suitable and by providing too much fresh air with HVAC systems when not required.
Subsequently without proper control on the natural ventilation system or the HVAC system, the air quality is very poor in class rooms and lecture theatres. There should be an emphasis on designing a comfortable and correctly ventilated, healthy optimal learning environment for our future generations.
The solution is to monitor and control the air quality with a CO2 sensor, then always provide the correct amount of fresh air required for the number of occupants in the room. Thermal wheel energy recovery can be used on the AHUs to even further reduce the energy use and maintenance costs. The use of ambient air year-round requires less cooling while eliminating harmful refrigerants. An example of the benefits of this system can be seen in UCD Science Lecture Theatre.
If you have any queries or are encountering problems regarding a ventilation design for educational purposes, let Entropic assist you in achieving the perfect solution.