Chapter 5 - Occupants Well-Being and Indoor Environmental Quality

Abstract

The roadmap for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) comprises indoor air quality and thermal, visual and acoustic comfort. NZEB with good IEQ protect the health of building users and provide comfort. High-quality IEQ enhances the well-being, productivity, and satisfaction of NZEB occupants. IEQ is important to avoid sick building syndrome (SBS) including absenteeism, overheating, poor daylight, or bad air quality. At the same time, there is a strong association of fine particulate matter from different sources with increasing mortality worldwide. The challenge of NZEB is to maintain the airtight high-performance building with good IEQ. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to assure IEQ in NZEB. The chapter objective is to demonstrate the relation between IEQ of NZEB and the well-being and productivity of users. In this chapter, we summarize and present the best practice, design strategies, and target values of IEQ in NZEB. Finally, we discuss the challenges of quality assurance beyond the design phase and the essential role of occupant control, monitoring, and continuous commissioning to ensure operational success of occupants in NZEB.