Monitoring and analysis of environmental and IAQ conditions in classrooms with controlled mechanical ventilation

Abstract

Following the health emergency from COVID-19, indoor air quality control has become of paramount importance, especially inside school buildings. For this reason, in 2021, the Marche region proposed and implemented an extraordinary intervention for the safe conduct of educational activities through the installation in classrooms of controlled mechanical ventilation systems aimed at air exchange. This type of system has been installed in more than 1,200 classrooms belonging to about 130 schools throughout the Marche region. This intervention made it possible to carry out a robust experimental measurement campaign on a significant number of classrooms where controlled mechanical ventilation systems were installed. Specifically, the work proposes a replicable measurement and analysis methodology for classrooms, with the aim of monitoring thermo-hygrometric and air quality conditions for environmental comfort. Thus, the research aims to implement knowledge on environmental comfort in classrooms equipped with controlled mechanical ventilation systems. The proposed measurements and analyses cover the most important environmental variables, i.e., air temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration. In addition, measurements regarding system ventilation flow rates, smoke tests and evaluations of the permeability of classrooms.