de Jode, Martin;
(2024)
Long term monitoring of CO2 levels and ventilation rates in a naturally ventilated residential apartment.
Indoor Environments
, 1
(3)
, Article 100030. 10.1016/j.indenv.2024.100030.
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Abstract
Indoor CO2 levels became particularly topical during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In this study a long-term investigation of indoor CO2 levels in a 1970s built residential apartment in single occupancy is presented. Three NDIR CO2 sensors were used to measure CO2 levels over a one-year period. Mean CO2 levels over this period were 1278 ± 504 ppm, with elevated CO2 levels of greater than 2000 ppm not uncommon. Subsequent investigations used the single zone mass balance model and the decay of CO2 in the absence of occupants to estimate the ventilation rates in various configurations. A mean natural ventilation rate of 0.16 ACH was estimated with all windows closed. Opening fan light windows resulted in a mean ventilation rate of 2.86 ACH whereas opening all windows increased the mean ventilation rate to 19.1 ACH. Evidence was observed of the effect of both wind speed and indoor-outdoor temperature difference on the ventilation rates. It was concluded that with all windows closed the natural infiltration rate was insufficient to maintain optimal indoor air quality even in single occupancy. Opening the fan light windows was sufficient to achieve satisfactory indoor air quality but insufficient for the effective inhibition of airborne disease transmission.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Long term monitoring of CO2 levels and ventilation rates in a naturally ventilated residential apartment |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.indenv.2024.100030 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indenv.2024.100030 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. The images or other third-party material in this article are included in the Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Keywords: | Indoor air quality, CO2 levels, ACH, Ventilation rates |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10204238 |
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