Implications of a Natural Ventilation Retrofit of an Office Building: Fid-Bau Portal

Implications of a Natural Ventilation Retrofit of an Office Building

Manga, Ashvin / Allen, Christopher

Ventilation is critical to healthy indoor environments. The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that nine out of ten people on this planet breathe air with high levels of pollutants, resulting in seven million deaths every year. The US Environmental Protection Agency exposed that indoor levels of air pollutants may be as much as five times as high as outdoor levels. However, many modern office buildings are designed to be reliant on energy demanding and sometimes ineffective mechanical ventilation systems. The aim of this research is to understand the impact a natural ventilation retrofit will have on indoor air quality of a mechanically ventilated office building.

A quantitative experimental design was used in conjunction with a medical-grade indoor air quality monitor to capture the change in indoor air quality before and after openable windows were retrofitted to the office building. The research showed that retrofitting a mechanically ventilated office building with openable windows had a significant impact on indoor air quality and occupant well-being. After the openable windows were retrofitted and in use, indoor particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentrations decreased by 22%. Indoor (PM) 10 concentrations decreased by 17%. Office hours in which CO₂ exceeded 1000 parts per million were reduced from 36 office hours to 0. Recommendations include making use of an indoor air quality monitor as a first step to quantify the indoor air quality. For natural ventilation retrofits to be effective and have a return on investment, they must be holistically designed and include considerations such as building location, climate, wind patterns, outdoor air quality and occupant usage.