There is little empirical evidence in the literature about the indoor environmental quality performance of residential buildings in general and of social housing in particular. To address this problem, this study used...There is little empirical evidence in the literature about the indoor environmental quality performance of residential buildings in general and of social housing in particular. To address this problem, this study used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the indoor environmental quality performance of 17 green low-income single attached family houses in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Questionnaires were administered to occupants to assess their snapshot and long-term satisfaction with the indoor environment. In addition, snapshot measurements were carried out to evaluate the indoor environmental quality factors of thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics. Occupants’ snapshot satisfaction was categorized into two groups (i.e. satisfied/comfortable or dissatisfied/uncomfortable) and compared with snapshot measurements. The results showed the measured IEQ parameters were well below recommended threshold levels. Further, occupants with higher snapshot satisfaction were generally exposed to relatively lower levels of indoor pollutants. A statistically significant difference was found in PM10 level only between the snapshot satisfied and snapshot dissatisfied groups of occupants. Apparent sound transmission classes were below the standard reference value of 50, suggesting potential problems in noise attenuation within different spaces in each apartment and between apartments. The findings of this study could help governments implement green shadowing for public-housing and also renovate existing houses using the same principles.展开更多
Through building performance simulations, previous studies showed the effect of occupants on buildings’ energy consumption. To further demonstrate this effect using empirical evidence, this study analyzed the effect ...Through building performance simulations, previous studies showed the effect of occupants on buildings’ energy consumption. To further demonstrate this effect using empirical evidence, this study analyzed the effect of occupancy on real-time electricity consumption in three case-study schools in Manitoba. Within each school, one classroom as well as the gymnasium were sub-metered to collect real-time electricity consumption data at half-hourly intervals. The study focused on electricity consumption for lighting and plug loads, which make up 30% of energy consumption in Canadian commercial and institutional buildings. A comprehensive method was developed to investigate energy-related occupant behaviour in the sub-metered spaces using four different tools simultaneously: 1) gymnasium bookings after school hours over a four-month period, 2) half-hourly observations of lighting and equipment use in the sub-metered spaces in each school over a two-week period, 3) a daily survey administered to teachers in the sub-metered classrooms over a two-week period, and 4) occupancy and light sensors to evaluate actual recorded occupancy and light use durations over a four-month period. Results showed that recorded occupancy durations over a 4-month period only explained less than 10% of the variations in classrooms’ lighting electricity consumption, meaning that lights may have been used frequently while classrooms were unoccupied. Results also showed the differences in gymnasiums’ electricity consumption were still statistically significant between the three schools, even after school hours and when the gymnasiums were not used or booked for other activities. This study is the first to provide in-depth evaluation of the effect of occupancy on electricity consumption in Canadian schools.展开更多
This exploratory research aims to evaluate indoor environmental quality in the classrooms of three school buildings in Southern Manitoba,Canada,and to evaluate the well-being of these schools’teachers as it pertains ...This exploratory research aims to evaluate indoor environmental quality in the classrooms of three school buildings in Southern Manitoba,Canada,and to evaluate the well-being of these schools’teachers as it pertains to their perception of their classrooms’indoor environment.The schools include a middle-aged,conventional school;a new,non-green school;and a new,green school certified using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.The methodology involved using a mobile instrument cart to conduct snapshot measurements of thermal comfort,indoor air quality,lighting and acoustics in classrooms and an occupant survey to evaluate teachers’long-term satisfaction with their classrooms’indoor environmental quality.The results showed that the new,green and new,non-green schools’classrooms performed better than the conventional,middle-aged school’s classrooms with respect to some aspects of thermal comfort and indoor air quality only.Teachers in the new,green school and in the new,non-green school were more satisfied than teachers in the conventional,middle-aged school with their classrooms’overall indoor environmental quality,lighting quality and indoor air quality.Surprisingly,the new,green and new-non green school classrooms’performance were very comparable with the new,green school’s classrooms performing statistically significantly better with respect to relative humidity.Similarly,none of the differences in teachers’satisfaction ratings between the new,green and new,non-green school were statistically significant.展开更多
文摘There is little empirical evidence in the literature about the indoor environmental quality performance of residential buildings in general and of social housing in particular. To address this problem, this study used a mixed-method approach to evaluate the indoor environmental quality performance of 17 green low-income single attached family houses in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Questionnaires were administered to occupants to assess their snapshot and long-term satisfaction with the indoor environment. In addition, snapshot measurements were carried out to evaluate the indoor environmental quality factors of thermal comfort, indoor air quality, lighting and acoustics. Occupants’ snapshot satisfaction was categorized into two groups (i.e. satisfied/comfortable or dissatisfied/uncomfortable) and compared with snapshot measurements. The results showed the measured IEQ parameters were well below recommended threshold levels. Further, occupants with higher snapshot satisfaction were generally exposed to relatively lower levels of indoor pollutants. A statistically significant difference was found in PM10 level only between the snapshot satisfied and snapshot dissatisfied groups of occupants. Apparent sound transmission classes were below the standard reference value of 50, suggesting potential problems in noise attenuation within different spaces in each apartment and between apartments. The findings of this study could help governments implement green shadowing for public-housing and also renovate existing houses using the same principles.
基金supported by a Discovery grant(RGPIN418532-2012)from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.The authors would also like to thank the Manitoba Public Schools Finance Board for facilitating access to schools.
文摘Through building performance simulations, previous studies showed the effect of occupants on buildings’ energy consumption. To further demonstrate this effect using empirical evidence, this study analyzed the effect of occupancy on real-time electricity consumption in three case-study schools in Manitoba. Within each school, one classroom as well as the gymnasium were sub-metered to collect real-time electricity consumption data at half-hourly intervals. The study focused on electricity consumption for lighting and plug loads, which make up 30% of energy consumption in Canadian commercial and institutional buildings. A comprehensive method was developed to investigate energy-related occupant behaviour in the sub-metered spaces using four different tools simultaneously: 1) gymnasium bookings after school hours over a four-month period, 2) half-hourly observations of lighting and equipment use in the sub-metered spaces in each school over a two-week period, 3) a daily survey administered to teachers in the sub-metered classrooms over a two-week period, and 4) occupancy and light sensors to evaluate actual recorded occupancy and light use durations over a four-month period. Results showed that recorded occupancy durations over a 4-month period only explained less than 10% of the variations in classrooms’ lighting electricity consumption, meaning that lights may have been used frequently while classrooms were unoccupied. Results also showed the differences in gymnasiums’ electricity consumption were still statistically significant between the three schools, even after school hours and when the gymnasiums were not used or booked for other activities. This study is the first to provide in-depth evaluation of the effect of occupancy on electricity consumption in Canadian schools.
文摘This exploratory research aims to evaluate indoor environmental quality in the classrooms of three school buildings in Southern Manitoba,Canada,and to evaluate the well-being of these schools’teachers as it pertains to their perception of their classrooms’indoor environment.The schools include a middle-aged,conventional school;a new,non-green school;and a new,green school certified using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system.The methodology involved using a mobile instrument cart to conduct snapshot measurements of thermal comfort,indoor air quality,lighting and acoustics in classrooms and an occupant survey to evaluate teachers’long-term satisfaction with their classrooms’indoor environmental quality.The results showed that the new,green and new,non-green schools’classrooms performed better than the conventional,middle-aged school’s classrooms with respect to some aspects of thermal comfort and indoor air quality only.Teachers in the new,green school and in the new,non-green school were more satisfied than teachers in the conventional,middle-aged school with their classrooms’overall indoor environmental quality,lighting quality and indoor air quality.Surprisingly,the new,green and new-non green school classrooms’performance were very comparable with the new,green school’s classrooms performing statistically significantly better with respect to relative humidity.Similarly,none of the differences in teachers’satisfaction ratings between the new,green and new,non-green school were statistically significant.
