Building retrofit technology strategy and effectiveness evaluation for reducing energy use by indoor air quality control

Abstract

Ultra-fine dust refers to particulate matter from external sources, and modernization contributes toward increasing the presence of ultra-fine dust. Young children are particularly vulnerable to the ill effects of ultra-fine dust. Educational buildings, where young children spend the longest duration after their houses, are typically difficult to retrofit. Consequently, they are often used for a long time in the same state as they were when first completed. The buildings deteriorate due to long-term use, particularly because the openings are opened and closed frequently by occupants. Hence, architectural retrofits were performed during vacation, and the effects were evaluated. The evaluation factors include the temperature, relative humidity, and presence of ultra-fine dust. It was confirmed that the temperature and humidity inside the room decreased after the retrofit, while the airtightness performance was strengthened, thereby reducing the I/O ratio. To evaluate the sustainability of architectural remodeling with regard to not only the indoor air environment but also the enhancement of airtightness and insulation performance through the retrofit, a representative scenario was selected with reference to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Future Climate Report. Although it was found that improving both the main entrance and the outdoor window was appropriate, replacing only the outdoor window was the adjudged the optimal retrofit scenario in consideration of the recovery of the investment cost.