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Energy Cost for Effective Ventilation and Air Quality for Healthy Buildings: Plant Proposals for a Historic Building School Reopening in the Covid-19 Era

Author

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  • Carla Balocco

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy)

  • Lorenzo Leoncini

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, via Santa Marta 3, 50139 Firenze, Italy)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the engineering/technical approach to building and plant design. In Italy, most of the school heritage belongs to historical buildings, which are not only under constraints for the protection and prevention of loss of cultural heritage but are often created with a different intended use. This fact implies that any plant engineering project is really complex. Starting from the current sanitary measures for reopening during the Covid-19 era and the crucial current research on this matter, the feasibility of plant retrofit/refurbishment solutions by means of effective ventilation and air quality are investigated. Various plant solutions based on demand-controlled mechanical ventilation, operating 24 h a day, seven days a week, without air recirculation mode, for a historical high school building were studied using transient simulations. A result comparison showed that it is possible to obtain healthy school environments by means of an optimal compromise between energy savings and the best ventilation conditions for indoor air quality (IAQ). Sustainability is understood as effective and efficient solutions for energy consumption reduction and environmental sustainability as a guarantee for people’s safety and wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Carla Balocco & Lorenzo Leoncini, 2020. "Energy Cost for Effective Ventilation and Air Quality for Healthy Buildings: Plant Proposals for a Historic Building School Reopening in the Covid-19 Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8737-:d:432424
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Buonomano, A. & Forzano, C. & Giuzio, G.F. & Palombo, A., 2023. "New ventilation design criteria for energy sustainability and indoor air quality in a post Covid-19 scenario," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    2. Chih-Pei Hu & Jen-Hsiung Cheng, 2022. "Challenges and Actions of IAQ under COVID-19: A Survey of Taiwanese People’s Perception of Epidemic Prevention and Indoor Places Certification," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Belén Onecha & Alicia Dotor, 2021. "Simulation Method to Assess Thermal Comfort in Historical Buildings with High-Volume Interior Spaces—The Case of the Gothic Basilica of Sta. Maria del Mar in Barcelona," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Moghadam, Talie T. & Ochoa Morales, Carlos E. & Lopez Zambrano, Maria J. & Bruton, Ken & O'Sullivan, Dominic T.J., 2023. "Energy efficient ventilation and indoor air quality in the context of COVID-19 - A systematic review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).

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