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Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Performance in a Zero Carbon Building

Author

Listed:
  • Polina Trofimova

    (Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China)

  • Ali Cheshmehzangi

    (Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China
    Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan)

  • Wu Deng

    (Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Ningbo 315100, China)

  • Craig Hancock

    (School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough LE11 3TU, UK)

Abstract

Maintaining a comfortable indoor environment throughout the year makes up the main part of energy consumption caused by people’s use of buildings. In recent years, China has started to integrate sustainable technologies into green building design and construction. However, some post-occupancy reports on certified buildings revealed that such integration has been perceived to prioritize energy savings over comfort. This paper aims to investigate the ability of the first Chinese zero carbon building to maintain comfortable and healthy indoor conditions in the summer season. The research implements a combination of occupant survey and on-site measurements to evaluate the occupants’ perception of the indoor environment quality (IEQ) and benchmark the measurements against relevant standards. The results from this study show that the mean summer indoor temperature was 0.9 °C above the standard limit, while on average, occupants gave a positive score to the indoor thermal environment. High contentment with the building acoustics was reported by users and supported by sensors measurements meeting the standard values. The illuminance levels were mainly maintained high with the exception of the light in one of the studied zones. Analyzing the data on occupants experiencing sick building syndromes revealed that 45.8% of respondents experienced at least one of the symptoms.

Suggested Citation

  • Polina Trofimova & Ali Cheshmehzangi & Wu Deng & Craig Hancock, 2021. "Post-Occupancy Evaluation of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Performance in a Zero Carbon Building," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-21, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:2:p:667-:d:478930
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. A.M. Fogheri, 2015. "Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3-4, pages 763-784.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kevin Nabor Paredes-Canencio & Ana Lasso & Rosaura Castrillon & Juan R. Vidal-Medina & Enrique C. Quispe, 2024. "Carbon footprint of higher education institutions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(12), pages 30239-30272, December.
    2. Seyedmohammadreza Heibati & Wahid Maref & Hamed H. Saber, 2021. "Assessing the Energy, Indoor Air Quality, and Moisture Performance for a Three-Story Building Using an Integrated Model, Part Three: Development of Integrated Model and Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-31, September.
    3. Su, Yuan & Wang, Linwei & Feng, Wei & Zhou, Nan & Wang, Luyuan, 2021. "Analysis of green building performance in cold coastal climates: An in-depth evaluation of green buildings in Dalian, China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    4. Yuhong Zhao & Ruirui Liu & Zhansheng Liu & Yun Lu & Liang Liu & Jingjing Wang & Wenxiang Liu, 2023. "Enhancing Zero-Carbon Building Operation and Maintenance: A Correlation-Based Data Mining Approach for Database Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-16, September.
    5. Catalina Giraldo-Soto & Zaloa Azkorra-Larrinaga & Amaia Uriarte & Naiara Romero-Antón & Moisés Odriozola-Maritorena, 2025. "Operational Performance of an MVHR System in a Retrofitted Heritage Dwelling: Indoor Air Quality, Efficiency and Duct Constraints," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-31, September.
    6. Michele Zinzi & Francesca Pagliaro & Stefano Agnoli & Fabio Bisegna & Domenico Iatauro, 2021. "On the Built-Environment Quality in Nearly Zero-Energy Renovated Schools: Assessment and Impact of Passive Strategies," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Ljubomir Jankovic & Silvio Carta, 2021. "BioZero—Designing Nature-Inspired Net-Zero Building," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-23, July.

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