The ventilation and internal climate of Dutch schools are substandard. More than 70% of classrooms in primary and secondary education have very high CO2 when they are fully occupied.2-Degree. How are we going to turn the tide and make every school healthy? To find out what solutions are available, Durzam Jbod talks with expert Everett van Merkestein of STULZ.
The realization that more than half of the schools do not provide a good indoor climate for our future is a bitter pill to swallow. While we know how it can and should be done: Good air quality leads to better performance and less absenteeism, according to reports and studies by TNO, GGD and organizations such as the World Green Building Council. This is all the more reason to make schools more sustainable and healthier. But where do you start?
It is often difficult for a school board to craft the starting signal for sustainability. The first step and a common measure that has often been chosen in recent years is the application of one or more carbon dioxide2meters in rooms or in places where complaints about the indoor climate flow. Van Merkestijn says: “Think beyond that scale, and make an inventory of the characteristics of your building. Check whether your building meets all current standards from an architectural point of view and whether there is still room for improvement. For example, in terms of insulation. , if your windows are made of one glass. Determine the number of students in the classroom at different times.”
temperature and humidity
A healthy indoor climate is mainly affected by temperature, humidity, light, acoustics and carbon dioxide2. All elements must be in order to ensure a good and comfortable interior space. Van Merkestijn likes to emphasize the themes of temperature and humidity: “There are thirty students in the classroom who all bring heat into a room. If that room is full in the summer, you get a high cooling demand. If you look at the fall, great amounts of humidity can come with it. Think of a coat that rained on the heating or the children themselves who enter the room after it rains. So you have to take many different factors into consideration in order to come up with a concept for a properly functioning installation and ventilation system.”
Different levels of ambition
He. She Modern School Requirements Program (PDF) It can support sustainability ambitions in making the right choices for sustainability and health. Three levels of ambition have been established to which performance requirements are linked [zie tabel; red.]. So is carbon monoxide2The concentration in a Class C school must be less than 1,200 ppm and must not exceed 800 ppm in a Class A school. There are also different levels, among other things, of the minimum supply of fresh air, the quality of the air supply, the requirements for heat recovery and air velocity in the occupied area.
for work
After determining the level of ambition, it’s time to get advice and get to work. But when can you as a school board know for sure that you are comfortable with a pleasant indoor climate? There are two important ventilation systems, which are centralized system and decentralized system. The building determines the composition. In the central system, a large air handling unit provides ventilation for the various classrooms. In most cases, the unit is above the roof and air ducts distribute fresh outdoor air, where the grilles silently blow it. A separate duct system sucks dirty air out of the room and takes it out through heat recovery.”
The decentralized system works differently and consists of one air handling unit per room or room. The unit can be placed outside on the roof but also indoors above the suspended ceiling. As a result, fewer air ducts are required compared to a central system. In both systems, you can use a heat pump that ensures that the inlet air is either being air-conditioned or cooled and heated. We offer these solutions in the form of Climpac Compact, an air handling unit and heat pump, built together on a single frame, assembled for cooling and connected to an air handling unit. we I am happy to advise about selection.
This article is from our free comprehensive site Digital Health Magazine.
Text: Marvin van Kempin
Photo: STULZ
