Design of residential ventilation systems using performance-based evaluation of Indoor Air Quality: application to a Danish study case

A Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) has been recognized as a promising solution for decreasing energy consumption while ensuring good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in buildings. However, its application in the residential sector has increased first recently. Implementation of DCV systems brings the problem related to assessing their performance, not only in the view of energy savings but also in the ability to ensure IAQ. The objectives of this paper were to introduce a multicriteria performance-based approach for the evaluation of residential ventilation systems with CONTAM airflows simulations; illustrate its applicability to three DCV strategies in the context of renovated apartment buildings in Denmark and challenge the minimal background airflow requirements anchored in the Danish building code.
Our performance-based approach allows assessing ventilation performance regarding IAQ (CO₂, humidity, PM_2.5, and formaldehyde-based indicators), energy consumption, and ventilation heat loss.
Our results show that DCV strategies can improve IAQ while decreasing airflows. For example, application of DCV reduced the cumulative indicator of occupant exposure to formaldehyde, I_HCHO by 6 to 28 %, compared to the constant-airflow system. For humidity controlled mechanical exhaust ventilation, the heat loss can be reduced up 51%.