/Department of the Built Environment
/Unit Building Physics and Services
7LY3M0 – Building performance and energy systems simulation
Week [Link] 1
Action: Which aspect of building performance (e.g. air quality, thermal comfort,
daylight, acoustics) has the highest potential to improve the health and well-being of
building occupants? Why?
Mention also the possible implications of energy efficiency in your answer. Both student
A and student B are requested to find an additional reference that quantifies the
economic impact of improving the chosen building performance aspect (e.g. in terms of
improving employee productivity, enhanced learning performance or reduced sick
leave).
Student A:
Ragnarsson et al. (2020) provide an overview of the three aspects, acoustics, lighting and
air quality, and how they can influence performance and well-being of building
occupants. The highest potential to impact health lies with the air quality, whereby they
treat the concepts of room temperature, humidity and air purity as intertwined. It was
not only shown that a constant room temperature increases concentration and
consequently productivity, but that there is also a hygienic factor that needs to be taken
into consideration. Rooms where the humidity is within the range of 40-60% are less
susceptible to spreading bacteria, fungi, mites and viruses and have less risk of (allergic)
asthma. Additionally, air bone pollutants, such as (ultra-)fine particles are more
dangerous in dry air, causing oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. As the
majority of modern life takes place in indoor spaces, it is therefore of increasing
importance to monitor the air quality to ensure the health and well-being of occupants.
(Ragnarsson & Ahlin, 2020)
It can be argued that there is no need for heating due to the emitted body heat of
occupants (Ragnarsson & Ahlin, 2020). However, this is only valid for rooms that are used
by many people over an extended period and may also depend on the outside climate and
building insulation. The most energy efficient way to regulate air quality is by demand
control. This may be done manually by, regularly, airing out the rooms or by advanced
automatic systems that monitor and control, air quality, temperature and humidity
(Ragnarsson & Ahlin, 2020). The energy demand and efficiency may fluctuate depending on
the building that is being considered. New buildings may use heat recover and ventilation
systems (HRV), to facilitate energy efficient heating, cooling and ventilation. For refurbished
buildings there may be potential in updating the existing energy system with modern control
technology or replacement with a new system (Ragnarsson & Ahlin, 2020).
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Monitoring and regulating air quality is not only beneficial for the occupant’s health, but also
provides economic benefits. Wyon (2005) created an overview of several laboratory and field
experiments that dealt with the economic implications of ventilation, where the field
experiments yielded better results than the laboratory ones. It has been shown that poor air
quality led to a productivity decrease between 6-9%. Furthermore, cost-benefit-analyses
showed that investments made in improving air quality are returned withing two years on
average, providing an economic incentive for employers (Wyon, 2005). Wyon (2005), also
states that, to increase the energy efficiency of ventilation systems pollutant sources should
first be eliminated and, if possible, eliminated before supplying fresh outdoor air (Wyon,
2005).
Student B:
Given the building’s primary function, which is to protect its users from external weather
conditions and provide comfort in doing so, building performance measures how
accomplished those main functions are. There are several indicators as to measure building
performance such as air quality, thermal comfort, daylight, acoustics… High-performance
buildings consider those aspects as a whole and deliver a compromised solution in which the
needs are met at the best extent.
Shishegar, Nastaran & Boubekri, (2016) focus on the relevance of daylight over human health
both physically and psychologically: daylight exposure has a direct correlation to vitamin D
production, which contributes to calcium absorption and, it is essential in synchronizing the
circadian clock, which is responsible for cognitive processes such as attention, executive
function and memory. A study conducted in Norway among 162 students showed a seasonal
sleep delay during dark months (November and December) when compared to brighter
periods (September, March) followed by depression and an inadequacy in the melatonin
production, causing chronic fatigue and anxiety.
However, daylight is a natural phenomenon that can only be interacted with, arising some
issues due to its seasonal fluctuations. It might be arguable that during summer season, long-
term direct exposure to daylight would raise room temperature and hence trigger a VAC
system (Ventilation and Air Conditioning) that would lead to an unnecessary energy
consumption. This scenario would be easily prevented by a combined response of an
automated blind system that actuates before the VAC system, allowing for enough daylight
under a comfort temperature threshold. Similar problem may arise during winter season, in
which daylight exposure decreases unavoidably. In this case, building performance also
involves strategic orientation of the facility, allowing it to match reduced daylight hours with
working hours.
Both cases are led to maximize daylight exposure and reduce it when needed according to
the desired working conditions. This by-excess management of daylight has a direct impact
on the energy consumption. As concluded by A. Tsangrassoulisa, A. Kontadakisa , L. Doulosb
(2017), by implementing an automatic control system based on two performance indicators,
(working plane illuminance and daylight glare probability) the energy demand of the office
was successfully reduced by half by maximizing the daylight and the use of a task light over
general lighting. However, the system did not impact performance or comfort, A.
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Tsangrassoulisa, A. Kontadakisa , L. Doulosb (2017), highlighting how complex might long-
term improvements on circadian rhythms be measured.
Student A and B:
The provided question allows for a subject interpretation. Studies presented in papers can be
biased based on the country they are conducted in. Different climates and seasons may have
an influence on the way building are constructed and which aspect of a build environment
are considered to be the most important. The papers found do not compare the health
impacts of different aspects of building performance with each other, i.e. comparing air
quality and daylight, but instead focus on a singular aspect and elaborate further on that. This
makes is more difficult to quantify the impact of the building aspect on the occupants health,
as well as drawing conclusions about which aspect may have the greatest potential to
improve health. For some aspect the health benefits may not be directly measurable and,
independent of standards (i.e., room temperature, humidity levels, etc.), there can be subject
element to the perception of the environment depending on the individual occupant.
In conclusion, which building aspect has the highest potential to improve health depends on
which aspect of health is the focus. The building’s purpose and the occupants’ health pre-
condition can strongly influence this. In a hospital there might be higher demand for optimal
air conditions to reduce the risk of spreading infections, whereas in pre-schools daylight can
be seen as of higher importance for children development. Overall, there are many factors
that influence the health of a building's occupants to treat them holistically and consider all
aspects when planning a building. However, priorities should be made based on the purpose
of the building and the occupants' needs should be taken into consideration to be able to
provide an optimal environment to improve health.
References:
Ragnarsson, M., & Ahlin, H. (2020). Good indoor climate in pre-school and school – A guideline
for light, acoustics and air. (“Good indoor climate in pre-school and school -
Effect4buildings”)
Shishegar, Nastaran & Boubekri, (2016). “Natural Light and Productivity: Analyzing the
Impacts of Daylighting on Students’ and Workers’ Health and Alertness.” (“(PDF)
Natural Light and Productivity: Analyzing the Impacts of ...”) (“Nastaran
Shishegar - Google Scholar”)
Wyon, D. P. (2005). The effects of indoor air quality on performance, behavior and
productivity. Pollution Atmospherique, 14(SPECIAL ISSUE), 35–41.
A. Tsangrassoulisa, A. Kontadakisa , L. Doulosb (2017) “Assessing Lighting Energy Saving
Potential from Daylight Harvesting in Office Buildings Based on Code Compliance &
Simulation Techniques: A Comparison”