Active Green System within Working Environments in Hot Humid Climate Conditions in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Among hot humid tropical climate conditions, the common solution for climate control within working environments is the use of an active system (air conditioning). As consequence, the energy consumption, regarding cooling, increases. Therefore, the aim is to develope a sustainable cooling tool based on the integration of a biowall and a dehumidification process; thus, reducing the use of air conditioning within tropical climates in Ecuador and achieving thermal comfort. On the other hand, Living Wall Systems (LWS) are an emerging technology with a growing amount of research data revealing the positive outcomes of the system such as its ability of generating a more pleasant, healthier and productive workplace. However, it is necessary to conduct more studies about the possibilities of the LWS as potencial evaporative coolers in hot humid climates. Within this project is proposed to conduct a study on vertical gardens/living walls in order to generate thermal comfort in buildings located in hot humid tropical climates in Ecuador. The aim is to introduce dehumidification processes in order to achieve thermal comfort.Building Technology TrackArchitectural Engineering and TechnologyArchitecture and The Built Environmen

Green Climate Control: Analysing the impact of (active) Plant-based Systems on Indoor Air Quality

Several studies have demonstrated the potential of botanical biofiltration and phytoremediation to remove indoor pollutants and improve overall comfort. However, there is a lack of evidence on how indoor greenery affects the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), particularly on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The main goal of this research project was to explore and evaluate the efficacy of an active plant-based system in terms of IAQ and being able to answer the main research question: “Can an active plant-based system improve the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)?” This was achieved through laboratory studies of several plant-based systems, including chemical, physical and sensorial evaluations as well as qualitative and quantitative assessments. Some of the outcomes of this research are described below: – To develop an effective plant-based system the proper selection of its components is essential.– In real settings, the concentration of the gaseous pollutants is present in lower levels and current equipment are not able to detect them. Therefore, it is clear and confirmed that physical, chemical and sensory assessments are crucial to evaluate the real impact of plant‑based system in the IAQ.– In this project, different substrates and plants were tested and it became clear that the substrate is an important ally in reducing gaseous pollutants, such as formaldehyde.– The polluted air needs to be transported to the vicinity of the plant-based system to be able to uptake the gaseous pollutant. Therefore, an active plant-based system is needed to potentialize the impact of such systems in the IAQ since the air has to be forced to go through the system to achieve the biofiltration process.– An indoor forest is required to meet the minimum standards for ventilation rates in breathing zones just with plants without any extra mechanical ventilation.Design of Construtio

Appraisal and identification of different sources of smell by primary school children in the air quality test chamber of the SenseLab

Previous studies have shown that next to ‘human smell’, ‘stuffy air’ is one of the discomforts that children report in classrooms. Besides, people’s olfactory system is able to recognize the perceived odour intensity of various materials relatively well and in many cases the nose seems to be a better perceiver of pollutants than some equipment. In the underlying study, the aim was to expose 335 primary children to different sources of smell, and ask them to evaluate and identify those sources at individual level with their noses. Additionally, the possible effect of plants on the reduction and/or production of smells was tested. Selected sources of odour were placed in different containers and the children were asked how they feel about the smell and to identify their source. The results showed statistically significant differences among children’s evaluations of different smells, a link between preference and recognition of odours, and, no statistical difference in the assessment of the smells when the potted plants were placed inside the CLIMPAQ. The results confirm the need to include sensory assessments in the evaluation of IAQ together with physical evaluations. Future studies on the effect of using active vegetation systems instead of passive systems are recommended.Indoor Environmen

Perceived Air Quality of different sources of smell evaluated by primary school children

Our sensory system (nose) could predict the perceived odour intensity of various materials relatively well and in many cases the nose seems to be a better receptor of pollutants than some equipment. To test this ability with children, odour tests were performed as part of a study performed with 335 primary school children in the air quality test chamber of the SenseLab. Two similar experiments were conducted to assess the identification of potentially recognizable odours for children. The different sources of odour were placed in different containers and the children were asked how they feel about the smell and to identify the source of smell. There were statistically significant differences among children’s evaluations of different smells and it was difficult for them to identify certain sources of smell.Indoor Environmen

Renovation Process Challenges and Barriers

The implementation of Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (NZEB) renovation packages in Europe needs to be accelerated to meet the decarbonisation goals. To achieve this level of performance, building renovation strategies should shift towards industrialised solutions that incorporate a multitude of passive and active components, increasing the complexity and cost of the execution. Moreover, it requires the involvement of different stakeholders of the building supply chain, resulting in additional difficulties in communication and coordination. To address this challenge, this study aims at mapping the renovation process and at addressing the respective bottlenecks. The objective is to identify the type of information that the stakeholders require during the different renovation phases and provide a framework to structure the workflow between all actors. By structuring the information along the renovation process phases, the different stakeholders can identify when the information can be provided and how the different types of information link to each other.Building Product InnovationDesign of Construtio

A review of green systems within the indoor environment

This paper reviews the state of art of vegetation systems and their effect on the indoor environmental quality (IEQ), based on scientific studies from the past 30 years. Some studies have shown that biophilic workspaces and interaction with plants may change human attitudes, behaviours, improve productivity and the overall well-being. Evapotranspiration from plants helps lowering the temperature around the planting environment and this can be utilised for air cooling and humidity control. Also, indoor greenery can be used to reduce sound levels as a passive acoustic insulation system. Living wall systems in combination with biofiltration are emerging technologies to provide beneficial effects on improvement of indoor comfort. Several studies have indicated that green systems may improve indoor air quality and that they have different pathways for pollutant removal of volatile organic compounds. The plant root zone in potted plants may be an effective area for removing volatile organic compounds under controlled conditions. In conclusion, the full capacity of plants in real-life settings will need to be clarified to establish the true pollutant-removal mechanisms and the general effect on IEQ. The effects of green systems in combination with mechanical elements such as conventional heating, ventilation and air conditioning would need to be studied.Indoor EnvironmentArchitectural Engineering +TechnologyMaterials and Environmen

Botanical Biofiltration: Experimental Protocol and Method

Vegetation systems in combination with biofiltration processes are emerging processes that are expected to have beneficial effects on the improvement of indoor air quality (IAQ). Common indoor plants may provide a valuable strategy to avoid rising levels of indoor air pollution. In an active vegetation system air cleaning rates may be significantly higher than in passive vegetation systems using active fan-assisted hydroponics technology, which draws the air through the root rhizomes of the plants. However, to evaluate the real effect of active green systems on IAQ it is important to create a reliable experimental setup and protocol regarding not only components of the prototype but also the methods for analysis and evaluation.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Indoor EnvironmentArchitectural Engineering +TechnologyMaterials and Environmen

The Effect of an Active Plant-Based System on Perceived Air Pollution

Active plant-based systems are emerging technologies that aim to improve indoor air quality (IAQ). A person’s olfactory system is able to recognize the perceived odor intensity of various materials relatively well, and in many cases, the nose seems to be a better perceiver of pollutants than some equipment is. The aim of this study was to assess the odor coming out of two different test chambers in the SenseLab, where the participants were asked to evaluate blindly the level of acceptability, intensity, odor recognition, and preference at individual level with their noses. Two chambers were furnished with the same amount of new flooring material, and one of the chambers, Chamber A, also included an active plant-based system. The results showed that in general, the level of odor intensity was lower in Chamber B than in Chamber A, the level of acceptability was lower in Chamber A than in Chamber B, and the participants identified similar sources in both chambers. Finally, the preference was slightly higher for Chamber B over Chamber A. When people do not see the interior details of a room and have to rely on olfactory perception, they prefer a room without plants.Design of ConstrutionIndoor EnvironmentMaterials and EnvironmentClimate Design and Sustainabilit

Green air conditioning: Using indoor living wall systems as a climate control method

Indoor EnvironmentArchitectural Engineering +TechnologyMaterials and Environmen

Definition and design of a prefabricated and modular façade system to incorporate solar harvesting technologies

The current research presents the design and development of a prefabricated modular façade solution for renovating residential buildings. The system is conceived as an industrialised solution that incorporates solar harvesting technologies, contributing to reducing energy consumption by employing an “active façade” concept.One of the main challenges was to achieve a highly flexible solution both in terms of geometry and enabling the incorporation of different solar-capturing devices (photovoltaic, thermal, and hybrid). Therefore, to be able to provide alternative customised configurations that can be fitted to various building renovation scenarios. Guided by the requirements and specifications, the design was defined after an iterative process, concluding with a final system design validated and adopted as viable for the intended purpose.A dimensional study for interconnecting all the technologies composing the system was carried out. Potential alternative configurations were assessed under the modularity and versatility perspective, resulting in a set of alternative combinations that better fit the established requirements. Complementarily, the system also integrates an active window solution a component that incorporates an autonomous energy recovery system through ventilation.The main outcome is explicated in a highly versatile modular façade system, which gives existing buildings the possibility to achieve Nearly Zero Energy Building requirements.Architectural Technolog