Modelling UK school performance by coupling building simulation and multi-criteria decision analysis

Abstract

Meeting indoor environment quality (IEQ) standards, incorporating air quality and thermal comfort, is critical for children’s health and learning within classrooms. While building simulation provides indicative IEQ outputs, educational and construction stakeholders may require broader criteria, such as attainment, health and healthcare costs, to assess UK school building stock performance. To investigate the provision of such metrics, a Data dRiven Engine for Archetype Models of Schools (DREAMS) EnergyPlus-based stock-modelling framework was developed, modelling different classroom typologies. Dynamic IEQ simulation has demonstrated that the influence of construction era on learning performance metrics may be stronger in hotter regions, which are increasingly reliant on ventilation to counter higher temperatures and maintain IEQ. This framework includes creating retrofit scenarios to evaluate school building energy efficiency interventions and coupling with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). This integration of modelled impacts with stakeholder-derived health and educational attainment weightings could provide a basis for future interventions