Ventilation Requirements for Residential Buildings Located in Cold Climates
Proper ventilation is essential in ensuring appropriate Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in residential buildings and is an important consideration for the health and productivity of its occupants. Typical methods of mitigation, include introducing fresh air into space by implementing dedicated outdoor air ventilation systems. Residential buildings in cold climates face specific challenges related to maintaining indoor air quality (IAQ). Not only do people spend more time indoors, but they also tend to live in more efficient, airtight homes that can trap excess moisture and pollutants indoors if not properly ventilated, leading to problems for the both the building structure and occupant health. Ventilating such buildings is important to maintain appropriate IAQ but strategies that are currently available can be very energy consumptive. Therefore, alternative measures need to be researched that would reduce ventilation requirements and at the same time optimize IAQ in residential buildings located in cold climates.
This report examines ventilation, air filtration and air purification strategies that could be used in residential buildings located in extreme cold climates.