“Air quality and its management in low energy residential buildings” Doctoral Thesis

Author, institution: Darius Čiužas, Kaunas University of Technology

Science area, field: Technology Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T

The Doctoral Dissertation is available at the libraries of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio St. 20, Kaunas), Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Studentų g. 11, Akademija, Kauno raj.) and Lithuanian Energy Institute (Breslaujos g. 3, Kaunas).

Scientific Supervisor: Assoc.Prof. Dr. Dainius MARTUZEVIČIUS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technology Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T).

Dissertation Defence Board of Environmental Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Žaneta STASIŠKIENĖ (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T) – chairperson;
Prof. Dr. Gintaras DENAFAS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T);
Prof. Dr. Jolanta DVARIONIENĖ (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering – 04T);
Dr. Kęstutis KVIETKUS (Ceter for Physical Sciences and Technology, Physical Sciences, Physics – 02P),
Dr. Jurgita OVADNEVAITĖ (National University of Ireland, Galway, Physical Sciences, Physics – 02P).

Annotation:
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is one of the most important parameters determining indoor microclimate and human comfort. It is known that people in developed countries spend a majority of their time indoors (~90%), therefore IAQ is very important factor but difficult to control. The Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings determines that by 2021 all new buildings have to be zero-energy buildings, having high tightness of a building. Such tight envelope results in a potentially increased exposure to indoor pollutants. This work presents the assessment of IAQ in low-energy buildings. Various IAQ management strategies were tested against most popular domestic indoor air pollution sources. Ventilation and air cleaning/purification have been proven as effective ways of reducing occupant exposure to indoor contaminants and improving IAQ. The integration of novel measurement methods, new knowledge on indoor pollution sources and the IAQ management strategies allows stepping one step further to the advanced management of IAQ based on a real-time pollutant sensing and integration into the smart home system.