Impact of Outdoor Air Exchange Rates on Sleep Quality and the Next-Day Performance with Application of Energy Recovery Ventilator

Created By RISC | 3 weeks ago

Sleep quality can affect human health and the next-day performance. High indoor CO2 concentration

levels due to insufficient supplied air ventilation could cause poor sleep quality. Bedrooms in condominiums in

Thailand commonly uses a wall-mounted split type system without supplied outdoor air ventilation. The rooms

are typically constructed having airtight envelopes which have air infiltration rates ranging from 0.4-0.64 ACH. This

study aims to evaluate the impact of increased ventilation rates on sleep quality and the next-day performance,

and the surveys were collected from two occupants living in a one-bedroom condominium. The field

measurement and survey were conducted for twenty days with supplied outdoor airflow rates at 0, 40, and 60

m3 hr-1 through an energy recovery ventilator (ERV). The room air exchange rates were calculated from a linear

regression method obtained from a decay tracer gas technique using indoor carbon dioxide generated by

occupants. To overcome the maximum limit of CO2 concentration level specified in the standard health guidelines, the ERV unit has to supply an outdoor air ventilation rate of 60 m3 hr-1. Overall, the increase in outdoor air

ventilation rates can improve sleep quality by 2-13 percent and occupants have better work performance 

the next day by 2-20 percent. The increase of outdoor air ventilation through the ERV unit does not affect indoor relative humidity.

Read full research article at: https://so02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jars/article/view/104443