Air conditioning


Impact of ventilation on cognitive function


It is not just their physical health that could be at risk, but also students’ cognitive function. A Carrier-supported study into the effect of indoor air pollution on mental and physical health – the Impact of Green Buildings on Cognitive Function (COGfx) - found significant impacts on occupants’ wellbeing. The study, by researchers at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, comprised three related studies into the impact of ventilation and filtration on occupants’ cognitive function and health. Lab tests showed that cognitive function


scores were 61 per cent higher in green buildings (with low concentrations of VOCs) compared to conventional buildings – and 101 per cent higher in enhanced green buildings (with low VOCs and enhanced ventilation). On average, participants in green-certified buildings saw 26 per cent higher cognitive function scores than those in non-certified, high-performing buildings. The greatest cognitive function differences


were seen in the areas of crisis response (73 perc ent), the ability to gear decision-making towards goals (44 per cent), the capacity to pay attention to situations at hand (38 percent) and strategy (31 percent).


It is clear from this research that well-ventilated buildings can generate significant as well as


measurable improvements in people’s cognitive function, wellbeing and mental health. It supports anecdotal evidence that students are more productive and less likely to be absent due to sickness when classrooms are well-ventilated and brightly lit with natural daylight.


Monitoring air quality


Measuring IAQ in real-time makes airborne contamination visible to occupants, and enables action to be taken to improve air quality before people experience negative effects. As part of its #CIAT4life healthy buildings


programme, CIAT provides expert solutions to help improve IAQ. Many new buildings are fitted with smart meters, monitoring the efficiency of mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) units or air-conditioned spaces where heat pumps utilise fan coil units as the main source of heating and cooling. Some solutions include MVHR products as standalone or in conjunction with fan coils, providing an opportunity to install an IAQ monitor next to the smart meter. IAQ monitors allow air quality data to be displayed and used for demand controlled ventilation (DCV), which responds to changes in air quality in real time. When pollutant levels increase, the MVHR adjusts


air-change rates, rapidly cleaning the air in the space. As soon as contaminant concentrations drop to


a predetermined level, the MVHR returns to the previous maintenance level of ventilation.


Above: CIAT COADIS LINE 900 cassettes


The result is a clean, energy-efficient space. Teachers will find that good indoor air quality is


not only good for students’ health and productivity. It is also good for their own wellbeing through increased productivity, fewer sick days and better cognitive function. Results across the COGfx studies show that, with the right strategies in place, buildings such as schools can play a significant role in improving cognitive function, health and productivity, while delivering comfort and energy performance to students and staff.


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We understand the importance of rapid delivery when you’re working to tight deadlines. That’s why we hold large stocks, so we can dispatch 95% of orders the same day. That means no long lead times – just fast, responsive deliveries direct to your site. Our attention to detail means that you get the valves you need, just when you need them.


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