The Emirates Green Building Council (Emirates GBC) of UAE, an organization composed of companies and individuals from diverse sectors and disciplines within the building industry conducted a panel discussion about a timely topic:
“Health, Wellbeing, and Productivity in Green Offices, Breaking the Space to Factors.”
Buildingdoctor DMCC a proud member of Emirates GBC participated and took part in the said event.
In the quest for healthier indoor environments, sustainable indoor air quality has become a crucial focus in the building industry. To achieve this goal, the integration of non-destructive testing, building physics, thermography, and airtightness plays a vital role.
"Unveiling the Invisible"
Rila had examined and tested various projects with different complexities
Non-destructive testing techniques, such as air quality monitoring, help assess and analyze indoor air quality without causing harm to the building structure.
“Thinking back to the time of the pandemic. We all wore masks to protect ourselves from the virus, a simple yet crucial step to prevent infection. We understood the importance of creating a barrier between ourselves and the harmful elements in the air.”
“Similarly, an airtight building specifically the barrier of a building acts as a shield, a protective mask, against the pollutants and allergens substances like carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and other pollutants from entering our indoor spaces.”
By detecting pollutants, airborne particles, and harmful gases, these tests provide valuable insights into the factors impacting air quality. Understanding these influences allows for targeted remediation and prevention measures to be implemented.
“It is crucial that we focus not only on improving indoor air quality but also on maintaining the integrity within our buildings. We must ensure that the efforts we put in place do not escape outside, but rather stay where they are required.”
Concluded by Khairun in the question about the importance of non-destructive testing and building physics, thermography, and airtightness, in consideration of indoor air quality.
Another question was asked to Buildingdoctor about the concept of quantifying the air leakage through the building façade in avoiding loss of cooling energy and improving the HVAC performance and energy efficiency of the building.
Air leakage test setup using 2 Retrotec blower door fans
“In countries like the GCC, where scorching summer temperatures frequently exceed 45 degrees Celsius accompanied by high relative humidity the dependence on air-conditioning comes at a significant cost. Air-conditioning contributes to 70 percent of peak-period electricity consumption, making it the primary factor driving the region's power requirements.
"Measuring and quantifying the air leakage, building owners and operators can take appropriate actions to minimize the loss of cooling energy and improve HVAC performance and energy efficiency” - Rila answered
Air leakage can result in the loss of cooled air, forcing the HVAC system to work harder to maintain desired temperatures. By quantifying air leakage and sealing the building envelope, cooling energy losses can be significantly reduced. Read More
Air leakage test preparation
Sustainable indoor air quality is a multifaceted endeavor that requires a comprehensive approach. By bringing together diverse perspectives and expertise, the event's discussion aims to foster collaboration, inspire innovation, and highlight the significance of breaking the space into factors and promoting healthy, wellbeing, and productivity in green offices.
Resources
Event photographs: Copyright and sourced from Emirates GBC