Extract

Abstract: Australia’s population aged 70 or over is expected to grow by 2 million in the next 20 years, increasing demand for residential aged care places. Poor indoor air quality can be particularly harmful to older adults in these facilities due to prolonged exposure to indoor air pollutants. Natural ventilation through windows can improve indoor air quality, but knowledge about occupants’ window opening behaviour and preferences as well as the adequacy of ventilation in these facilities is lacking. This study presents the preliminary results of a research project that aims to understand occupants’ window opening behaviour in residential aged care facilities in Adelaide, South Australia, with the objective of improving indoor air quality through natural ventilation. A subset of six participants from two facilities has been selected for preliminary analysis based on data from a two-months period during winter. Environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, CO2, and PM2.5 concentrations, as well as window operation (open and closed status and opening ratio) have been monitored and recorded continuously during this period. Although residents’ window-opening behaviours are highly individualized, the results revealed that they are influenced by the time of day, as well as indoor and outdoor temperatures. However, the window opening behaviours are a result of a complex interplay of environmental and non-environmental factors, requiring further investigations across various seasons and weather conditions.

Keywords: window opening behaviour, natural ventilation, indoor air quality, aged care

PDF

Download