Assessing IAQ in existing residential buildings within a performance-based regulatory framework through a predictive model

At the Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Sciences (IETcc), which is a research institution belonging to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), studies are being conducted to correlate the outcomes of real CO2 measurements in rooms where the occupants have been able to behave freely with factors such as the season of the year, the surface area of the dwelling, the permeability, or the number of occupants. The a priori intention is not to ascertain how occupants behave, but rather to ascertain the final effect and other factors may have on IAQ. These relationships are proving to be significant enough to develop predictive statistical models with high predictive capability. The current approach is to use parameters that are easily obtainable on a large scale, such as floor area, year of construction, etc., in order to avoid factors that require field measurements such as permeability. The objective of these models is to provide useful insights that could inform the development of IAQ regulations, guidelines or building renovation plans. These insights could be used to: - assess the potential IAQ in a given neighbourhood based on its building typology and construction characteristics; - identify building typologies that are more prone to IAQ problems; - evaluate the differences in occupant behaviour according to geographical location, climate, socio-economic level, etc.