Evaluating Indoor Air Quality and Energy Impacts of Ventilation in a Net-Zero Energy House Using a Coupled Model
Open accessAbstract
The National Institute of Standards and Technology constructed the Net-Zero Energy (NZE) Residential Test Facility to support the development and adoption of cost-effective NZE designs and technologies. In support of indoor air quality goals, contaminant source control approaches were implemented that minimized the use of products containing urea-formaldehyde resin and utilized products with relatively low volatile organic compound emissions. Indoor and outdoor concentrations of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were measured approximately monthly for 15 months. Independent emission measurements of formaldehyde were made in a small chamber system to determine the emission rates from samples of the wood flooring, plywood, and wood cabinetry taken from the house. Blower door tests were performed to determine the leakage area of the exterior envelope, the interior floors, and transfer grilles between floors. Real-time formaldehyde concentration and energy measurements were used to verify the indoor concentrations and energy predictions of a coupled CONTAM-EnergyPlus model of the house. The verified model was then used to evaluate the impacts of different outdoor air ventilation rates on indoor concentrations and energy. This work demonstrates the need for consideration of source control options during product selection and the provision of mechanical ventilation, especially in homes with relatively airtight envelopes.
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Recirculated indoor air may convey an excessive level of CO2.
“as recirculated indoor air may convey an excessive level of CO2 [5].”
From A Microalgae Photobioreactor System for Indoor Air Remediation: Empirical Examination of the CO2 Absorption Performance of Spirulina maxima in a NaHCO3-Reduced Medium (2023) · cites this paper as [5]
The Introduction says the study modeled formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, and the Conclusion says lower outdoor-air ventilation can increase indoor contaminants. Neither passage addresses excessive CO2 conveyed by recirculated air; searches for CO2, carbon dioxide, and recirculation found no passage establishing that point. (LLM, conf=0.76)
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- Authors
- Ng, L., Poppendieck, D., Dols, W. S., & Emmerich, S. J.
- Affiliations
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ng, Lisa
- Venue
- Science and Technology for the Built Environment
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2017-11-30
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 124-134
- ISSN
- 1078-9669 (ISSN-L)
- 2374-4731
- 2374-474X
- PMC
- PMC6506835
- OpenAlex
- W2771374661
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Science and Technology for the Built Environment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Indoor Air Quality and Microbial Exposure
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Building Energy and Comfort Optimization
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Building energy efficiency and sustainability
- Keywords
- net-zero energy house, indoor air quality, mechanical ventilation, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, volatile organic compounds, source control, urea-formaldehyde resin, blower door testing, air leakage, coupled simulation model
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