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Ecolibrium
                                                                   AUGUST 2010 · VOLUME 9.7




TH E OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AIR AH




How living green
walls improve
indoor air quality
                                                                          Australian Institute
                                     achieving the Green Dream
                                                                           of Refrigeration
                                                                           Air Conditioning
                                                                              and Heating
                                     Tomorrow’s technology today
                                       September 16–17, 2010
                                             Melbourne
                                                                          Please consider the environment
                                                                          and recycle this magazine if you
                                                                              are not going to keep it.
  Do you deserve     NSW’s tallest         Livin’
    an award?       green building      the dream                         Print Post approval number PP352532/00001
EDITORIAL




    Thankyou Captain Obvious
    I can recall that not long into my             “But given the very real benefits of good
    professional working life (as opposed          IAQ, the potentially serious consequences
    to that seemingly endless period of            of poor IAQ and the ability to design,
    character-building physical labour,            construct and operate buildings with
    spiritually enlightening but financially       good IAQ using existing knowledge
    unsatisfactory volunteer positions,            and without incurring significant costs,
    internships and the like) I actually           building owners, designers and other
    plucked up the courage to express an           professionals need a better appreciation
    opinion among my new colleagues.               of the importance of providing good
                                                   IAQ in their buildings.”
    It was the type of environment where
    the ability to opine, to climb up on one’s     In the story that begins on p.24,
    high horse, to give everyone an insight        Dr Ronald Wood (surely an example
    into your way of thinking – and the more       of nominative determinism) takes
    contrarian the better – was one of the         a closer look at living green walls
    most highly regarded of skills.                and the role they can play in
                                                   improving work environments.
    And I can’t remember the exact nature of
    my assertion or even the subject matter        Fascinatingly, many of the gains
    (sports, politics, culture – the topic in      made in the field have resulted
    question was less important than the           from NASA research.
    attitude) but I do remember the cutting
                                                   You’d think too, that by now most                                           Matt Dillon
    riposte from my boss: “Well thankyou
                                                   buildings would have their controls                                              Editor
    Captain Obvious”.
                                                   operating and working as they should,
    Oh. Really? Was it that patently obvious, I    but this is not the case.
                                                                                               guideline will help achieve best practice
    remember thinking at the time? I thought
                                                   Indeed, in an Australian first, AIRAH       through the establishment of technical,
    that I’d bought something new and
                                                   is in the throes of putting together the    functional and commissioning standards
    refreshing to the table but evidently not.
                                                   Australian Best Practice Guideline for      for performance outcomes.”
    Perhaps the obvious is not always that, at
                                                   Controls (DA28). It will be the go-to
    least not to me.                                                                           Elsewhere in this issue we chat to
                                                   resource for anyone associated with
                                                                                               outgoing ASHRAE president Gordon
    For instance you’d think that making           implementing controls in buildings.
                                                                                               Holness, who believes that by getting
    indoor air quality (IAQ) as good as
                                                   “Building controls are now more             buildings to function as they are designed
    possible would be a no-brainer.
                                                   important than ever,” says Mark             – by correctly commissioning them and
    Yet when you check out this issue’s cover      Mitchell, general managers, projects,       recommissioning them on a continuing
    story you’ll see that’s not always the case.   for A.G. Coombs, in the article.            basis – and moving towards more peak-
                                                                                               sensitive HVAC systems – the building
    “IAQ is not a primary design or building       “It comes down to the difference            industry can reduce the need for more
    management issue compared to function,         between an HVAC system that simply          power stations.
    cost, space, aesthetics and attributes such    works, and a system that works while
    as location and parking,” said Andrew          using the minimum amount of energy          It’s obvious really.   ❚
    Persily of the US National Institute           – and controls are at the heart of that
    of Standards and Technology.                   difference. An Australian best practice




4   E co l i b r i u m   •   AU G U S T 2 0 1 0
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                                       Moss planted on this biowall at the University of Toronto is kept moist by water constantly running down the walls,
                                                                                                                  which absorb contaminants from the air.




     The plant room
     One of the lessons provided by NASA research, writes Ronald Wood, is that closed
     environments, whether extraterrestrial or decidedly Earth-bound, can be substantially
     enhanced by nature’s life-support system: plants.

     In the beginning                                     astronauts breathe – air not given the            requirements of a single test subject for
                                                          natural cleansing by the Earth’s complex          15 days. A Lockheed engineer (Nigel)
     Space missions rely totally on recycled              ecosystem.                                        volunteered for the test.
     air for breathing, because unlike building
     ventilation there is no possibility of               NASA researcher Dr Bill Wolverton                 The primary objectives were:
     outside air introduction.                            said that the solution was natural.               •	 Demonstrate the ability of a wheat
     Among the air revitalisation systems                 “If man is to move into closed                       crop to continuously provide the CO2
     tested, NASA’s Advanced Life Support                 environments on Earth or in space,”                  removal and O2 supply functions for
     project successfully demonstrated the use            Wolverton says, “he must take along                  the air revitalisation of a single human
     of plants for air revitalisation for humans,         nature’s life support system: plants.”               test subject for 15 days.
     and the robustness of the plant systems as                                                             •	 Demonstrate three different
                                                          NASA commenced the subsequent
     part of a human life support system.                                                                      methods of control of the O2
                                                          experimental program Closed Ecological
     NASA has also shown that plants can be               Life Support Systems, which was part                 and CO2 concentrations
     integrated into regenerative life-support            of the preparation for the Human                     for the human/plant system.
     systems and controlled to provide a                  Exploration and Development                       •	 Monitor populations of
     specific desired performance.                        of Space (HEDS) Mission.                             microorganisms important
                                                                                                               to human and plant health.
     In 1973 NASA scientists identified                   As part of this project, a test at the
     more than 100 VOCs in the air inside                 Johnson Space Centre in Houston was               Eleven sq m of dwarf wheat plants
     the Skylab space station. These were                 conducted in a sealed chamber. The                consumed the CO2 and generated O2
     low-level emissions from synthetic                   idea was to demonstrate the use of                equal to that required by one person
     materials recirculating in the air the               plants to provide the air revitalisation          over 24 hours.


24   Eco l i b r i u m  •   AUGU S T 2 0 1 0
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We have lift-off                                producing clean, purified air                  For comparison, the Property Council
                                                to complement conventional HVAC                of Australia’s best-practice existing
This test clearly demonstrated how the          air filtration.                                office building tenant light and power
plant system could be managed with                                                             consumption is 62.5kWh/m2 for a
engineering input to achieve high-quality       This is a practical example of industrial      building in operation 10 hours a day,
recycled air for astronauts to breathe.         ecology - an industrial process involving      250 days a year.
Three distinct control methods were             a closed loop where waste becomes input
used:                                           for new processes – as happens in nature.
                                                In an Australian first, engineering
                                                                                                  “
                                                                                                   Indoor air quality is more
•	 Optimised conditions for the plants                                                               than thermal comfort and
   for maximum photosynthetic                   consultants Umow Lai  Associates,
   output – integrated physicochemical          installed five living wall biofilters
                                                                                                     humidity; it is the air that
   systems to complement biological air         that filter the indoor air in its                    penetrates into our lungs,
   revitalisation.                              tenancy, complementing the                           providing the vital life
•	 Actively controlling the level of
                                                conventional air filtration (see
                                                Ecolibrium, September 2009).
                                                                                                     force: oxygen        ”
   biological air revitalisation by
   modulating the photosynthetic photon         The pay-off is a healthy work                  The NABERS (ABGR) 5 Star benchmark
   flux (light) to control the rate of          environment with improved productivity,        for office tenants is equivalent to 52kWh/
   photosynthesis.                              reduced absenteeism, and a reduction in        m2. Clearly, the energy consumption
                                                ‘flu virus impacts, a result of the mid-       associated with biowalls is relatively
•	 Passively controlling the level of                                                          minor, and represents minimal ongoing
                                                range relative humidity from the planted
   biological air revitalisation by limiting                                                   energy costs.
                                                walls.
   the amount of available CO2 to control
   the rate of photosynthesis.                  Canadian architecture firm Diamond and         The biowall can move 0.1m3/m2/sec, and
                                                Schmitt Architects has installed biowalls      coupled with the fact that typical system
Similar to conventional industrial                                                             pressure drops are less than 75Pa, mainly
                                                into a number of projects, including the
waste gas stream air pollution                                                                 from the diffusers rather than the wall,
                                                refurbishment of Cambridge City Hall,
control (APC) technology, the                                                                  it explains why biofilters are inexpensive
                                                with spectacular and effective results.
process of bioremediation results in a                                                         to operate relative to other control
biochemical change as contaminants                                                             technologies. The pressure drop across
or pollutants are metabolised by                Design implications                            the mechanical filters in a typical HVAC
micro-organisms and broken down
into harmless, stable constituents,
                                                for architects                                 system in a standard office building is
                                                                                               generally less than or equal to 124Pa. The
such as CO2, water, and salts.                  and engineers                                  pressure drop across a HEPA filter can
Biological reactors are good at treating        A living wall biofilter gives the option       range from 250 – 500Pa.
highly complex and highly variable              of minimum code-compliant fresh-air
                                                                                               Local filtration reduces unwanted gaseous
waste gas streams over a wide range             rates, reducing the need for increased
                                                                                               pollutant and particle re-circulation, with
of contaminant concentrations and               ventilation by filtering up to 0.1 m3/m2/
                                                                                               potential improvement in productivity
loading rates, and the environmental            sec while delivering high-quality fresh air
                                                                                               from breathing cleaner air, while
engineering community increasingly              to building occupants at low cost, either
                                                                                               providing protection for the HVAC
has recognised that the use of                  incorporated into the building’s air-
                                                                                               components.
bioreactors for the treatment of air            handling system or as a free-standing unit.
(for removal of odours and various              There is no by-pass – all of the air goes
volatile compounds) often provides              through the biofilter and low pressure
                                                                                               Clear air,
economic and operational benefits.              drop provides energy savings. The              money saving
                                                technology can have a substantial impact       Cleaner air and money savings obviously
Living wall biofilter                           on the energy balance and air quality of       sound like a good idea, but how can they
                                                a space, as well as reducing ventilation       be achieved? Reducing the ventilation rate
Based on the proven technology from             rates, while protecting the components of      is a good place to start.
the NASA results and other plant-based          the air-handling system.
research, environmentally active gas-                                                          Usually, increasing the ventilation rate is
phase biofilters have been developed            A living wall biofilter has low operating      intended to improve air quality. However,
to deliver improved indoor air quality,         and maintenance costs relative to              irrespective of building ventilation
remove air contaminants, reduce CO2             other filtration technologies. The water       design, ventilation rates, dilution mixing
levels and promote the concept of best-         recirculation pump for a planted wall and      of building air, displacement ventilation
practice indoor air quality for the health      the fan that moves the air through the         with 100 per cent “fresh air”, or mixed
and well-being of building occupants.           system are the only two energy sinks in        mode, inherently polluted outdoor air
                                                the system.                                    combines and reacts with contaminants
A living wall biofilter is a vertical planted
                                                                                               generated indoors, resulting in poorer air
wall that actively draws contaminated           The kWh/m2 floor area consumption for
                                                                                               quality - even creating indoor smog in the
indoor air through the planted wall. Here       the water pump is 2, and the plenum fan
                                                                                               presence of ozone (Weschler 2006).
the photosynthesising plants and their          is 0.2 for a total 2.2kWh/m2 floor area, for
root microorganisms break down the              an open plan biowall ventilated floor area     Building outdoor air intakes less than
contaminants to simple CO2 and water,           of 450m2.                                      60m above ground level are associated


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     with significant increases in health-          Humans are convective heat sources             reaction rates fast enough to compete
     related symptoms in office workers, with       causing increased contaminant                  with ventilation rates (Weschler 2006).
     40–140 per cent increased odds of this         concentrations in the breathing zone,
                                                                                                   Conventional air filters do not remove
     occurring (US EPA Base Study 2008).            with super micron particles up to 5-10
                                                                                                   these gaseous air contaminants, and
                                                    micron showing a “boomerang” effect
     Current ventilation standards, based                                                          are generally inefficient for the smaller
                                                    (Bolster and Linden, 2007).
     historically on non-health-related                                                            respirable particulates.
     criteria, such as perception of odour,         Displacement ventilation involves              The disadvantage of conventional
     may not be health-protective (Mendell          supplying “fresh” air from the air supply      high-efficiency particle and chemical
     et al, 2008).                                  diffusers located near the floor. The air      filters are the high initial, operation and
     Although ventilation rates above 10l/          rises as it is heated and displaces the hot    maintenance costs
     sec-person may reduce adverse health           contaminated air to the ceiling, where it
     symptoms for building occupants, it            is removed.
     comes at the cost of increased energy
                                                                                                   Are we measuring
                                                    It is widely believed that low-energy
     usage. Doubling the ventilation rate           displacement ventilation systems can be        the right indoor
     increases costs by about 5 per cent. More      better than traditional mixing systems         air pollutants?
     than 40 per cent of primary energy is          at removing contaminants from a space.         “There is no quantitative definition of
     used for buildings in EU countries and in      This is because there is a belief that these   acceptable IAQ that can be necessarily met
     the US (Seppanen, 2008), and is likely to      systems will use the same mechanism for        by measuring one or more contaminants,”
     be similar in Australia. Bottom line: there    contaminant removal as they do for heat        ASHRAE Standard 62.1 states.
     is great potential for significant energy      removal, where they are clearly
     conservation in the commercial building        more efficient.                                “With thousands of chemical vapours,
     sector (Seppanen, 2008).                                                                      particles and microbiological quanta

                                                       “
                                                                                                   that can be in the air, a direct measure
                                                        Compliance with energy
                                                                                                   of these constituents is in practical
     The vital life force                                 rating schemes does not                  terms impossible. Concentrations
     There is generally little individual choice          of itself deliver clean,                 that affect humans are typically so
     over the quality of the ambient air that                                                      small that expensive instruments (and
                                                          breathable air. Only high-
     we breathe indoors, or the total daily                                                        methodologies) are required. Moreover,
     exposure.                                            performance filtration                   benchmark thresholds for safe levels are
     Indoor air quality is more than thermal
                                                          can provide this        ”                generally unknown.”
     comfort and humidity; it is the air that                                                      Unlike ambient air, which has the NEPC
                                                    The heat-extraction problem exploits
     penetrates into our lungs, providing the                                                      (National Environment Protection
     vital life force: oxygen.                      the natural stratification that develops,
                                                                                                   Council) and the NEPMs (National
                                                    extracting the warmest air that naturally
     Ventilation alone cannot deal with                                                            Environment Protection Measures),
                                                    sits at the top of the room. However,
     all types of contaminants in a room.                                                          indoor air quality has no coordinated
                                                    there is no physical justification as to
                                                                                                   system of control, or even a single area
     Without effective high-quality filtration,     why this location should correspond to
                                                                                                   of government (local, state or federal)
     increased “fresh air” simply increases         the location of maximum contaminant
                                                                                                   taking responsibility for it.
     energy costs without a commensurate            concentration. In fact, many times it does
     improvement in indoor air quality.             not (Bolster and Linden, 2007).                A major difference between indoor and
                                                                                                   outdoor environments is that for a given
     An increased ventilation rate may only
                                                                                                   volume of air there are far more surfaces
     be treating the symptoms rather than the       Surface chemistry                              indoors. ~ 3 m2/ m3 vs. 0.01 m2 /m3.
     cause, and additional airflow from these
     ventilation modes substantially increases
                                                    on building filters
     building operating costs, consuming as         Loaded particulate filters contribute to       “Low-environmental-
                                                    reduced air quality. The surface area of
     much as 30 per cent of the total energy
     use (Seppanen, 2008).                          captured particles can easily approach
                                                                                                    impact” products
                                                    600m2 (for a filter area of 0.36m2).           To achieve the maximum interior star
     Compliance with energy rating schemes                                                         rating, manufactured products with
     does not of itself deliver clean, breathable   Increasing the outdoor flow rate increases     relatively low environmental impact
     air. Only high-performance filtration can      the source strength of the filter.             are chosen to reduce the impact of
     provide this. To be able to breathe deeply                                                    toxic emissions. There are no clear
     is not a luxury it’s a necessity.              The proportionality between pollution
                                                    load and flow rate holds at airflows up to     Australian standards, goals or guidelines
                                                    and well above the flow rates commonly         for pollutants that may be emitted
     The air we                                     used in ventilation systems.                   by a product.
     breathe indoors                                Chemical reactions occur on filters
                                                                                                   Building materials emit a myriad of
                                                                                                   reactive constituents and secondary
     More than 50 per cent of the air we            (filter cake) resulting in the formation
                                                                                                   products.
     breathe comes from contact with the floor      of noxious compounds. For example,
     around us, with dust exposure up to eight      ozone adsorption on particulates, ozone/       For instance, the US EPA advises “no-
     hours or more per day.                         limonene and ozone /alpha pinene have          VOC” latex paint does not necessarily


26   Eco l i b r i u m  •   AUGU S T 2 0 1 0
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mean no emissions. Linseed oil used as a drying agent in “low
VOC paints” can react with ozone, nitrogen oxides or hydroxides
(usually from outside supply air) to form oxidation products that
are potentially irritating or harmful to health (Weschler 2006).
Triphenyl phosphate is an additive flame retardant and/or
plasticiser used in electronic goods such as visual display units.
It is continually emitted into indoor air during normal computer
operations (500C), and has a documented allergenic effect
(Carlsson et al 2000).
There are more than 75 different brominated flame retardants
used commercially, some of which are additive or reactive
components in polymers such as polystyrene foams, high-impact
polystyrene.
Various “green” or “ecological” materials chosen to mitigate
health problems related to indoor air may actually be
contributing to the problem as a consequence of chemical
transformations.
The analytical methods routinely used in indoor air
investigations are missing “biologically relevant” compounds.
The term “stealth pollutants” is being used to describe these
chemicals, which produce adverse health effects.

Filtration for enhanced IAQ
ASHRAE Standard 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-
Performance Green Buildings (2010) with a proposed addendum
62.1.c, will add performance-based air cleaning requirements
to the standard, for new buildings and major renovation projects.
Doubtless this will improve indoor air quality through better
filtration.
The US Green Building Council LEED rating provides an
innovation credit for “enhanced IAQ”. The requirements for this
credit are described as:
•	 Modify industry technologies to create a composite filter
   that is not only capable of removing common particulate
   matter but also provides removal of gases that are commonly
   associated with military warfare or terrorism.
•	 Provide an extremely high level of indoor air filtration
   by installing a four-stage air filtration system composed
   of 85 per cent efficient prefilter, 99.95 per cent efficient HEPA
   filter, and a carbon filter, and address associated pressure
   drops for the installation.
•	 Demonstrate a comprehensive design approach that has
   quantifiable environmental benefits, including calculation
   of airborne contaminants that this system removes compared
   to traditional systems.
The Green Building Council of Australia’s innovation category
has been introduced to recognise a strategy or technology that
has a significant environmental benefit, not otherwise awarded
points by Green Star - Office Interiors.

Prospects for better indoor air
The USEPA recently conducted a study to identify current
advanced filtration technologies that could be used as a starting
point for further developing an advanced air-filtration system for
a building’s HVAC system to help remove biological agents from


                                                                       AUGU S T 2 0 1 0   • Eco l i b r i u m   27
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     the building environment. (Assessment         Although HEPA filters provide high           allergenic flame retardant triphenyl
     of Advanced Building Air Filtration           filtration efficiency, they are not          phosphate in the indoor environment.
     Systems, November 2008).                      necessarily appropriate for HVAC             Environmental Science and Technology,
                                                   applications. As a general rule, existing    Vol. 34(18), pp.3885-3889.
         “
          Clearly, the energy                      HVAC systems cannot be upgraded to
                                                   HEPA filters without a complete retrofit     EPA 2008. Building Assessment Survey
            consumption associated                                                              and Evaluation (BASE) Study.
                                                   of the air-handling system due to the
            with biowalls is relatively            high pressure drop and potential leakage     Washington, DC; U.S. Environmental
            minor, and represents                  associated with them.                        Protection Agency, Washington. DC.
            minimal ongoing                        High-efficiency filters (MERV 15 and 16)     Mendell Mark J., Lei-Gomez Quanhong
            energy costs          ”                are recommended by filter manufacturers
                                                   as a cost-effective alternative to HEPA
                                                                                                and Apte Michael G., 2008, Ventilation
                                                                                                (estimated three ways) and building –
     The advanced air filtration system should     filters for maximum particulate removal.     related symptoms in U.S. office buildings
     provide a lower pressure drop than                                                         – The U.S. EPA BASE study.
                                                   Currently, there is no performance
     conventional high-efficiency particulate                                                   In; Proceedings Indoor Air 2008, 17-22
                                                   criteria established for HVAC air
     filters, with higher or equivalent                                                         August 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark, 158.
                                                   filtration systems designed to protect
     efficiency and comparable or lower cost.
                                                   building occupants against biological        NASA Advanced Life Support Project
     The requirements were established             agents because there are no defined “safe”
     considering two criteria: (a) has better      levels of exposure to biological threat      Ott WR. and Roberts JW. (1988)
     performance than the high-efficiency          agents.                                      “Everyday exposure to toxic pollutants”
     filters (MERV 14, 15, and 16) and (b)                                                      Scientific American, 278(2): 86-91.
     does not exceed the pressure-drop             The very real                                Persily A. 2008. Development of a design
     limit that common HVAC systems can
     accommodate.                                  benefits of good IAQ                         guide to improve building IAQ. In;
                                                                                                Proceedings Indoor Air 2008, 17-22 August
     The performance requirements established      Andrew Persily of the US National
                                                                                                2008 Copenhagen, Denmark, 857.
     were a 99.9 per cent removal efficiency for   Institute of Standards and Technology,
     aerosols with a 1-µm diameter (optical        and co-authors from ASHRAE, BOMA,            Seppanen, O. 2008, Scientific basis
     diameter) and with a pressure drop of less    USGBC, and USEPA, (Persily et al 2008),      for design of ventilation for health,
                                                   have put the case for improved indoor air    productivity and good energy efficiency
     than 0.5 in. H2O (124Pa).
                                                   quality very succinctly.                     In; Proceedings Indoor Air 2008, 17-22
                                                   “IAQ is still not a primary design or        August 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark, 744.
                                                   building management issue compared
         Living wall                               to function, cost, space, aesthetics and
                                                                                                US EPA Final Report on the “Assessment
                                                                                                of Advanced Building Air Filtration
         biofilters,                               attributes such as location and parking,”
                                                   the authors say.
                                                                                                Systems” November 2008.
         the benefits                              “But given the very real benefits of good    Weschler C., 2006 Ozone’s impact on
         •	 A continuous supply of                 IAQ, the potentially serious consequences    public health. Environmental Health
            fresh, clean breathable air            of poor IAQ and the ability to design,       Perspectives, 2006, 114, 1489.
         •	 An increase in the indoor              construct and operate buildings with
                                                                                                Wood RA, et al (2002) Potted plant-
            O2 levels and a reduction in           good IAQ using existing knowledge
                                                                                                growth media: interactions and capacities
            the concentration of CO2               and without incurring significant costs,
                                                                                                in removal of volatiles from indoor air.
         •	 Protection of the air-                 building owners, designers and other
                                                                                                J. Env.Hort and Biotech. 77 (1): 120-129.
            handling system’s                      professionals need a better appreciation
            components.                            of the importance of providing good IAQ
         •	 Reduces unwanted                       in their buildings.”  ❚
            gaseous pollutant and
            particle re-circulation                References
         •	 Relative humidities in the
                                                   AS 1668.2:2002 The use of ventilation
            40 per cent to 50 per cent                                                             About the author
            range, which are the least             and air-conditioning in buildings.
                                                                                                   Director of Innovative Plant
            favourable to the survival
                                                   ASHRAE 2009, Performance                        Technology, Dr Ronald Wood is
            of many viruses
                                                   Measurement Protocols for Commercial            an environmental scientist and
         •	 Reduced ventilation                    Buildings.                                      consultant in indoor air quality
            requirements, resulting in                                                             improvement for the health and
            significant energy savings.            Bolster, D. and Linden, P., 2007,               well-being of building occupants.
         •	 Potential Green Star                   Contaminants in ventilated filling boxes,       He is an expert on the role of
            IEQ credits.                           J. Fluid Mech., 591, 97 – 116.                  indoor plants reducing air-borne
                                                                                                   volatile organic pollutants.
                                                   Carlsson H. et al., 2000. Video Display         Email: iplant@plantscleanair.com
                                                   Units: An emission source of the contact


28   Eco l i b r i u m  •   AUGU S T 2 0 1 0
COVER FE ATURE




A Cambridge
education
There are plenty of lessons to be learned from
the new Cambridge City Hall in Cambridge,
Ontario (Canada), which was developed by
Diamond and Schmitt Architects.

The new Cambridge City Hall defines the civic precinct, which
consists of five heritage buildings, including the original town
hall built in 1857. Within this heritage context, the presence of
the new city hall is established with an open and transparent
glazed façade.
A sky-lit central atrium acts as an interior public square.                                                           Cambridge City Hall atrium
“The atrium features a four-storey plant wall bio-filter, a vertical
hydroponic system that aids in providing exceptional indoor air
quality,” say Diamond and Schmitt Architects, which designed             Energy modelling was conducted at the beginning of design
the project.                                                             to optimise building orientation and massing design, to
                                                                         envelope, mechanical and electrical systems’ specifications
The new Cambridge City Hall is the first LEED Gold (the                  to ensure appropriate consideration of first-time capital
equivalent to 5 Star Green Star) city hall in Canada.                    expense against life-cycle costing models.
                                                                         “The building automation system (BAS) ensures a comfortable
Light and air                                                            condition for the new city hall,” the architects say.
“Exemplary indoor air quality is achieved through the use of a
four-storey living wall bio-filter in the atrium,” the architects say.   Sensors and controls
“Return air is directed through the living wall where a symbiotic        “C02 sensors connected to the BAS send greater ventilation
plant/microbe ecosystem consumes volatile organic compounds              to occupied spaces and reduce ventilation to unoccupied
and other air contaminants. The cleansed and humidified air              spaces, saving energy and providing good air quality,”
is then distributed through the building ventilation system.             the architects explain.
Diamond and Schmitt Architects pioneered the use of bio-
filter plant walls of this kind, aiding in the development of the        The building has an independent weather station on its green
prototype and working to enhance their efficiency.”                      roof that relays information about the outside temperature,
                                                                         barometer and wind, which is tied into the monitoring systems
The building’s design allows natural light to penetrate                  to enable efficient operations. All staff areas feature LED
deep into the building. Skylights in the central, four-storey            message boards to communicate to employees. Prompts to
atrium provide abundant daylight and promote natural                     close the windows on extremely hot days and other messages
ventilation. Operable windows throughout the building allow              are conveyed to conserve energy and reduce cooling costs.
light and cooler air to enter at low levels. More than 75 per
                                                                         Several energy-efficiency measures have been implemented in
cent of staff workspaces have access to operable windows
                                                                         the mechanical design including a high-efficiency modulating
and more than 95 per cent have views to the outside.
                                                                         gas boiler and a condensing water heater, glycol loop heat
                                                                         recovery, variable frequency drives on pumps and an energy-
Energy use                                                               efficient chiller with free cooling mode.
Cambridge City Hall has an energy cost performance of 42                 The projected annual electrical energy consumption
per cent compared to the Canadian Model National Energy                  is 895 MJ/m2/year.
Code for Buildings. A conservative estimate comparing
                                                                         For more information, go to www.dsai.ca
a standard building of the same size to the new City Hall
results in a $160,000 savings on energy per year.
Strategies to help achieve energy savings include a                        This article originally appeared in the August 2010
high-performance building envelope with energy-                            edition of Ecolibrium. It is reprinted with permission.
efficient windows, increased insulation and sun                            www.airah.org.au
shading to reduce the solar heat gain.


                                                                                                         AUGU S T 2 0 1 0   • Eco l i b r i u m   29

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Eco August 2010 Cover Story

  • 1. Ecolibrium AUGUST 2010 · VOLUME 9.7 TH E OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF AIR AH How living green walls improve indoor air quality Australian Institute achieving the Green Dream of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating Tomorrow’s technology today September 16–17, 2010 Melbourne Please consider the environment and recycle this magazine if you are not going to keep it. Do you deserve NSW’s tallest Livin’ an award? green building the dream Print Post approval number PP352532/00001
  • 2. EDITORIAL Thankyou Captain Obvious I can recall that not long into my “But given the very real benefits of good professional working life (as opposed IAQ, the potentially serious consequences to that seemingly endless period of of poor IAQ and the ability to design, character-building physical labour, construct and operate buildings with spiritually enlightening but financially good IAQ using existing knowledge unsatisfactory volunteer positions, and without incurring significant costs, internships and the like) I actually building owners, designers and other plucked up the courage to express an professionals need a better appreciation opinion among my new colleagues. of the importance of providing good IAQ in their buildings.” It was the type of environment where the ability to opine, to climb up on one’s In the story that begins on p.24, high horse, to give everyone an insight Dr Ronald Wood (surely an example into your way of thinking – and the more of nominative determinism) takes contrarian the better – was one of the a closer look at living green walls most highly regarded of skills. and the role they can play in improving work environments. And I can’t remember the exact nature of my assertion or even the subject matter Fascinatingly, many of the gains (sports, politics, culture – the topic in made in the field have resulted question was less important than the from NASA research. attitude) but I do remember the cutting You’d think too, that by now most Matt Dillon riposte from my boss: “Well thankyou buildings would have their controls Editor Captain Obvious”. operating and working as they should, Oh. Really? Was it that patently obvious, I but this is not the case. guideline will help achieve best practice remember thinking at the time? I thought Indeed, in an Australian first, AIRAH through the establishment of technical, that I’d bought something new and is in the throes of putting together the functional and commissioning standards refreshing to the table but evidently not. Australian Best Practice Guideline for for performance outcomes.” Perhaps the obvious is not always that, at Controls (DA28). It will be the go-to least not to me. Elsewhere in this issue we chat to resource for anyone associated with outgoing ASHRAE president Gordon For instance you’d think that making implementing controls in buildings. Holness, who believes that by getting indoor air quality (IAQ) as good as “Building controls are now more buildings to function as they are designed possible would be a no-brainer. important than ever,” says Mark – by correctly commissioning them and Yet when you check out this issue’s cover Mitchell, general managers, projects, recommissioning them on a continuing story you’ll see that’s not always the case. for A.G. Coombs, in the article. basis – and moving towards more peak- sensitive HVAC systems – the building “IAQ is not a primary design or building “It comes down to the difference industry can reduce the need for more management issue compared to function, between an HVAC system that simply power stations. cost, space, aesthetics and attributes such works, and a system that works while as location and parking,” said Andrew using the minimum amount of energy It’s obvious really.   ❚ Persily of the US National Institute – and controls are at the heart of that of Standards and Technology. difference. An Australian best practice 4 E co l i b r i u m   •   AU G U S T 2 0 1 0
  • 3. COVER FE ATURE Moss planted on this biowall at the University of Toronto is kept moist by water constantly running down the walls, which absorb contaminants from the air. The plant room One of the lessons provided by NASA research, writes Ronald Wood, is that closed environments, whether extraterrestrial or decidedly Earth-bound, can be substantially enhanced by nature’s life-support system: plants. In the beginning astronauts breathe – air not given the requirements of a single test subject for natural cleansing by the Earth’s complex 15 days. A Lockheed engineer (Nigel) Space missions rely totally on recycled ecosystem. volunteered for the test. air for breathing, because unlike building ventilation there is no possibility of NASA researcher Dr Bill Wolverton The primary objectives were: outside air introduction. said that the solution was natural. • Demonstrate the ability of a wheat Among the air revitalisation systems “If man is to move into closed crop to continuously provide the CO2 tested, NASA’s Advanced Life Support environments on Earth or in space,” removal and O2 supply functions for project successfully demonstrated the use Wolverton says, “he must take along the air revitalisation of a single human of plants for air revitalisation for humans, nature’s life support system: plants.” test subject for 15 days. and the robustness of the plant systems as • Demonstrate three different NASA commenced the subsequent part of a human life support system. methods of control of the O2 experimental program Closed Ecological NASA has also shown that plants can be Life Support Systems, which was part and CO2 concentrations integrated into regenerative life-support of the preparation for the Human for the human/plant system. systems and controlled to provide a Exploration and Development • Monitor populations of specific desired performance. of Space (HEDS) Mission. microorganisms important to human and plant health. In 1973 NASA scientists identified As part of this project, a test at the more than 100 VOCs in the air inside Johnson Space Centre in Houston was Eleven sq m of dwarf wheat plants the Skylab space station. These were conducted in a sealed chamber. The consumed the CO2 and generated O2 low-level emissions from synthetic idea was to demonstrate the use of equal to that required by one person materials recirculating in the air the plants to provide the air revitalisation over 24 hours. 24 Eco l i b r i u m  •   AUGU S T 2 0 1 0
  • 4. COVER FE ATURE We have lift-off producing clean, purified air For comparison, the Property Council to complement conventional HVAC of Australia’s best-practice existing This test clearly demonstrated how the air filtration. office building tenant light and power plant system could be managed with consumption is 62.5kWh/m2 for a engineering input to achieve high-quality This is a practical example of industrial building in operation 10 hours a day, recycled air for astronauts to breathe. ecology - an industrial process involving 250 days a year. Three distinct control methods were a closed loop where waste becomes input used: for new processes – as happens in nature. In an Australian first, engineering “ Indoor air quality is more • Optimised conditions for the plants than thermal comfort and for maximum photosynthetic consultants Umow Lai Associates, output – integrated physicochemical installed five living wall biofilters humidity; it is the air that systems to complement biological air that filter the indoor air in its penetrates into our lungs, revitalisation. tenancy, complementing the providing the vital life • Actively controlling the level of conventional air filtration (see Ecolibrium, September 2009). force: oxygen ” biological air revitalisation by modulating the photosynthetic photon The pay-off is a healthy work The NABERS (ABGR) 5 Star benchmark flux (light) to control the rate of environment with improved productivity, for office tenants is equivalent to 52kWh/ photosynthesis. reduced absenteeism, and a reduction in m2. Clearly, the energy consumption ‘flu virus impacts, a result of the mid- associated with biowalls is relatively • Passively controlling the level of minor, and represents minimal ongoing range relative humidity from the planted biological air revitalisation by limiting energy costs. walls. the amount of available CO2 to control the rate of photosynthesis. Canadian architecture firm Diamond and The biowall can move 0.1m3/m2/sec, and Schmitt Architects has installed biowalls coupled with the fact that typical system Similar to conventional industrial pressure drops are less than 75Pa, mainly into a number of projects, including the waste gas stream air pollution from the diffusers rather than the wall, refurbishment of Cambridge City Hall, control (APC) technology, the it explains why biofilters are inexpensive with spectacular and effective results. process of bioremediation results in a to operate relative to other control biochemical change as contaminants technologies. The pressure drop across or pollutants are metabolised by Design implications the mechanical filters in a typical HVAC micro-organisms and broken down into harmless, stable constituents, for architects system in a standard office building is generally less than or equal to 124Pa. The such as CO2, water, and salts. and engineers pressure drop across a HEPA filter can Biological reactors are good at treating A living wall biofilter gives the option range from 250 – 500Pa. highly complex and highly variable of minimum code-compliant fresh-air Local filtration reduces unwanted gaseous waste gas streams over a wide range rates, reducing the need for increased pollutant and particle re-circulation, with of contaminant concentrations and ventilation by filtering up to 0.1 m3/m2/ potential improvement in productivity loading rates, and the environmental sec while delivering high-quality fresh air from breathing cleaner air, while engineering community increasingly to building occupants at low cost, either providing protection for the HVAC has recognised that the use of incorporated into the building’s air- components. bioreactors for the treatment of air handling system or as a free-standing unit. (for removal of odours and various There is no by-pass – all of the air goes volatile compounds) often provides through the biofilter and low pressure Clear air, economic and operational benefits. drop provides energy savings. The money saving technology can have a substantial impact Cleaner air and money savings obviously Living wall biofilter on the energy balance and air quality of sound like a good idea, but how can they a space, as well as reducing ventilation be achieved? Reducing the ventilation rate Based on the proven technology from rates, while protecting the components of is a good place to start. the NASA results and other plant-based the air-handling system. research, environmentally active gas- Usually, increasing the ventilation rate is phase biofilters have been developed A living wall biofilter has low operating intended to improve air quality. However, to deliver improved indoor air quality, and maintenance costs relative to irrespective of building ventilation remove air contaminants, reduce CO2 other filtration technologies. The water design, ventilation rates, dilution mixing levels and promote the concept of best- recirculation pump for a planted wall and of building air, displacement ventilation practice indoor air quality for the health the fan that moves the air through the with 100 per cent “fresh air”, or mixed and well-being of building occupants. system are the only two energy sinks in mode, inherently polluted outdoor air the system. combines and reacts with contaminants A living wall biofilter is a vertical planted generated indoors, resulting in poorer air wall that actively draws contaminated The kWh/m2 floor area consumption for quality - even creating indoor smog in the indoor air through the planted wall. Here the water pump is 2, and the plenum fan presence of ozone (Weschler 2006). the photosynthesising plants and their is 0.2 for a total 2.2kWh/m2 floor area, for root microorganisms break down the an open plan biowall ventilated floor area Building outdoor air intakes less than contaminants to simple CO2 and water, of 450m2. 60m above ground level are associated AUGU S T 2 0 1 0   • Eco l i b r i u m 25
  • 5. COVER FE ATURE with significant increases in health- Humans are convective heat sources reaction rates fast enough to compete related symptoms in office workers, with causing increased contaminant with ventilation rates (Weschler 2006). 40–140 per cent increased odds of this concentrations in the breathing zone, Conventional air filters do not remove occurring (US EPA Base Study 2008). with super micron particles up to 5-10 these gaseous air contaminants, and micron showing a “boomerang” effect Current ventilation standards, based are generally inefficient for the smaller (Bolster and Linden, 2007). historically on non-health-related respirable particulates. criteria, such as perception of odour, Displacement ventilation involves The disadvantage of conventional may not be health-protective (Mendell supplying “fresh” air from the air supply high-efficiency particle and chemical et al, 2008). diffusers located near the floor. The air filters are the high initial, operation and Although ventilation rates above 10l/ rises as it is heated and displaces the hot maintenance costs sec-person may reduce adverse health contaminated air to the ceiling, where it symptoms for building occupants, it is removed. comes at the cost of increased energy Are we measuring It is widely believed that low-energy usage. Doubling the ventilation rate displacement ventilation systems can be the right indoor increases costs by about 5 per cent. More better than traditional mixing systems air pollutants? than 40 per cent of primary energy is at removing contaminants from a space. “There is no quantitative definition of used for buildings in EU countries and in This is because there is a belief that these acceptable IAQ that can be necessarily met the US (Seppanen, 2008), and is likely to systems will use the same mechanism for by measuring one or more contaminants,” be similar in Australia. Bottom line: there contaminant removal as they do for heat ASHRAE Standard 62.1 states. is great potential for significant energy removal, where they are clearly conservation in the commercial building more efficient. “With thousands of chemical vapours, sector (Seppanen, 2008). particles and microbiological quanta “ that can be in the air, a direct measure Compliance with energy of these constituents is in practical The vital life force rating schemes does not terms impossible. Concentrations There is generally little individual choice of itself deliver clean, that affect humans are typically so over the quality of the ambient air that small that expensive instruments (and breathable air. Only high- we breathe indoors, or the total daily methodologies) are required. Moreover, exposure. performance filtration benchmark thresholds for safe levels are Indoor air quality is more than thermal can provide this ” generally unknown.” comfort and humidity; it is the air that Unlike ambient air, which has the NEPC The heat-extraction problem exploits penetrates into our lungs, providing the (National Environment Protection vital life force: oxygen. the natural stratification that develops, Council) and the NEPMs (National extracting the warmest air that naturally Ventilation alone cannot deal with Environment Protection Measures), sits at the top of the room. However, all types of contaminants in a room. indoor air quality has no coordinated there is no physical justification as to system of control, or even a single area Without effective high-quality filtration, why this location should correspond to of government (local, state or federal) increased “fresh air” simply increases the location of maximum contaminant taking responsibility for it. energy costs without a commensurate concentration. In fact, many times it does improvement in indoor air quality. not (Bolster and Linden, 2007). A major difference between indoor and outdoor environments is that for a given An increased ventilation rate may only volume of air there are far more surfaces be treating the symptoms rather than the Surface chemistry indoors. ~ 3 m2/ m3 vs. 0.01 m2 /m3. cause, and additional airflow from these ventilation modes substantially increases on building filters building operating costs, consuming as Loaded particulate filters contribute to “Low-environmental- reduced air quality. The surface area of much as 30 per cent of the total energy use (Seppanen, 2008). captured particles can easily approach impact” products 600m2 (for a filter area of 0.36m2). To achieve the maximum interior star Compliance with energy rating schemes rating, manufactured products with does not of itself deliver clean, breathable Increasing the outdoor flow rate increases relatively low environmental impact air. Only high-performance filtration can the source strength of the filter. are chosen to reduce the impact of provide this. To be able to breathe deeply toxic emissions. There are no clear is not a luxury it’s a necessity. The proportionality between pollution load and flow rate holds at airflows up to Australian standards, goals or guidelines and well above the flow rates commonly for pollutants that may be emitted The air we used in ventilation systems. by a product. breathe indoors Chemical reactions occur on filters Building materials emit a myriad of reactive constituents and secondary More than 50 per cent of the air we (filter cake) resulting in the formation products. breathe comes from contact with the floor of noxious compounds. For example, around us, with dust exposure up to eight ozone adsorption on particulates, ozone/ For instance, the US EPA advises “no- hours or more per day. limonene and ozone /alpha pinene have VOC” latex paint does not necessarily 26 Eco l i b r i u m  •   AUGU S T 2 0 1 0
  • 6. COVER FE ATURE mean no emissions. Linseed oil used as a drying agent in “low VOC paints” can react with ozone, nitrogen oxides or hydroxides (usually from outside supply air) to form oxidation products that are potentially irritating or harmful to health (Weschler 2006). Triphenyl phosphate is an additive flame retardant and/or plasticiser used in electronic goods such as visual display units. It is continually emitted into indoor air during normal computer operations (500C), and has a documented allergenic effect (Carlsson et al 2000). There are more than 75 different brominated flame retardants used commercially, some of which are additive or reactive components in polymers such as polystyrene foams, high-impact polystyrene. Various “green” or “ecological” materials chosen to mitigate health problems related to indoor air may actually be contributing to the problem as a consequence of chemical transformations. The analytical methods routinely used in indoor air investigations are missing “biologically relevant” compounds. The term “stealth pollutants” is being used to describe these chemicals, which produce adverse health effects. Filtration for enhanced IAQ ASHRAE Standard 189.1 Standard for the Design of High- Performance Green Buildings (2010) with a proposed addendum 62.1.c, will add performance-based air cleaning requirements to the standard, for new buildings and major renovation projects. Doubtless this will improve indoor air quality through better filtration. The US Green Building Council LEED rating provides an innovation credit for “enhanced IAQ”. The requirements for this credit are described as: • Modify industry technologies to create a composite filter that is not only capable of removing common particulate matter but also provides removal of gases that are commonly associated with military warfare or terrorism. • Provide an extremely high level of indoor air filtration by installing a four-stage air filtration system composed of 85 per cent efficient prefilter, 99.95 per cent efficient HEPA filter, and a carbon filter, and address associated pressure drops for the installation. • Demonstrate a comprehensive design approach that has quantifiable environmental benefits, including calculation of airborne contaminants that this system removes compared to traditional systems. The Green Building Council of Australia’s innovation category has been introduced to recognise a strategy or technology that has a significant environmental benefit, not otherwise awarded points by Green Star - Office Interiors. Prospects for better indoor air The USEPA recently conducted a study to identify current advanced filtration technologies that could be used as a starting point for further developing an advanced air-filtration system for a building’s HVAC system to help remove biological agents from AUGU S T 2 0 1 0   • Eco l i b r i u m 27
  • 7. COVER FE ATURE the building environment. (Assessment Although HEPA filters provide high allergenic flame retardant triphenyl of Advanced Building Air Filtration filtration efficiency, they are not phosphate in the indoor environment. Systems, November 2008). necessarily appropriate for HVAC Environmental Science and Technology, applications. As a general rule, existing Vol. 34(18), pp.3885-3889. “ Clearly, the energy HVAC systems cannot be upgraded to HEPA filters without a complete retrofit EPA 2008. Building Assessment Survey consumption associated and Evaluation (BASE) Study. of the air-handling system due to the with biowalls is relatively high pressure drop and potential leakage Washington, DC; U.S. Environmental minor, and represents associated with them. Protection Agency, Washington. DC. minimal ongoing High-efficiency filters (MERV 15 and 16) Mendell Mark J., Lei-Gomez Quanhong energy costs ” are recommended by filter manufacturers as a cost-effective alternative to HEPA and Apte Michael G., 2008, Ventilation (estimated three ways) and building – The advanced air filtration system should filters for maximum particulate removal. related symptoms in U.S. office buildings provide a lower pressure drop than – The U.S. EPA BASE study. Currently, there is no performance conventional high-efficiency particulate In; Proceedings Indoor Air 2008, 17-22 criteria established for HVAC air filters, with higher or equivalent August 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark, 158. filtration systems designed to protect efficiency and comparable or lower cost. building occupants against biological NASA Advanced Life Support Project The requirements were established agents because there are no defined “safe” considering two criteria: (a) has better levels of exposure to biological threat Ott WR. and Roberts JW. (1988) performance than the high-efficiency agents. “Everyday exposure to toxic pollutants” filters (MERV 14, 15, and 16) and (b) Scientific American, 278(2): 86-91. does not exceed the pressure-drop The very real Persily A. 2008. Development of a design limit that common HVAC systems can accommodate. benefits of good IAQ guide to improve building IAQ. In; Proceedings Indoor Air 2008, 17-22 August The performance requirements established Andrew Persily of the US National 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark, 857. were a 99.9 per cent removal efficiency for Institute of Standards and Technology, aerosols with a 1-µm diameter (optical and co-authors from ASHRAE, BOMA, Seppanen, O. 2008, Scientific basis diameter) and with a pressure drop of less USGBC, and USEPA, (Persily et al 2008), for design of ventilation for health, have put the case for improved indoor air productivity and good energy efficiency than 0.5 in. H2O (124Pa). quality very succinctly. In; Proceedings Indoor Air 2008, 17-22 “IAQ is still not a primary design or August 2008 Copenhagen, Denmark, 744. building management issue compared Living wall to function, cost, space, aesthetics and US EPA Final Report on the “Assessment of Advanced Building Air Filtration biofilters, attributes such as location and parking,” the authors say. Systems” November 2008. the benefits “But given the very real benefits of good Weschler C., 2006 Ozone’s impact on • A continuous supply of IAQ, the potentially serious consequences public health. Environmental Health fresh, clean breathable air of poor IAQ and the ability to design, Perspectives, 2006, 114, 1489. • An increase in the indoor construct and operate buildings with Wood RA, et al (2002) Potted plant- O2 levels and a reduction in good IAQ using existing knowledge growth media: interactions and capacities the concentration of CO2 and without incurring significant costs, in removal of volatiles from indoor air. • Protection of the air- building owners, designers and other J. Env.Hort and Biotech. 77 (1): 120-129. handling system’s professionals need a better appreciation components. of the importance of providing good IAQ • Reduces unwanted in their buildings.”  ❚ gaseous pollutant and particle re-circulation References • Relative humidities in the AS 1668.2:2002 The use of ventilation 40 per cent to 50 per cent About the author range, which are the least and air-conditioning in buildings. Director of Innovative Plant favourable to the survival ASHRAE 2009, Performance Technology, Dr Ronald Wood is of many viruses Measurement Protocols for Commercial an environmental scientist and • Reduced ventilation Buildings. consultant in indoor air quality requirements, resulting in improvement for the health and significant energy savings. Bolster, D. and Linden, P., 2007, well-being of building occupants. • Potential Green Star Contaminants in ventilated filling boxes, He is an expert on the role of IEQ credits. J. Fluid Mech., 591, 97 – 116. indoor plants reducing air-borne volatile organic pollutants. Carlsson H. et al., 2000. Video Display Email: iplant@plantscleanair.com Units: An emission source of the contact 28 Eco l i b r i u m  •   AUGU S T 2 0 1 0
  • 8. COVER FE ATURE A Cambridge education There are plenty of lessons to be learned from the new Cambridge City Hall in Cambridge, Ontario (Canada), which was developed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects. The new Cambridge City Hall defines the civic precinct, which consists of five heritage buildings, including the original town hall built in 1857. Within this heritage context, the presence of the new city hall is established with an open and transparent glazed façade. A sky-lit central atrium acts as an interior public square. Cambridge City Hall atrium “The atrium features a four-storey plant wall bio-filter, a vertical hydroponic system that aids in providing exceptional indoor air quality,” say Diamond and Schmitt Architects, which designed Energy modelling was conducted at the beginning of design the project. to optimise building orientation and massing design, to envelope, mechanical and electrical systems’ specifications The new Cambridge City Hall is the first LEED Gold (the to ensure appropriate consideration of first-time capital equivalent to 5 Star Green Star) city hall in Canada. expense against life-cycle costing models. “The building automation system (BAS) ensures a comfortable Light and air condition for the new city hall,” the architects say. “Exemplary indoor air quality is achieved through the use of a four-storey living wall bio-filter in the atrium,” the architects say. Sensors and controls “Return air is directed through the living wall where a symbiotic “C02 sensors connected to the BAS send greater ventilation plant/microbe ecosystem consumes volatile organic compounds to occupied spaces and reduce ventilation to unoccupied and other air contaminants. The cleansed and humidified air spaces, saving energy and providing good air quality,” is then distributed through the building ventilation system. the architects explain. Diamond and Schmitt Architects pioneered the use of bio- filter plant walls of this kind, aiding in the development of the The building has an independent weather station on its green prototype and working to enhance their efficiency.” roof that relays information about the outside temperature, barometer and wind, which is tied into the monitoring systems The building’s design allows natural light to penetrate to enable efficient operations. All staff areas feature LED deep into the building. Skylights in the central, four-storey message boards to communicate to employees. Prompts to atrium provide abundant daylight and promote natural close the windows on extremely hot days and other messages ventilation. Operable windows throughout the building allow are conveyed to conserve energy and reduce cooling costs. light and cooler air to enter at low levels. More than 75 per Several energy-efficiency measures have been implemented in cent of staff workspaces have access to operable windows the mechanical design including a high-efficiency modulating and more than 95 per cent have views to the outside. gas boiler and a condensing water heater, glycol loop heat recovery, variable frequency drives on pumps and an energy- Energy use efficient chiller with free cooling mode. Cambridge City Hall has an energy cost performance of 42 The projected annual electrical energy consumption per cent compared to the Canadian Model National Energy is 895 MJ/m2/year. Code for Buildings. A conservative estimate comparing For more information, go to www.dsai.ca a standard building of the same size to the new City Hall results in a $160,000 savings on energy per year. Strategies to help achieve energy savings include a This article originally appeared in the August 2010 high-performance building envelope with energy- edition of Ecolibrium. It is reprinted with permission. efficient windows, increased insulation and sun www.airah.org.au shading to reduce the solar heat gain. AUGU S T 2 0 1 0   • Eco l i b r i u m 29