Energy consumption, thermal comfort and energy loss of a classified monument and a new building
Participative research with students into the energy consumption, thermal comfort and energy loss of a classified monument and a new building. Educational institutions must stimulate the learning productivity of students.
Thermal comfort & air quality
One way to achieve that is by providing optimum thermal comfort (i.e., warm but also not too warm) and air quality (e.g., ventilation) in the classrooms. At the same time, educational institutions use substantial amounts of energy to realize these optimal learning conditions. The high energy consumption is a consequence of the very large volumes (usually more than 10,000 m3) and the fact that educational institutions must be accessible to a large number of students (many doors). This means that such buildings make a substantial contribution to the emission of greenhouse gases (CO2) and other pollutants (NOx, particulate matter). In order to raise student and staff awareness about energy consumption at the Antwerp Maritime Academy and to make informed decisions to reduce emissions, we must (1) map the energy consumption of the building, (2) optimize the thermal comfort of individual students and staff, and (3) locate and monitor the largest leaks in the building envelope.