April 2021

Since December last year, the UK has been rolling out Covid-19 vaccinations for adults. But with trials of the various vaccines on children not yet completed (at time of writing), children are back in the classroom with no sign of whether/when they will be vaccinated. This leads us to ask the question, ‘are there effective measures in place to reduce the risk of virus spread in schools?’

Government guidance is very clear about the importance of ventilation as a safety measure to reduce the spread of Covid-19. It says, “Airborne transmission may occur in poorly ventilated indoor spaces, particularly if individuals are in the same room together for an extended period of time”[1]. And it is a legal requirement for school buildings to have adequate ventilation. But, in practice, this is not always achieved, often due to over complicated or even over simplified systems.

The Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) states that natural ventilation in schools (e.g. using windows) cannot be guaranteed at all times so mechanical ventilation systems should be used to ensure the continuous air exchange throughout the year [2]. They also recommend that schools should install a CO₂ monitor to monitor indoor air quality. This advice was of course present long before Covid-19, with many scientific studies showing that when indoor CO₂ levels rise, productivity, concentration and performance falls. But now more than ever, effective ventilation in schools must be prioritised.

In this blog, we’ll address four key considerations specifiers must take into account when reviewing heating and ventilation systems for education settings, particularly in light of Covid-19, including:

• Regulations
• Energy efficiency and cost
• Space and noise disturbance
• Ease of operation

1. REGULATIONS

Heating and ventilation systems chosen must, of course, meet UK building regulations for schools. The Governments’ Building Bulletin 101 (BB101); ‘Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’ [3], recommends that, “Where mechanical ventilation is used, or when hybrid systems are operating in mechanical mode in general teaching and learning spaces, sufficient outdoor air should be provided to achieve a daily average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) of less than 1000 ppm (parts per million), during the occupied period, when the number of room occupants is equal to, or less than the design occupancy.

“The maximum concentration should also not exceed 1500 ppm for more than 20 consecutive minutes each day when the number of room occupants is equal to, or less than the design occupancy.”

It is crucial that the heating and ventilation system chosen can achieve this and that it can adapt depending on the number of occupants in each room. This can be achieved with a demand controlled ventilation (DCV) strategy and system. A DCV system uses a variety of sensors to constantly monitor the concentration and rate of change of CO₂ in each school room. It considers the number of occupants and their activity levels, automatically adjusting the volume of fresh, filtered air that is brought into the room, balancing the airflow to provide the best comfort level and CO₂ control.

2. ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND COST

Schools account for around 2% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, roughly the same as all the energy and transport emissions of Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol combined. This is equivalent to 15% of the country’s public sector emissions [4].

In a bid to reduce this, many schools now have sustainability targets including reducing the amount of energy they use, their carbon emissions and the money they spend on energy usage. Specifying proven energy efficient heating and ventilation systems is vital in todays’ environment to reduce the carbon footprint of school buildings and reduce lifecycle costs for the school.

Jaga provides a range of energy efficient solutions for various types of school buildings, which when combined, can create a coherent heating and ventilation system for the entire school. These include:

• LST radiators – Low surface temperature (LST) radiators are the safe to touch and have many other safety features making the ideal for school environments. Jaga’s LST radiators utilise Low-H₂O technology, reducing energy by up to 16%. A safe and sustainable choice for schools.
• Oxygen ventilation system – Oxygen is a fully programmable supply and demand heating and ventilation system delivering clean, filtered, fresh air on demand, efficiently in buildings of any age or type ensuring optimum indoor air quality (IAQ).
• Briza and Clima Canal – for larger open spaces such as assembly, dining, and sports halls where an Oxygen system is not in place, these products can provide heating, cooling and ventilation. Briza can be concealed or surface mounted on walls or ceilings, and Clima Canal can be seamlessly integrated around the perimeter of a room, providing space saving benefits and reducing the risk of injury/accidents. Both work efficiently when paired with heat pump systems.

3. SPACE AND NOISE DISTURBANCE

In learning environments, ensuring minimal noise disturbance is crucial to take into account when specifying HVAC systems. And with space often an issue in classrooms, systems must blend into the fabric of the school, without taking up a lot of valuable wall display space or causing potential trips or injuries due to poor positioning. Although opening a window is a quick ventilation method, it doesn’t allow true control of air quality, can lead to cold draughts, and if the school is in a city location, it could lead to increased noise and air pollution. It is essential that factors like these are properly considered. Jaga systems such as Oxygen, ensure no draughts, operate at a very low noise level and have low power consumption.

4. EASE OF OPERATION

In the Department for Education’s guidance document, ‘Good estate management for schools’, they state that, “Using existing heating or lighting controls effectively can reduce energy wastage, save money and reduce emissions by up to 40%.” And it’s been estimated that over-engineered schools, with government-specified equipment that is overly complex for users to operate, is costing schools £150 million per year.

It is recommended that education consultants choose ventilation systems which are simple and intuitive enough so that teachers and maintenance staff can make changes easily. School staff will often choose to open a window to allow air to pass through the building, but if they understood the benefits behind a mechanical DCV system and knew how to control it, they would likely be more willing to use it properly and effectively to keep the right level of comfort and excellent air quality in the learning environment. With Jaga’s Oxygen system, controls can be centralised, stand-alone or linked to a building management system, so the best option can be chosen to suit the school staff.

IN CONCLUSION

If educational consultants and consulting engineers take these four considerations into account when specifying heating and ventilation systems, not only would it lead to reductions in energy usage, carbon footprint and ongoing maintenance costs for the school, but also increased educational outcomes and enhanced wellbeing of pupils and teachers thanks to the improved air quality and temperature control.

GET IN TOUCH

If you would like to learn how Jaga’s Oxygen mechanical DCV solution can effectively control, monitor and maintain IAQ levels in a school building, or are interested in other school heating, cooling and ventilation solutions, then get in touch with our expert team today.

REFERENCES

1. Public Health England (2021), ‘COVID-19: epidemiology, virology and clinical features’, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-background-information/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-epidemiology-virology-and-clinical-features
2. REHVA (2020), ‘COVID-19 ventilation and building services guidance for school personnel’, https://www.rehva.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/REHVA_COVID-19_guidance_document_School_guidance_25112020.pdf
3. Education and Skills Funding Agency (2018), ‘Building Bulletin 101 (BB101); Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings
4. Department for Children Schools and Families (2010), ‘Climate change and schools. A carbon management strategy for the school sector’, https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/698/1/DCSF-00366-2010.pdf
5. Department for Education (2018), ‘Good estate management for schools’, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools