Overheating of urban areas, caused by the combined effects of global climate change and the urban heat island phenomenon, is leading to increased thermal discomfort in schools. The widespread and growing use of air conditioning systems as a solution to maintain a comfortable indoor environment results in increased energy consumption for cooling and carbon emissions and exacerbates the energy bills of schools. Providing good indoor thermal comfort conditions in school buildings that enhance the wellbeing and learning performance of students while maintaining a low energy consumption and carbon footprint is an obvious necessity.
This project aims to investigate passive/ hybrid solutions using enhanced ventilation in order to achieve indoor comfort conditions and at the same time reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions and then test it in a school building in Sydney, which is co-funding this project.