Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Improved Indoor Temperature and Ventilation Conditions in School Buildings

This paper reports simulation results of the potential fiscal benefits from investment in improved indoor environmental quality in school buildings. Improving indoor environmental quality can result in substantial benefits due to improved academic performance, but it can also result in increased energy and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) maintenance costs. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of additional indoor environmental control by HVAC and the associated benefit of improved academic performance in a limited-scale school building model. This study estimated the impact of an increased ventilation rate and an alteration of target room air temperature on energy costs and on academic performance. The annual benefit due to improved thermal conditions (room air temperature) was up to five times higher than the benefit of increased ventilation rate per person. Lifecycle cost analysis showed that the benefit (improved academic performance) resulting from better indoor temperature conditions was up to 20-40% against the increased costs (increased HVAC total cost) of a few thousand JPY per year [JPY/year/person].