Keeping alert and ready to learn is significantly affected by air quality and temperature. League tables, parental pressure, Government legislation and the Building Regulations are spurring on investment in education and school buildings.
Legislation is shaping the indoor environment. The Government’s Building Bulletin 101 focuses on the Ventilation of School Buildings, and states that the performance standard for a school building is based on the requirement to regulate the indoor air quality.
A lack of constant airflow increases the chances that the health of students and staff may be affected.
Spending the whole day in an enclosed, stuffy classroom with poor ventilation will therefore have a hugely detrimental effect on a student’s ability to concentrate, their health and ultimately educational achievement. Productivity of teachers and staff could also be reduced due to discomfort, sickness or absenteeism.
Air conditioning as continuous ventilation can control indoor humidity and airborne contaminants, both of which are respiratory health hazards, especially for children. With around half a million people suffering with respiratory problems and experiencing asthma attacks, it is hard to underestimate the significance in terms of public health, and in financial terms too – asthma is estimated to cost the UK around £2.5 billion every year.
This is why ventilation is necessary in schools. Children who are exposed to high mould spore levels can become sensitised and develop allergies. Keeping the classroom clean and dry can certainly help in preventing such allergies and can help to alleviate conditions such as asthma, which are triggered by this exposure to condensation and excess moisture.
Recently, Guildford High School for Girl’s in Surrey called upon Cold Control, the award winning air conditioning and refrigeration specialists, to install an efficient air conditioning system in their hall.
Due to high occupancy of this room, which is used for theatrical performance, concerts and exams, excessive heat was being generated, which is not conducive to a productive working and comfortable environment.
Perhaps the most obvious solution to ventilate a stuffy classroom would be to open the window, but in practice this can lead to further problems including noise pollution, increased security risk, and in the winter months warmth will be lost through the open window, thus wasting money and increasing the heating energy consumption.
Gina Stead, the Bursar of Guildford High School explains, "We use the hall for a number of school gatherings, however, when there are a number of people within the hall it becomes stuffy and very hot and we have no windows to open. This is a real problem when we use the hall for the exams".
Cold Control visited the school and calculated what system was needed to ensure a comfortable environment. Also Cold Control had to ensure that whatever system is installed was not noisy so as to affect any the students either undertaking their exams or in performance.
Cold Control designed, supplied and installed a large Mitsubishi multi split system. Eight units were installed in the assembly hall with the condenser located outside. Cold Control had to link all the units to the plant room, which is tucked away above the ceiling in the hall and has limited access.
The work was carried out during the school holidays to ensure no disruption to the school and pupils and ensuring there was no problems getting to the plant room. Cold Control installed this system because the Mitsubishi units are able to control the amount of cold air entering the room by a thermostat.
