VOC Source Control Measures for Relocatable Classrooms
The High Performance Commercial Building Systems Program was launched at LBNL in FY 2000. This three-year initiative, which is targeting substantial reductions in energy costs for commercial buildings, is funded by the California Energy Commission through its Public Interest Energy Research Program, along with the U.S. Department of Energy. One program element is investigating how the application of building science and ventilation engineering can lead to simultaneous energy savings and improved indoor environmental quality in relocatable classrooms (RCs; often referred to as portable or modular classrooms) for California's schools. The PSD&C group is participating in research for the "Evaluation of VOC Source Control Measures" task. Working with a RC manufacturer, we tested several categories of materials used to finish the interiors of conventional RCs for emissions of toxic and odorous VOCs. We additionally identified and tested alternative materials with potentially lower VOC emissions. We selected the best performing materials based on the laboratory results for use in the construction of two source modified classrooms. One modified RC was located at each of two participating elementary schools adjacent to a new conventional classroom from the same manufacturer. Each of the four study classrooms was equipped with a conventional HVAC system and a new indirect/direct evaporative cooling system with hydronic heating. During the fall 2001 and spring 2002 semesters, the classrooms were alternately operated with the standard and prototype HVAC systems following a weekly schedule. VOC concentrations in the classrooms during school hours were monitored once weekly to compare the VOC levels in the source modified RCs with those in the conventional RCs as well as to concentrations predicted from the laboratory generated VOC emission factors.
Link to the LBNL High Performance Commercial Building Systems Program web site
http://buildings.lbl.gov/hpcbs/Year_01/Element_6/01_E6.html
Contacts: Al Hodgson, Mike Apte