Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Why DOAS Are Right for School Buildings

  • By Kevin Miskewicz
  • 02/01/16

An estimated 70 percent of all school buildings have indoor air quality (IAQ) problems, leading to an unhealthy environment. Many common IAQ problems are associated with improperly operated and maintained HVAC systems, overcrowding, moisture incursion and dampness, and presence of outside air pollutants. IAQ problems have a greater impact on children than adults, as children breathe a greater volume of air relative to their body weight. This increases their sensitivity to indoor air pollution, resulting in greater susceptibility to airborne illnesses such as asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Additionally, occupants of school buildings are close together, with approximately four times the occupant density in schools compared to office buildings. Mounting evidence indicates that the quality of a school’s physical environment affects educational achievement and more attention is now being paid to addressing IAQ issues.

With this in mind, the instillation of a DOAS system can dramatically improve a school’s indoor air quality, creating a happier, healthier and more productive environment for students, teachers and staff, and some systems earn valuable LEED points. DOAS systems condition up to 100 percent of outdoor air — improving air quality and reducing the load on other HVAC equipment in a building. This reduction in HVAC equipment load can result in significant savings in energy consumption over the lifetime of a system.

Humidity control is another great benefit of these systems. Human occupants and certain equipment in a school will generate moisture, but most moisture comes from the ambient conditions. If an uncontrolled amount of moisture is continually added to a building, a mold-friendly environment will result. Even if mold is not a concern, the moisture content in the air will affect the comfort level for students, teachers and staff. These and other benefits make DOAS systems the perfect choice for school buildings.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Kevin Miskewicz is the director of Commercial Marketing with Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating. He can be reached at [email protected] or 888/979-9686.

Featured

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.