Post occupancy evaluation of ventilation coefficient desired for thermal comfort in educational facilities

In tropical regions, one sustainable measure identified to attain thermal comfort and energy savings for interior spaces is natural ventilation. However, the ventilation coefficient as a factor for effective passive ventilation required for thermal comfort in educational facilities in warm, humid climates has not been adequately investigated. This study is a post-occupancy evaluation aimed at investigating the ventilation coefficient as a parameter for effective passive ventilation efficiency for good thermal comfort in the classrooms of public primary school buildings in Enugu Metropolis, Nigeria. Among the data collection instruments are two data logging devices (thermo-anemometers-AZ 9871) used to measure air velocity, humidity levels, and temperature outside and inside the classrooms of 60 government primary school buildings in the study area. This selection was based on stratified random sampling techniques. For data analysis, the global ventilation coefficient and linear regression analysis were used. The findings demonstrate that the average natural ventilation efficiency was 80%, which is higher than the global ventilation efficiency standard of 60%. The research results further highlight that colonial classroom prototype buildings have a lower temperature value and ventilation coefficient of 83%, which in turn influenced the thermal comfort conditions of the classrooms investigated. The significance of this study is that the findings contribute to the existing knowledge base that would advance strategic policy formation towards acceleration of the uptake of sustainable and energy-efficient building designs for educational facilities in warm, humid tropical environments.