Nursing Homes in Spain and Their High Number of Deaths by COVID-19 as an Alarm in the Study of Indoor Air Quality

2021 ◽  
pp. 118-145
Author(s):  
Gastón Sanglier Contreras ◽  
Jose Amílcar Rizzo Sierra ◽  
Eduardo José López Fernández ◽  
Roberto Alonso González Lezcano
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Autonomous Communities ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Determining Factor

Nursing homes have been one of the most prominent targets of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Spain. The factors that have determined that this is the case are very diverse. In this study, physical agents and chemical pollutants, population density, and different capacities of the residences are analyzed to see their influence on the number of elderly people who have died in the geriatric centres in the different autonomous communities (AACC) of Spain. A statistical analysis has been carried out on the variables observed. The conclusions show that in many places where this overflow of deaths has occurred, the residences were private, with some exceptions. The influence of physical agents and pollutants has been shown to be a determining factor, especially for the communities of Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha, although it is true that the large number of factors makes the study complicated. The dilemma between air quality and energy efficiency is of great importance, especially when human health is at stake.

scholarly journals Poor Ventilation Habits in Nursing Homes Have Favoured a High Number of COVID-19 Infections

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11898
Author(s):  
Gastón Sanglier-Contreras ◽  
Eduardo J. López-Fernández ◽  
Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Autonomous Communities ◽  
Chemical Pollutants ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Poor Ventilation

Residents of nursing homes have been significantly affected by COVID-19 in Spain. The factors that have contributed to the vulnerability of this population are very diverse. In this study, physical agents, chemical pollutants, population density and different capacities of residences were analysed to understand their influence on the number of elderly people who have died in geriatric centres in different autonomous communities (AACCs) of Spain. A statistical analysis was carried out on the variables observed. The results show that many residences with a larger number of deaths were private, with some exceptions. Physical agents and pollutants were found to be determining factors, especially for the communities of Extremadura and Castilla–La Mancha, although the large number of factors involved makes this study complicated. The compromise between air quality and energy efficiency is of great importance, especially when human health is at stake.

scholarly journals The Dichotomy between Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency in Light of the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 791
Author(s):  
Gaetano Settimo ◽  
Pasquale Avino
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Great Increase

Recently, there has been a great increase in the importance of issues related to energy efficiency [...]

scholarly journals Energy Efficiency – Indoor Air Quality Dilemma in Educational Buildings: A Possible Solution

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 357-367
Author(s):  
Liva Asere ◽  
Andra Blumberga
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Educational Buildings ◽  
Electricity Tariff

AbstractThe energy efficiency – indoor air quality dilemma is well known and the main drawback to operate the mechanical ventilation is electricity costs as concluded from previous studies. Educational buildings are one of the places where future taxpayers spend a lot of time. This paper aims to study an alternative solution on how to reduce energy efficiency – indoor air quality dilemma in educational buildings by adopting systems that use renewable energy sources. A typical education building in Latvia is taken as a case study by changing it from a consumer to prosumer. This building type has a specific electricity usage profile that makes the choice of photovoltaics (PV) power quite challenging so the various power options have been analysed and used for an electricity solution. Also, the more decentralised preference is chosen – disconnect from a public heating provider and using a local system with a pellet boiler. Educational buildings using PV can reduce the electricity tariff, but the payback periods are still not very satisfactory without subsidies. The average electricity tariff per month varies between scenarios and the best one is for the scenario with 30 kW installed power. The educational building partly using 16 kW PV system reduces not only its bill for electricity but also reduces CO2 emissions by around 36 tons. The education buildings as energy prosumers using renewable energy sources are reducing GHG emissions by having high indoor air quality.

scholarly journals Some flow patterns within ventilation strategy coupled to energy efficiency

2019 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 10902
Author(s):  
Souad Morsli ◽  
Rachid Bennacer ◽  
Mohammed El Ganaoui ◽  
Harry Ramenah ◽  
Alain Carmasol
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Natural Convection ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Forced Flow ◽  
Cooling Power ◽  
Moderate Reynolds Number ◽  
Mixing Ability

Energy and buildings are increasingly becoming subjects for investigations, especially for the indoor air quality domain coupled to energy demand. The physics of fluids flowing inside enclosures bring basic models to understand and build better schemes. This paper is devoted to studying ventilation strategies in regards to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and energy efficiency in floor refreshing houses. A room model is considered in a simplified level, as a cavity heated on the external sidewall and cooled on the bottom ground surface. The external air injector is at variable positions and interacting with the needed cooling power; the air quality (mixing ability) and thermal comfort are also studied. The cooling efficiency inside the considered volume and the average air temperature are analyzed for a given temperature difference characterizing the natural convection level (Rayleigh number, Ra = 106) and a horizontal ventilation (moderate Reynolds number Re = 102). An obtained complex flow structure indicates that the natural convection and the forced flow (ventilation) act directly on the resulting patterns, mixing ability, heat exchange which in a straight line affect the thermal comfort and in fine the energy cost (cooling requirement).

PROGRAM ’KONVERSI MINYAK TANAH KE LPG’ SEBAGAI SUATU TEHNIK PENGURANGAN EMISI

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Endang Suarna
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Government Policy ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Greenhouse Gases Emissions ◽  
Production Ratio ◽  
Transportation Sector

The goal of Government Policy on converting the utilization of kerosene to LPG is to reduce kerosene consumption and fuel oil subsidy. As kerosene has higher pollutants and greenhouse gases emissions rather than LPG, the program also has impact on reducing those emissions that would lead to improving indoor air quality. Higher energy efficiency of LPG stove and more reserve production ratio (R/P) of gas can be attributed to the advantages of utilization of LPG. Indirectly, the conversion kerosene to LPG has another impact on reducing illegal blending between gasoline or diesel with kerosene for transportation sector. The program not only has economical advantages, but also has environmental advantages.Key words: LPG, kerosene, fuel oil subsidy, energy efficiency, indoor air quality

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