Project report: Creating a good learning environment with a good indoor climate

Since the Easter holidays, the rooms of the first graders at the Antonius Primary School in the southern part of Vluyn have been equipped with modern ventilation units. They were donated by the Heinz Trox Foundation, as were soundproof ceilings with integrated lighting. The ventilation units ensure a continuous exchange of air, remove CO2-laden air from the classrooms, and replace it with fresh air. As part of a research project, the Heinz Trox Foundation will test continuous operation at Antonius Primary School for five years and measure CO2 concentration, room temperature, humidity, and energy consumption. At the same time, students and teachers will be asked how they perceive the units.

Over the same period, identical values will be measured in classrooms without ventilation units. This way, the measurement results can be compared with each other, and ultimately the ventilation units can be optimized. “We want to improve the indoor climate in order to optimize the well-being and learning environment of the students and teachers,” describes Christine Roßkothen, board member of the Heinz Trox Foundation, the goal. “The exhaust air is routed through a heat exchanger. In this way, the fresh air is warmed without coming into contact with it. Thus, no heat is lost, unlike with windows that are opened for ventilation.”

In addition to the ventilation units comes the new ceiling. “Independently of the units, we had an acoustic ceiling with lighting installed,” explains Paul Schwarz, chairman of the Heinz Trox Foundation. “It reduces the noise of the classroom. The ventilation units are already quiet, quieter than most computer fans. In addition, lighting has been installed that optimally illuminates a classroom depending on daylight. This ensures optimal lighting of the classrooms not only toward the windows but also along the walls.”

The measurement results are digitally transmitted to Heinz Trox Wissenschafts GmbH in Aachen. With the collected data, the units are further developed and designed to be more powerful and energy-efficient. The goal: in the long term, ventilation units should become something taken for granted in schools, because mechanical ventilation systems reduce the viral load in indoor air without students having to freeze. Even after the pandemic, they improve the air quality in the classroom, as they significantly reduce the load of germs, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants.