Indoor air

Nevertheless, it could be stated that dampness and moulds are cases of pollution sources that could, in theory, be totally removed. This would enable the elimination of those sources and effects by the use of a source control strategy. In fact, if the control of a few physical parameters could be guaranteed, the occurrence of dampness and moulds would be

The use of solar chimneys in buildings is one way to increment natural ventilation and, as a consequence, to improve indoor air quality. They are similar to conventional chimneys except that the south wall is replaced by a glazing. In order to compare the behaviour of a solar chimney with a conventional one, one of each was built in Porto. Results of measurements carried out in both chimneys are shown in this paper, as well as results of a thermal model specially developed for simulating solar chimneys, taking into account the wind effect. It was concluded that there is a significant increase in ventilation rate with solar chimneys, and that the thermal model predicts with good accuracy the measurements carried out.