Indoor Air Quality Pilot Project

Alter Engineers participated in a pilot project for Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) to address thermal comfort and indoor air quality issues at three campuses. The team conducted interviews, site surveys, and developed a monitoring plan to evaluate building conditions and identify problem areas.

Using energy modeling software, the team analyzed factors like construction materials, insulation, windows, and heat-generating elements to simulate hourly temperature conditions and assess thermal comfort throughout the year. The models evaluated passive strategies (e.g., shading, insulation, ventilation) and active ones (e.g., heat pumps), showing passive approaches often offered the best cost-to-comfort improvements.

Pending sensor installation, classroom monitoring will validate modeling results and prioritize retrofitting for the worst-performing spaces.