Author(s)

Ogwu Ikechukwu^1*, Long Zhi Lin¹, Idowu Olusegun Moses², Okonkwo Moses³

¹College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, China.
²Department of Architecture, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Nigeia.
³Faculty of Environmental Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.

Given the perennial incidence of thermal discomfort, health issues, as well as energy costs associated with naturally ventilated classrooms in Yola, the study aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of classroom designs for natural ventilation comfort by examining the effects of six architectural design variables—size and position of openings, form of buildings, orientation of buildings, site planning, topography, and physical features, on the ventilation coefficients of 61 classrooms selected from nine stratified clusters in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data were analyzed using percentages, ratios, means as well as standard deviation, and then sorted in groups using tables. The study revealed that the form and orientation of the classroom-buildings, as well as topography, site planning and other physical features, have no significant effect on ventilation coefficient. In addition, a new mean ventilation coefficient was obtained in ten classrooms against an earlier claim that ventilation coefficient cannot exceed a fixed average regardless of the ratio of wall opening to floor area.

Natural Ventilation, Ventilation Coefficient, Thermal Comfort, Passive Design, Energy Conservation

Ikechukwu, O. , Lin, L. , Moses, I. and Moses, O. (2019) Towards Enhancing the Effectiveness of Classroom Designs for Natural Ventilation Comfort in Yola, Nigeria. Open Journal of Energy Efficiency, 8, 129-148. doi: 10.4236/ojee.2019.83008.