Efficient Energy Saving Scenarios for Indoor PM(2.5) Management in an Apartment of South Korea

Indoor PM(2.5) must be effectively controlled to minimize adverse impacts on public health. Cooking is one of the main sources of PM(2.5) in residential areas, and indoor air quality (IAQ) management methods such as natural and mechanical ventilation, range hood, and air purifier are typically used to reduce cooking-generated PM(2.5) concentrations. However, studies on the combined effects of various IAQ management methods on indoor PM(2.5) reduction and energy consumption are limited. In this study, a theoretical model was established to estimate the performance of various IAQ management methods for controlling indoor PM(2.5) concentrations and energy consumption. The model was verified by comparative experiments in which, various IAQ management methods were operated individually or combined. Seasonal energy consumption was calculated through the verified model, and energy consumption saving scenarios were derived for maintaining indoor PM(2.5) concentrations less than 10 μg/m(3), a World Health Organization annual guideline, under fair and poor outdoor PM(2.5) concentrations of 15 and 50 μg/m(3), respectively. Based on our results, we found that energy consumption could be reduced significantly by applying natural ventilation in spring, autumn, and summer and mechanical ventilation in winter. Our study identified efficient energy saving PM(2.5) management scenarios using various IAQ management methods by predicting indoor PM(2.5) concentration and energy consumption according to the annual life patterns of typical residents in South Korea.