Understanding HVAC’s Effect on Learning Environments

Climate control and ventilation make the difference between a great working environment and an intolerable one. This is true for not only commercial offices and industrial centers but also for schools. In fact, young students are perhaps the most in need of reliable HVAC systems—the quality of a school’s HVAC has an effect on learning and performance for students just as it does on productivity for office workers.

Efficient and effective HVAC systems in office buildings keep workers comfortable, healthy, and productive; in hospitals, they maintain the health of patients and reduce the risks of disease vectors. Now, let’s take a look at the importance of HVAC for educational buildings and explore how the quality of an HVAC system impacts learning environments.

Ensuring Student Comfort—and Performance—with Climate Control

Student using a fan for personal climate control at schoolIf you think back to your own school days, you probably can remember the torment of a classroom that was too stuffy and hot when spring came around or too cold and drafty in the winter—or if you were particularly unfortunate, both. Did you get very much learning done in those classrooms? You probably didn’t, because you were too distracted by how uncomfortable you were to focus on the teacher or your tests.

Temperature extremes have been linked to decreased attention spans, slower reaction times, and impaired problem-solving abilities. Excessive heat, in particular, wreaks havoc on the comparatively tiny bodies of children compared to adults, and the effort the body takes to process the heat leads to increased fatigue—which means more impromptu naps in the classroom and worse performance on in-class assignments and tests.

In fact, this anecdotal data is backed up by research. In 2018, the National Bureau of Economic Research went out and studied changes in PSAT scores and found that scores dropped in proportion to temperature. In schools without air conditioning, an increase in average temperature by one degree mapped to a one percent decline in learning!

This is one of the most significant ways the quality of HVAC impacts learning environments—and it’s especially pronounced in low-income communities where schools can’t afford efficient and effective air conditioning. The effects of hotter outdoor temperatures on indoor students’ ability to concentrate and focus on learning virtually disappear with effective HVAC solutions to manage indoor temperatures.

As you can see, HVAC’s effect on learning can’t be understated. The more control an educational facility has over its climate, the better its students do. Students who perform better in schools have better chances of landing higher-paying careers and improving the value of their communities as adults, which means that for schools in low-income areas, great HVAC is an important long-term investment to make, even if it might strain the budget.

Better Air Quality Means Better Student Health

The importance of indoor air quality—and the role your building’s HVAC system plays in it—really cannot be understated. The past four years have given all of us firsthand experience with and a renewed sensitivity toward the role ventilation plays in minimizing the spread of pollutants, particulates, and pathogens. HVAC systems are absolutely vital for ensuring indoor air quality in schools—and the health of students. Researchers have found that reduced air quality, much like poor temperature control, reduces the cognitive performance of students.

Especially in K-12 learning environments, proper ventilation makes all the difference between a healthy student body and an unhealthy one. Children and teenagers have less developed immune systems than adults and are thus more vulnerable to the spread of bacteria and viruses, especially when they’re spending six hours a day in close proximity to hundreds or thousands of their peers—which is why seasonal bugs can rip through schools. Students who get sick at school bring their illness home

Poor ventilation and low indoor air quality also raise the levels of dampness, mold, pollen, and particulates in the air, wreaking havoc on students with allergies and making them too sick to focus in class.

On the other hand, good indoor air quality in schools—a result of proper and efficient ventilation—cuts down on the spread of airborne pathogens and allergens and the spread of sickness through schools, keeping students healthy in the classroom and reducing absenteeism that keeps them away from their studies.

Create Better Learning Environments with Chiller Systems Service

HVAC’s effect on learning environments has been proven through research beyond a shadow of a doubt. Effective and efficient HVAC systems keep students healthy, focused, and equipped to learn, while inadequate systems hold students back from doing their best.

The importance of HVAC for educational facilities is undeniable. The EPA has put together resources and step-by-step actions for building better ventilation in schools to improve student health and performance. Chiller Systems Service has extensive experience working with educational facilities across the metro Denver area and Colorado Front Range, from elementary schools to high schools to community college campuses, to follow these best practices and guidelines and implement more effective, more energy-efficient HVAC systems that support their students’ learning and growth.

Contact our technicians today to talk about what an HVAC retrofit can do for your school building and your student body.

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