Evaluating Ventilation Strategies for Energy- Efficient Classroom Design Using Open-Source CFD software (OpenFOAM®)

Given the urgent need for energy-efficient buildings and comfort-optimized ventilation due to rapid climate change, simulation tools provide a good, fast, and inexpensive approach to addressing these challenges. In this work, computational fluid dynamics is used in a classroom located in the north of France to assess HVAC performance of different ventilation scenarios, offering valuable insights for similar European regions and emphasizing the relevance of green and smart building optimization. A fully open-source software was used to address the gap in the literature on the use of available programs and to prove its accuracy with a validation scenario. Among the four scenarios studied, scenario 2, which features inlets and outlets positioned at mid-height on opposing walls, stands out with the smallest dead zones and larger comfort range areas, resulting in a uniform airflow coverage confirmed by streamlines. This preliminary study will lead the way for a deeper study that will take into consideration occupancy, CO₂ levels, humidity, and furniture initially in the classroom; then it will be generalized to the whole building to manage energy consumption.