Abstract
Reliable data on indoor air quality (IAQ) is essential for design and operation of energy-efficient and healthy residential buildings. This work introduces a standardized methodology to systematically compile, process, and analyze IAQ measurement data, enabling the creation of a harmonized IAQ database. Developed within the IEA EBC Annex 86 project, the open-source algorithm ensures compatibility, data protection, and scalability by aggregating time series measurements into monthly summaries while preserving distributional information and linking them to relevant meta-information. This methodology was applied to create a comprehensive, open-access dataset integrating indoor air contaminant measurements from numerous IAQ studies covering residential homes with varied building types, ventilation strategies, climates and occupancy patterns. The dataset enables consistent statistical analysis and interpretation of IAQ data collected through heterogeneous methods, supporting robust cross-study comparison and benchmarking. As the dataset grows, it will enable harm-based analyses, an emerging paradigm in indoor air quality regulation.
The paper exemplifies the utility of the harmonized database by analyzing CO2 concentration data from 18 studies encompassing over 1,000 homes, with a focus on bedrooms. The results quantify the concentration distribution encountered in bedrooms across diverse regulatory and building contexts. Results highlight significant variations in CO2 levels influenced by ventilation type, building characteristics, and ambient temperature, emphasizing the importance of standardized data for advancing IAQ research, policy development, and occupant health assessments. Ultimately, the harmonized dataset and methodology can serve as a critical resource for researchers, practitioners, and regulators aiming to optimize indoor environmental quality while advancing energy-efficient residential building design globally.