Relationship between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity in a residential building in Central Europe

Abstract

AbstractRelative humidity and temperature in indoor spaces are two important environmental factors that not only determine the behaviour and well-being of building occupants but also influence airborne transmission of respiratory diseases in closed spaces. While recent studies have examined how well indoor conditions relate to outdoor ambient weather, most studies on weather-related health effects still use a single central site monitor such as a weather station since outdoor values are more convenient to measure. However, the correlation between indoor and outdoor values is not always straightforward. Our case study explores the relationships between indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity in a residential building apartment in a temperate climate in Central Europe. Measurements performed over the period of one year allow for a detailed comparison and analysis of correlations between both daily averages as well as daily profiles of indoor and outdoor variables. The results of this case study add further evidence to the observations that day-to-day variation in indoor temperature and relative humidity are not well-represented by outdoor measurements. It further adds to the growing body of data on indoor environmental variables and should thus prove useful in studies aiming to determine the influence of relative humidity and temperature on indoor transmission of airborne diseases as well as in studies examining the influence of these two variables on the well-being of building occupants.