air-Q in action:
Kurt-Masur-Schule Leipzig - root cause analysis for temperature problems in summer

What is the measurement about?

In 2019, the school contacted the parents' council about overheated rooms and poor air quality. Parents, teachers and the after-school care center also confirmed the problems, which occurred in both summer and winter. A working group (AG Hitze) was set up to find solutions, but obstacles such as costs, planning and fire safety made it difficult to take action.

In 2024, the school began systematically documenting room temperatures and sent the results to the architecture firm.
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On the initiative of the parents' council, air-Q agreed to carry out and evaluate measurements of relevant indoor air parameters in predefined rooms. A small air conditioning unit was operated in one room at the same time, as the school management is investigating its installation in particularly polluted rooms as a possible solution.

What are the results of the measurement?

Temperature‍

• The room temperatures during lessons were constantly too high (between 26°C and over 30°C).
• The main causes are direct sunlight on the window fronts and the heat emitted by people and appliances.
• There is no noticeable cooling at night due to the building's high heat storage capacity.

Air quality‍

• CO₂ values and humidity remained within an acceptable range.
• VOC concentrations showed only occasional peaks, presumably due to room use or materials in the room.
• The ventilation system ensures a sufficient supply of fresh air, but does not actively cool the rooms.

The measurement results confirm the high temperatures as the greatest burden on school operations. The proposed measures for improved ventilation and shading offer short-term solutions, while possible active cooling needs to be examined in the longer term. The priority is to implement a free cooling program for the efficient use of cool outside air at night in order to achieve a sustainable improvement in the indoor climate.