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Atmosphere
Special Issues
Air Quality in the Era of Net-Zero Buildings
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Air Quality in the Era of Net-Zero Buildings

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 2007

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alejandro Moreno-Rangel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Architecture Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Interests: net zero buildings; indoor air quality; thermal comfort; retrofit; energy consumption; passivhaus
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Genny Carrillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Interests: asthma; house safety; healthy homes and children; environmental health; indoor and outdoor pollution; vaping
Prof. Dr. Lori McElroy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Architecture Department, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
Interests: the application of simulation in environmental engineering, architecture, and sustainable design
Dr. Hanan Al-Khatri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Civil and Architectural Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
Interests: thermal comfort; indoor environmental quality; climate-responsive design; post-occupancy evaluation; outdoor thermal comfort

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The transition to net-zero buildings is a cornerstone of climate action strategies worldwide. However, as buildings become increasingly airtight and energy-efficient, new challenges emerge regarding their impact on indoor and outdoor air quality. While energy and carbon performance have often taken centre stage, thermal comfort and air quality—particularly in domestic and retrofit settings—are now recognised as critical determinants of health, comfort, and building performance.

This Special Issue focuses on the complex and evolving relationship between net-zero buildings and air quality and thermal comfort, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary, evidence-based research. We aim to investigate how low-carbon design, retrofit strategies, and operational practices impact exposure to pollutants, ventilation effectiveness, and occupant well-being across various building types and climate contexts.

The scope of the Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics: indoor air quality monitoring and modelling in low-energy buildings; thermal comfort; the impacts of retrofit measures on pollutant dynamics; air quality modelling and simulation; interactions between indoor and outdoor air; innovative ventilation solutions; and the co-benefits and trade-offs between energy efficiency and environmental health (i.e., thermal comfort and associated illnesses related to air quality and heat stress). Contributions exploring policy, standards, or post-occupancy evaluation are also welcome.

Our purpose is to bring together a community of researchers, designers, engineers, and policymakers who are investigating how buildings can be both climate-resilient and health-promoting. By synthesising current knowledge and highlighting research gaps, this Special Issue seeks to inform the next generation of design and retrofit strategies that align net-zero goals with high standards of indoor environmental quality.

Dr. Alejandro Moreno-Rangel
Prof. Dr. Genny Carrillo
Prof. Dr. Lori McElroy
Dr. Hanan Al-Khatri
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air quality modelling
  • air quality monitoring
  • building performance evaluation
  • building retrofit
  • energy-efficient buildings
  • healthy buildings
  • indoor air quality
  • low-carbon building design
  • net-zero buildings
  • outdoor air quality
  • ventilation strategies
  • indoor and outdoor air quality relationships
  • retrofit
  • thermal comfort

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 869 KB  
Article
Microbial Contamination and Ventilation Strategies in HVAC Systems: A Case-Study Assessment of Infection Risk, Energy Consumption, and Thermal Comfort
by Gabriele Battista, Leone Barbaro and Emanuele de Lieto Vollaro
Atmosphere 2026, 17(4), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17040405 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 421
Abstract
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are essential for indoor air quality and thermal comfort but can simultaneously act as vectors for microbial contamination, particularly bacteria and fungi. While the COVID-19 pandemic intensified focus on airborne viral transmission, bacterial and fungal contamination [...] Read more.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are essential for indoor air quality and thermal comfort but can simultaneously act as vectors for microbial contamination, particularly bacteria and fungi. While the COVID-19 pandemic intensified focus on airborne viral transmission, bacterial and fungal contamination in indoor environments remains a persistent and significant health risk. This study presents a detailed case study of a restaurant HVAC system, analysing the impact of different ventilation strategies on bacterial contamination, infection transmission risk, energy consumption, and thermal comfort. By focusing on a real-world application, the research evaluates practical challenges and trade-offs associated with HVAC operation modifications aimed at mitigating microbial risks while maintaining acceptable energy and comfort levels. The research compares three operational scenarios: normal operation with air recirculation, 24 h operation with 100% outdoor air, and extended operation periods. Results demonstrate that while strategies emphasizing outdoor air intake and extended operation reduce infection probability by up to 60–65%, they simultaneously increase energy consumption by over 1700% and compromise thermal comfort parameters. In the h24 case, the pre-heat coil rises from 2421.7 to 43,923.7 kWh and the post-heat coil from 24,812.8 to 152,970.4 kWh, while the Plus 2 h strategy reduces the energy penalty by roughly 42–51% with respect to the h24 case. The findings are contextualized within current research on bacterial and fungal risks in HVAC systems, highlighting the critical need for balanced ventilation strategies that integrate health protection, energy efficiency, and comfort considerations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in the Era of Net-Zero Buildings)
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11 pages, 570 KB  
Article
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Combined Indoor Air Quality Management and Asthma Education on Indoor Air Quality and Asthma Control in Adults
by Alexander Obeng, Taehyun Roh, Alejandro Moreno-Rangel and Genny Carrillo
Atmosphere 2026, 17(1), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17010084 - 15 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 943
Abstract
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a critical determinant of respiratory health and plays an essential role in asthma management. Exposure to indoor pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and biological allergens can exacerbate asthma symptoms. This pilot [...] Read more.
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a critical determinant of respiratory health and plays an essential role in asthma management. Exposure to indoor pollutants such as particulate matter (PM2.5), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and biological allergens can exacerbate asthma symptoms. This pilot quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–posttest study evaluated the combined effect of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) purifiers and tailored asthma education on the IAQ and asthma outcomes of 30 adults diagnosed with asthma. Indoor PM2.5, total VOCs (tVOC), temperature, and relative humidity were monitored using low-cost air quality monitors across three home locations for 30 days, and participants completed baseline and follow-up assessments of asthma control (ACQ) and quality of life (AQLQ). The intervention reduced PM2.5 concentrations from 21.32 µg/m3 to 18.19 µg/m3 (p < 0.001), while tVOC levels increased slightly from 237.05 ppb to 251.81 ppb (p = 0.02). The median ACQ scores improved from 1.17 to 0.50 (p < 0.001), the proportion of participants with well-controlled asthma (ACQ ≤ 0.75) rose from 30% to 66.7%, and the median AQLQ scores increased from 5.75 to 6.30 (p < 0.001). Participants in the intervention experienced significantly improved asthma control, quality of life, and indoor PM2.5 levels, which underscores the significance of integrating environmental and educational strategies in adult asthma management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in the Era of Net-Zero Buildings)
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