Efficient Energy Saving Scenarios for Indoor PM_2.5 Management in an Apartment of South Korea

Indoor PM_2.5 must be effectively controlled to minimize adverse impacts on public health. Cooking is one of the main sources of PM_2.5 in residential areas, and indoor air quality (IAQ) management methods such as natural and mechanical ventilation, range hood, and air purifier are typically used to reduce cooking-generated PM_2.5 concentrations. However, studies on the combined effects of various IAQ management methods on indoor PM_2.5 reduction and energy consumption are limited. In this study, a theoretical model was established to estimate the performance of various IAQ management methods for controlling indoor PM_2.5 concentrations and energy consumption. The model was verified by comparative experiments in which, various IAQ management methods were operated individually or combined. Seasonal energy consumption was calculated through the verified model, and energy consumption saving scenarios were derived for maintaining indoor PM_2.5 concentrations less than 10 μg/m³, a World Health Organization annual guideline, under fair and poor outdoor PM_2.5 concentrations of 15 and 50 μg/m³, respectively. Based on our results, we found that energy consumption could be reduced significantly by applying natural ventilation in spring, autumn, and summer and mechanical ventilation in winter. Our study identified efficient energy saving PM_2.5 management scenarios using various IAQ management methods by predicting indoor PM_2.5 concentration and energy consumption according to the annual life patterns of typical residents in South Korea.