Participation

Be part of the ALIVE Project

How can I take part?

If you are interested in taking part, our houses recruitment criteria is as follows:

• Semi-detached building with BER ‘A’ rating (A1, A2, A3).
• Naturally-ventilated: Windows, trickle vents, passive wall vents, etc. (no centralised mechanical ventilation/air conditioning involved).
• Smoking-free occupancy.

If you are eligible for participation, we will continuously collect the data of:

• Thermal comfort parameters: Temperature and relative humidity.
• Environmental pollutants within your home: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), radon.
• Energy consumption (through your smart meter).

This will involve placing sensors to measure the previous parameters. In addition, participants would be asked to complete a contextual information sheet and thermal comfort surveys and an activity diary three times throughout the study.

What will happen when I participate and what will be required from participants?

If you decide that you would like further information on participating in the study, the researchers will provide you with information on the study and give you two weeks to decide whether you want to participate. If you decide that you would like to participate, a researcher will come to your home to place a remote sensor/s and perform a photo survey.

The photo survey will involve the researcher taking pictures of some indoor air quality related appliances, windows and doors, and electricity meter/fuse box. These photographs will be used to identify potential thermal comfort issues, sources for indoor air pollution, electricity system management, and will only be available to the research team.

A member of the research team will install the sensors (which are similar to a smoke detector in size) in three rooms in your home; the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom, apart from the electricity consumption sensor in the meter/fusebox, and will access information on electricity consumption and pollutants within your home for 12 months by remote monitoring.

You will be asked to fill in a contextual information sheet with information on your home (e.g. heating, ventilation) at the start of the project, as well as a thermal comfort survey and activity diary (e.g. activities such as cleaning and cooking) multiple times in the duration of this project. The contextual information sheet takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, while the thermal comfort survey and activity diary take approximately ten minutes each to complete.

The benefits of taking part in the study

The benefits of taking part is that you will receive an overview of the indoor air quality and energy consumption within your home, acquiring a comprehensive long-term description of your home's environmental performance.

 Can I leave the study?

Yes, you are free to withdraw from the study at any stage.

We welcome enquiries about the study and further information can be obtained by contacting:

‌Ibrahim Alhindawi
Doctoral Researcher,
Physics Unit,
School of Natural Sciences,
College of Science and Engineering,
University of Galway.
T: (091) 495289
M:+353 83 096068 9
E: i.alhindawi1@nuigalway.ie

Divyanshu Sood
Doctoral Researcher,
School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering,
Belfield Dublin 4,
University College Dublin.
T: +353-1716-2625
M: +353 89 2506769
E: divyanshu.sood@ucdconnect.ie