Building energy efficiency and COVID-19 infection risk: Lessons from office room management

To prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, many indoor environments are increasing the volume of fresh air and running air conditioning systems at maximum power. However, it is essential to consider the comfort of indoor occupants and energy consumption simultaneously when controlling the spread of infection. In this study, we simulated the energy consumption of a three-storey office building for postgraduate students and teachers at a university in Beijing. Based on an improved Wells-Riley model, we established an infection risk-energy consumption model considering non-pharmaceutical interventions and human comfort. The infection risk and building energy efficiency under different room occupancy rates on weekdays and at weekends, during different seasons were then evaluated. Energy consumption, based on the real hourly room occupancy rate during weekdays was 43%–55% lower than energy consumption when dynamic room occupancy rate was not considered. If all people wear masks indoors, the total energy consumption could be reduced by 32%–45% and the proportion of energy used for ventilation for epidemic prevention and control could be reduced by 22%–36% during all seasons. When only graduate students wear masks in rooms with a high occupancy, total energy consumption can be reduced by 15%–25%. After optimization, compared with the strict epidemic prevention and control strategy (the effective reproductive number R_t = 1 in all rooms), energy consumption during weekdays (weekends) in winter, summer and transition seasons, can be reduced by 45% (74%), 43% (69%), and 55% (78%), respectively. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for policies on epidemic prevention and control, carbon emission peak and neutrality, and Healthy China 2030.