Investigating the impact of ventilation primary frequency control on indoor climate and cognitive performance in office settings

Abstract

Renewable energy sources pose challenges to power grid stability because they lack the synchronous inertia provided by traditional generators. To address this, demand-side primary frequency control (PFC) has emerged as a potential solution. Previous studies have suggested that ventilation fans could be utilized as demand-side loads for PFC. As far as we are aware, limited research has explored how such implementations impact indoor air quality and human cognitive ability. This study evaluates the short-term impact of a primary frequency control ventilation method using a controlled testing chamber. Two experimental conditions are compared: the first condition is with a constant ventilation rate based on Finnish guidelines, the other is with a variable rate governed by the frequency control method, which adjusts ventilation fan power to help balance short-term frequency deviations in the grid. We measured indoor environmental parameters, including humidity, temperature, CO₂, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), and evaluated participants’ (N=20) cognitive performance using standardized tests under two conditions in a climate chamber. Our results suggest that the method has an acceptable impact on indoor air quality, and there is no significant change in the cognitive performance of the participants. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using ventilation fans for PFC in practical use while supporting the UN sustainable development goal: Affordable and Clean Energy.