Apparently, leaving the window open a crack isn't the smartest option, as heating the outside air is not only expensive, but not environmentally friendly. It will only cool the room instead of ventilate. The best solution, according to Elektrum Energy Efficiency Centre Specialist Anrijs Tukulis, is to completely open the window for a short period of time.
“The air will cool, but the floor, furniture surfaces, walls will maintain the temperature. And the moments we close it, the room will respectively get back to those 20-22 degrees,” said Tukulis.
CO² is released when people breathe out. Fresh air has a level of 350-400 units. Crowded rooms can get up to 2,000-2,500 units, which can decrease concentration and cause headaches and drowsiness, according to the specialist.
It's not a cheap or quick fix, but if you're building or renovating a good solution is installing an air recuperator system, which ensures fresh air without affecting your heating bill, so it can pay off. “This system constantly exchanges air, but doesn't affect heat loss. Incoming air is heated with air that we're blowing out of the room,” said Tukulis.
In the next few years all new buildings will be required to have such systems.
