low-energy house

The French ongoing research project “Durabilit'air” (2016-2019) aims at improving our knowledge on the variation of buildings airtightness through onsite measurement and accelerated ageing in laboratory controlled conditions. This paper presents the final results of the second task of the project. This task deals with the quantification and qualification of the durability of building airtightness of single detached houses. It is done through field measurement at mid-term (MT) and long-term (LT) scales.  

The air tightness of ventilation ductwork was measured in two recently built low-energy houses and in two conventionally built houses in the summer of 2013. The ducts and components were metal in three houses and plastic in one house. The air tightness of the ductwork had been checked by an installation survey after construction. The measured leakage airflows corresponded to air tightness class A or lower, therefore did not satisfy the minimum requirement set for class B regarding the air tightness of ventilation ductwork.

Natural night ventilation and an earth-to-air heat exchanger are applied in the low-energy office building ‘SD Worx’ in Kortrijk (Belgium). Temperatures measured during summer 2002 are used to discuss the operation and cooling effect of these passive cool

In low energy dwellings the ventilation heat losses are significant. Reduction of these heat losses can be achieved by introducing demand controlled ventilation i.e. ventilation rates are set below normal level when rooms are no longer occupied. This paper outlines preliminary results on energy conservation and health effects in relation to demand controlled ventilation in a low-energy house.

This paper shows that well proved state-of-the-art technology can be utilized to keep annual average energy consumption in office buildings below 130 kWh/m2, which is well below today's average, without compromising any major functional or architectural concepts of modern design. The Norwegian building regulations, which were revised in 1997, demand calculation of energy consumption for new buildings. However, the minimum requirements to energy consumption can even be satisfied with a modest degree of insulation or high internal loads.

Twenty terrace houses without heating system has been built in Sweden. The houses are extremely well insulated and very airtight. They are also quipped with a high efficiency ventilation heat recovery system. The total electricity consumption and the air temperature in two positions has been monitored for each of the houses on an hourly bases. Further has the environmental conditions, i.e. outdoor temperature, wind, sun etc been monitored. In six of the houses separate measurements of electricity consumption for ventilation and hot water has also been performed.

This paper presents a number of advantages (both practical and thermodynamic) of ceiling heating systems compared to under-floor heating. It is estimated that the heat flux from ceiling heating is approximately the same as under-floor heating: the larger exposed surface of the ceiling, and the lower thermal resistance between the water in the pipes and the ceiling surface, compensate for the lower convective heat flux from the ceiling. Using the same water temperature in the pipes, the total heat flux from ceiling heating will be similar to that of under-floor heating.