While the choice of reduction of transmission losses of a building to very low values is more or less only a question of economics, minimizing ventilation to reduce the heat loss may produce a lot of problems regarding air quality and building physics. This problem has not only been experienced in a great number of buildings in Germany, but it is also a problem common to all IEA member countries.
Recent statistics1 show that the annual primary energy consumption per person in Japan is 31.0 Gcals (129.8 GJ). Almost 25% of this energy demand is divided equally among the commercial and residential sectors, with secondary energy usage per dwelling amounting to 8.3 Gcals (34.8 GJ). This value is aquarter of that of the United States and one half of that of European developed countries.
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