English

Materials in the indoor environment are generally regarded as the sources of contaminants which affect air quality indoors. Broadly speaking the same mechanisms which determine the emission of contaminants from materials also determine the way contaminants in air are taken up by materials, i.e. the sink effect. The most dramatic effects of the sink effect occur when room air concentrations are rapidly changed, for example when chemicals are emitted from various activities such as painting, cooking smoking, the use of detergents or other household chemicals.

States that the introduction of focal plane array (FPA) products in infrared thermography in the 1990s dramatically improved quality and has helped to lower prices and that infrared thermography has long been used for building diagnostics because there is no better way to see otherwise invisible problems related to insulation performance or air leakage.

States that most Colorado homes deliver R-13 walls, R-30 attics, double vinyl windows (no low-e) a low-end water heater, and extraordinarily leaky ductwork. Describes the work of one builder who has changed to building high-performance homes, and details the features which make the new homes stand out.

Presents a comparative study of four different types of solar wall, with the results obtained using a numerical simulation model. The model was validated using an experimental study of a composite solar wall. The first section of the article covers the presentation of four different types of solar wall, the Trombe wall, the insulated Trombe wall, the non-ventilated solar wall and the composite wall, then describes the experimental installations which enable the authors to obtain the measurements and the thermal study of the composite solar wall.

Describes how a small business was set up in the field of home energy performance contracting.

Describes a travelling display for methods of retrofitting residential buildings.

Presents a selection of moisture problems encountered in the south eastern USA. Discusses moisture in attics, moisture in floor cavities, moisture inside the house, hardwood floors with moisture problems, and vented crawlspaces.

Short article on insulation for residential buildings.

Compares the energy efficiency of modular and standard homes and finds little difference.

During the last two decades the significance of indoor environmental quality in buildings has been appreciated, not only in relation to thermal comfort, but also to indoor air quality. Ventilation is an important tool for securing both a good indoor climate and air quality. However, in buildings without mechanical ventilation and air conditioning systems (which comprise the majority in most European countries) natural ventilation presents the only means to satisfy indoor air quality needs.