The objectives of this project were to develop and test a simplified duct-leakage measurement technique that could be used as part of both new-construction and retrofit DSM programs for residential duct systems.
As part of a project financed by the National Foundation for Energy Research (NEFF), the Building Services Section at the EMPA examined the thermal behaviour of one building, with zero energy demands, located in a low energy housing estate in Waedenswil on the border of the lake of Zuerich. The estate was initiated by Dr. R. Kriesi who also made the energy concept. The architect was R. Fraefel and the estate was financed also by the government of Zuerich. The measures taken in order to reach a minimal heating demand in the chosen zero energy test house were as following:
A basic condition for low energy houses is a demand controlled ventilation combined with an air-tight building envelope. Within the scope of different research projects financed by public grants and measurements effected by private order mainly in the south of Germany, the airtightness in low energy and minimum energy houses has been checked according to the DC pressurization method and the places of leakage have been determined. Considering the results with respect to the recommendations of the SIA 180 (standard of Switzerland), 40% of approx.
The environmental assessment of buildings is a potentially powerful means of reducing environmental impacts including those arising from energy consumption, writes Josephine Prior, Alan Yates and Paul Bartlett, Building Research Establishment
One of the important advantages of ordinary double glazing in comparison with single glazing is the avoidance of condensation at the inner surface during normal household activities. The reason being the higher internal surface temperature when using double glazing. However, highly insulating glazings will have lower external surface temperatures due to the good thermal insulation. During periods of clear sky during the night the outside surface temperature may drop below the external air temperature.
Domestic heating systems with a heat exchanger are generally assessed for efficiency by the ratio of primary energy input delivered energy output. In practice, performance depends on all the components in the heat delivery system and on their matching. In the air heating system addressed here, the components include: the gas burning air heater, supply ducts, return ducts, heat recovery system, controls, fans, filters and pumps. This paper describes experiments conducted on a test house in Bath during the years 1991 to 1993.
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