English

Passivehouses in Europe with a specific energyrequirement of less than 30kWh/(m2a) total for heating, tap warm water, ventilation and household electricity have been realized in Darmstadt, FRG. Four families live in the dwellings with extreme thermal insulation, heat recovery and optimized use of passive solar energy. The measurement program includes more than 200 sensors; temperatures, comfort, energy flows, air flows and indoor air quality are monitored. With dynamic simulation comprising about 2000 cases of alternative design of the building components the project was optimized.

The Norwegian solar low energy dwelling developed within Task 13 of the International Energy Agency's Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, is a two-storey row house apartment of approximately 120 m² floor area. The IEA dwelling is being constructed at Hamar, 120 km north of Oslo, and it will be used for media personel lodging during the Winter Olympics in 1994. The IEA dwelling will be superinsulated, with U-values of 0.11, 0.14, and 0.13 W/m^2.K for roof, walls and floor respectively.

In view of the rapid expansion of the heat pump market in Japan, a rough calculation has been made to determine the expected impact of the increased use of heat pump air conditioners on the environment. It was found that, through the use of heat pumps, the emission rate of substances into the environment can be reduced in comparison to the use of fuel oil. To make efficient use of this characteristic, measures to prevent the release of refrigerant from heat pumps are required.