European project HOPE (Health Optimization Protocol for Energy efficient Buildings)

In January 2002, a new European project named HOPE (Health Optimization Protocol forEnergy-efficient Buildings) started with 14 participants from nine European countries. Thefinal goal of the project is to provide the means to increase the number of energy-efficientbuildings, i.e. buildings that are at the same time healthy and low energy users. Reducingenergy use by buildings also reduces CO2 emissions from primary energy used for ventilation,heating and humidity control. The outcome of the project will comprise a methodology forassessing the performance of buildings according to a set of integrated healthenergy criteria,to improve unhealthy or energy inefficient buildings. This paper presents the current status ofthis three-year European project, covering a provisional set of performance criteria, based onavailable knowledge and a description of tools used to test these criteria in a multidisciplinarystudy in 180 office buildings and multi-apartment buildings.