METOP - Energy efficient office building.

A prototype of a low cost, low energy office building was built using a new Finnish component system building technology. Thanks to the energy efficient windows, the thermal insulation of the building envelope and the demand-controlled variable outdoor air flow HVAC system with heat recovery and energy-storing structures, the need for heating and cooling energy has been reduced to such a level that a low energy office can be cooled with outdoor air and with the aid of a heat recovery device. The building is kept warm with the support of its own operations almost throughout the year. It is possible to arrange a good individual indoor climate in this way almost without any purchased heating or cooling energy. There is need for heating only during the coldest but short periods in the night and during the weekends. Even during the summer heat periods, cooling energy produced by refrigerators operating on CFC is not needed.