The use of building own ventilation system in measuring airtightness

The improvement of energy efficiency is the key issue after the energy performance of buildings directive came into the force in European Union countries. The city of Kuopio in Finland participate a project, in which different tools will be used and tested to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings. In this project there were pilot buildings e.g. schools. The other pilot school consumed much more heating energy than the other same type of school. Air tightness was measured using the own ventilation system of the building and by remote control from the central operation room. In this paper the procedure and some results are presented. There is also one example about a kindergarten, a health center, about a swimming hall and a new administration building in City of Oulu, in which the air tightness was measured using Blower-Door method and building’s own ventilation system. Thermography, air tightness test and other supporting measurements can be used together to solve energy loss problems – if these measurements will be carried out by proper way. The ventilation system of the building can be used to test air tightness within certain limitations.