experimental house

Residential buildings newly constructed in Japan are well insulated and airtight for energy conservation. However, the indoor environment of these houses can suffer from high humidity in the summer and low humidity in the winter. In order to mitigate this problem, hygrothermal materials are installed in some Japanese houses. The test method for small samples of hygrothermal material is prescribed in the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). However, the moisture buffering effect of the hygrothermal materials adopted in actual houses is unclear.

In order to clarify determine the energy consumption and the indoor environment of an experimentalhouse with energy efficient design, measurements were taken since January 2006. The house isoccupied twice a year, for a week each in summer and winter. Simulation was used to predict theenergy consumption and indoor environment of the experimental house with a typical four-personfamily. The aim of this study is to understand the influence of energy efficient building design on energyconsumption and indoor environment.