BADA

In this paper we present a series of leakage tests on extremely airtight dwellings (ACH50 < 0.6 upon completion) in which the durability of the airtightness and the measurement uncertainty involved are assessed. In literature, repeatability and reproducibility issues have been discussed by several authors, along with influences of weather. It remains unclear, however, to what extent the available uncertainty intervals are relative or absolute.

The paper presents a calculation method for the combined standard uncertainty associated with the buildings airtightness measurement done in accordance with the ISO standard 9972:2006 (or EN 13829).

The method consists in an application of the law of propagation of uncertainty (JCGM 100:2008) combined with a linear regression (y = a x + b). It goes from the measured values to the air leakage rate and the air change rate.

Reducing adventitious infiltration in order to save energy is important and is highlighted by the building standards of many countries.  This operational infiltration is often inferred via the measurement of the air leakage rate at a pressure differential of 50 Pascals.  Some building codes, such as the UK’s Standard Assessment Procedure, assume a simple relationship between the air leakage rate and mean infiltration rate during the heating season, the so-called leakage-infiltration ratio, which is scaled to account for the physical and environmental properties of a dwelling.  The scaling d

Pushed at first by the labels backed onto the 2005 French energy performance (EP) regulation, and later on by the 2012 energy performance regulation, which imposes envelope airtightness requirements for any new dwellings, and pulled by a growing interest for low-energy labels, an important market transformation is observed in France on envelope airtightness measurement.

Since January 1st 2013, the French energy performance (EP) regulation requires building airtightness level to be justified to a lower-than-required value. These requirements represent an important change in the airtightness market. As a consequence, it is the State’s responsibility to accompany this market evolution and to supervise the implementation of the quality in building airtightness. French regulation allows two ways to justify the airtightness value for the building envelope.

From 2006 till 2012, the 2005 energy performance (EP) regulation (RT 2005) did not entail any obligation to justify the envelope airtightness level. As a consequence, asking for the certification of airtightness quality management approaches was a voluntary request from constructors. Thus, they might be allowed to take into account a better-than-default value into the thermal calculation. Since 2012, French 2012 EP regulation (RT 2012) requires building airtightness level to be justified, with two ways of justification.

The importance of adventitious air leakage under normal operational conditions and its reduction in order to save energy is highlighted by the relvant building standards of many countries. This operational leakage is often inferred via the measurement of air permeability, a physical property of a building that indicates the resistance of its fabric to airflow. A building’s permeability is the measure of airflow rate through its envelope at a constant pressure differential of 50 Pascals.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of measuring position of air-tightness performance in Flat-type and Tower-type apartments. Air-tightness performance was measured on entrance doors using the Blower Door System in accordance with CAN/CGSB 149 and on the windows using air-tightness Measuring (KNS-serise) in accordance with JIS A 2201. The air-tightness test was performed with newly builted apartments in 2011. The air-tightness test results on location were converted into ACH50 for comparison.

A new student accommodation for engineering students “Apisseq” was built in the town of Sisimiut, Greenland in 2010. Its purpose is not only to provide accommodation for students. Thanks to its complex monitoring system it enables researchers to evaluate the building’s energy performance and indoor air quality (IAQ) as well as performance of some single components. In summer 2012 a blower door test was performed on all 37 living units out of which 33 are identical single room flats and 4 are larger double room flats.

The existence of air leakages in a building has been very clearly stated as an important reason for energy loss. The decrease in the efficiency of the mechanical ventilation has also been clarified. The global demand for achieving nearly zero-energy buildings makes the uncontrolled leakage paths even more undesired. Despite the fact that steady state measurements of in- and exfiltration rates offer a simple and easy way of estimating the airtightness level of an eclosure, a supplement to those methods might be imposed.