Quality of methods for measuring ventilation and infiltration in buildings

There is a trend towards conducting more ventilation and air infiltration measurements in buildings, either to strengthen commissioning procedures or to learn from field data. This trend is particularly evident in nearly zero-energy building projects and programmes, given the significant contribution of ventilation and infiltration losses to overall building energy use.

Although there appears to be a general consensus on the benefits of this approach—particularly in terms of increased attention to implementation, greater confidence in actual performance and improved monitoring of programmes and regulations—there is also ongoing debate regarding the quality and cost of these measurements.