Ventilation is essential for the maintenance of good indoor air quality, although there is evidence to suggest that energy loss through uncontrolled or unnecessary air infiltration is excessive. In this study; estimates are presented for air change (ventilation and infiltration) energy use in non-industrial buildings for 13 countries. Various methods are used for the estimates, but they are mainly based on calculating the total annual enthalpy change needed for the conditioning of air. The potential for reduced energy use by improved ventilation control is also briefly reviewed.
An equation is developed for predicting the combined effect of naturally and mechanically induced air flows in buildings and solved by a combination of analytical and iterative methods. The resulting two-dimensional formulation, implemented as a simple computer program, allows rapid, hourly simulation of infiltration in domestic-scale buildings with a range of ventilation strategies.
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