While the choice of reduction of transmission losses of a building to very low values is more or less only a question of economics, minimizing ventilation to reduce the heat loss may produce a lot of problems regarding air quality and building physics. This problem has not only been experienced in a great number of buildings in Germany, but it is also a problem common to all IEA member countries.
The paper summarises the IEA, Executive Committee on Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems, Annex 14 work on Condensation and Energy, a joint research effort of the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Belgium, finished end of march 1990. First the complex relations between mould+ surface condensation, the outside climate, the building fabric, inhabitants behaviour and energy conservation are discussed. Then follows a short overview of the Annex achievements with mayor emphasis on the guidelines and practice results.
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