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.
The energy statistics of OECD Countries shows that between 30-50% of primary energy is consumed in non-industrial buildings (i.e. in dwellings, offices, hospitals, schools etc.) Of this, as much as 50% is dissipated from the building in the departing air stream. As buildings become more thermally efficient, the proportion of energy loss (either heating or cooling losses) associated with ventilation and air infiltration is expected to become the dominant thermal loss mechanism. Additional losses may be associated with the energy needed to operate mechanical ventilation systems.
The research described in this paper is part of a project aimed at improving energy costs and the indoor environment of atrium buildings. Tracer gas techniques were used to assess the ventilation performance in terms of air distribution and contaminant migration patterns and to measure the air infiltration rate of a three-storey atrium. This atrium serves as an entrance to a large office-laboratory complex.
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