Adequate ventilation is essential for the well being and health of building occupants and the provision of fresh air was traditionally met by natural means. This approach has partly given way to air conditioning in response to the perceived need to cool modern buildings, which tended to suffer from high solar heat gains, poor natural daylighting and use of many energy intensive appliances. Increased concern over the adverse environmental impact of energy use has encouraged the design and construction of energy efficient buildings, many of them suited to natural ventilation.
Knowledge of the amount of air leaking into a building through the various building components is important for a wide variety of reasons. Initially the interest in these values was so that estimates could be made on the amount of energy to be added or removed to heat or cool air that was infiltrating into the structure. Selection of new and replacement building materials was done partially on the amount of energy costs that would be saved by the selection of that component.
Login