This paper presents the configuration and some experimental performance data for an improved, custom designed heat recovery & air conditioning retrofitting system, developed for a hospital located in a Canadian cold-climate environment. The two-stage heat recovery system includes a conventional glycol heat exchanger and a prototype of a reversible air-to-air heat pump between the exhaust and the fresh air streams.

Natural convection, which arises around an occupant by his own metabolic heat, plays an important role in convection heat dissipation of the body in a room environment. The present research aimed at to know how local airflow penetrates through the natural convection layer, how it is perceived at a body surface, and finally causes sensations of warmth and air motion. As a basic study of it, horizontal local airflow was directed at the representative two locations on subjects surfaces, which are the back of the neck and the left side of the ankle.

The paper presents a numerical study on the airflow within a single-sided heated room with a large vertical opening, with and without interaction of an air curtain. The influence of temperature differences between the heated wall and the exterior on the inflow has been investigated. Also how an air curtain, with different inlet velocities and widths, affect the flow and thermal patterns in the room have been examined. The RNG k-e turbulence model is used for capturing the fluid flow and heat transfer in the building and through the opening.

The aim of this study was to find out the effectiveness of equipment used to prevent cold air flows in the wind boxes of commercial buildings and super markets. Measurements were carried out in 14 buildings at the total of 42 work sites. The effectiveness of the equipment used to prevent cold air flows in wind boxes was insufficient. The measurements showed that temperature changes and air flows can reach even beyond than 10 m from the wind box and create serious local draft at work sites.

Basic requirements for healthy environments were well established before 1850 and implemented during the next 100 years as a vital condition for the remarkable improvements of general health and living standard in our welfare states.It is sad to observe that so much knowledge and wisdom seems to have evaporated during the last 50 years !

As part of the European SAVE project ENPER, an international workshop on the implementation of the European Energy Performance Directive (EPD) was organised in Brussels on May, 19. Some 115 delegates from 21 countries attended this workshop. This directive obliges the Member states as well as the 10 candidate members to implement a range of regulatory measures regarding the energy performance assessment and certification of buildings. Presentations were made by the people listed above in the author grid.

This guide of 60 pages is written in French. It provides practical guidance to joiners for the installation of natural ventilation systems in dwellings. Firstly it explains in a few words the reasons for ventilating. Then it gives information about the requirements of the Belgian standard NBN D 50-001 "Ventilation systems for housings". The third part of the document deals with the material and its installation. This guide is intended to support the vocational training of young people. It is therefore written in a simple style and well illustrated.

A 64 page guide on building-integrated ventilation solutions has just been published in Norway. It is the culmination of 4 years of evaluation and experience from modern buildings, mainly schools with different forms of building-integrated ventilation systems.
This guide gives tentative conclusions about alternative system designs.

CEN/STAR establishes needs for co-normative and pre-normative research in support to CEN standardization. A workshop took place in CETIAT (France) on 23-24 january 2003, its aim was to provide an overview of the trends of research and future standardization for HVAC appliances and to define the needs for pre-normative or co-normative research and interaction with standardization works.

In the UK, the pressure to improve fire prevention in catering establishments has for some years come largely from the insurance industry. Kitchen operators needed to better manage their extract ventilation systems. All cooking equipment forms a potential source of ignition. BSRIA has then compiled a document presenting a method for fire risk assessment of catering extract ventilation.