Suggests that occupants need domestic competence to attain designed savings envisaged in project. Reports sociological study to: investigate and map out individual behaviour patterns in relation to actual energy savings; follow up use of technical installations with respect to reactions and experience; assess reaction to living in airtight house with high technical standard. Describes interview techniques for assessing anything related to energy savings. Analyses use of technical equipment, domestic electricity and hot water.

Describes background to natural radiation in building materials and particular aspects of radium decay which produces radon. Notes human lung capacity to absorb airborne particles and associated health risks. Illustrates diagramatically different particle sizes retained in various sections of human respiratory system. Suggests methods to avoid exposure to decay products: avoid materials with high radium content and maintain low radon concentration through sufficient ventilation. Graph shows concentration of radon in relation to air change rate.

Describes use of SF6 in tracer gas studies to determine solvent fumes in indoor and outdoor environments and how meteorological conditions affect SO2 content of atmosphere. Lists instrumentation used. Discusses properties of SF6 and properties required of a tracer gas, calibration and comparison of U.S. and Swedish results. Lists practical problems both general and specific to gas chromatography and factors affecting results. Suggests future development prospects stating advantage that lower concentrations of SF6 are required compared with N2O for examples.

Explains why house external shell and ventilation system must be treated as integral elements of a total system. Explains, using an analogous water system, why air leakage through shell is greater using push-pull ventilation than when using extract ventilation and why houses should be airtight.

Treats methods of determining energy losses in a building given in 1975 swedish building regulations. Presents findings of a number of measurements using pressure method and thermography carried out during 1977 and winter of 1978. The apparatus and methods have been developed for field work. Presents results which depict different grades of airtightness in different types of building. Discusses use of thermography, which has been extensively used in recent years in Sweden in particular for new buildings. States method has been developed to become subject of a swedish standard.

Developes a simple procedure for calculating exterior wall pressure differences and air infiltration rates for various wind velocites and direction by applying the pressure data obtained from a wind tunnel model study to a computer model building. Gives separate expressions for air infiltration caused by stack action and by wind and an expression for the combined effect. Gives example of infiltration calculations compared with computer results and finds good agreement.

Awareness has developed in the United States in the last five years that traces of radioactive radon gas and its daughter products are present in varying amounts in the indoor air. Reviews the existing literature in the subject giving a table showing reported radon concentration. Notes wide variation in results. mentions standards developed to protect uranium mines. Recommends research to quantify radon concentration data.

Describes investigation of air infiltration in a house using chlorothene as a tracer gas. Gives table of the data collected. Reports the unexpected result that infiltration rates could bereduced by increasing inside relative humidity. Suggests this is due to changes in hygroscopic building materials, especially wood. Concludes that increasing relative humidity from 20 to 40%could save from 5 to 15% on fuel costs. This analysis does not take into account the energy used to evaporate humidification water.

Describes experiment to determine the effect of an evergreen windbreak on residential heat losses attributable to air infiltration. Eight-meter tall pines were arranged as an experimental windbreak to shelter a townhouse for nine weeks Air infiltration was measured continuously using SF6 as a tracer gas to compare air change rates before and after the windbreak. A dimensionless parameter was derived to distinguish between wind-and temperature-produced air infiltration and to determine the effects of wind direction.

Discusses the need for shelterbelts over farmland and gives expression for drag force exerted by a barrier in terms of air density, wind speed, barrier height and ratio of wind speed in the shelter to that in the open. Describes field study to determine the effect of a shelterbelt on vertical wind profiles. Presents two-dimensional wind reduction patterns in the lea of the shelterbelt. Calculates drag coefficients for the shelterbelt. Concludes that a shelterbelt can be very effectivein a very short period after planting.