Global and local climate changes affect the energy performance of buildings, especially during the warm season, with relevant increase of cooling uses in mechanically cooled buildings and discomfort hours in naturally ventilated ones. The ventilative cooling is proved to be a promising strategy to tackle this threat, however installing new ventilation systems in existing buildings is challenging in technical and economic terms. The strategy can be also pursued by motorized windows duly operated.

This study proposes the feasibility of a window-type liquid desiccant ventilation system for residential buildings. Using a LiCl solution, the system was designed and experimentally evaluated under hot and humid conditions. The results indicated a 19% reduction in relative humidity and effective latent heat removal, showing significant dehumidification performance. The system maintained its dehumidification performance even with reduced humidity, suggesting improved thermal comfort.

Window opening behaviour can have an important impact on residential energy use, especially in energy efficient dwellings. A few studies indicated that the window use may be a habitual behaviour, meaning that the behaviour is performed without conscious thought as a consequence of frequently repeating this action. Verbruggen et al. (2021a) developed an event-based residential occupant behaviour model (EROB) based on habits as present in Belgian dwellings, including a window opening model.

In residential buildings, the indoor air quality can be significantly affected by ventilation measures initiated by occupants, including the operation of windows and in-unit exhaust fans in kitchens and bathrooms. The outcome of these measures can be highly variable and difficult to accurately characterize in building simulation frameworks. Consequently, many simulations simplify these factors by disregarding window opening behaviours and using fixed schedules for exhaust fan operation across all residential units.

This study aims to investigate the impact of changing residential user behaviour after the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 on indoor health and comfort conditions. In this context, user behaviour-focused studies conducted before 2020, the year of the pandemic, and behavioural patterns that changed with the pandemic will be discussed comparatively.

A composite rating scheme for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) can help provide a summary picture of buildings for occupants, inform the building managers regarding IEQ performance that need attention, and raise awareness on regarding the importance of IEQ parameters. The TAIL IEQ rating scheme has been designed to communicate such aspects in a simple, easy to use manner. 

By 2050, Europe aims for energy-neutral buildings, necessitating effective integration of renewable energy sources and smart grid management. To address peak energy demands and prevent grid congestion, building-level energy management is crucial. This paper presents a stepwise calibration methodology for hybrid building models, enhancing flexibility in HVAC systems and thermal buffers.   

In 2022, a new law was passed by the Belgian federal government with the purpose to enhance the indoor air quality in public spaces in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This new law, among other things, requires publicly accessible spaces to apply a CO2 meter and provides the option to have an IAQ label in place that informs the visitor about the indoor air quality of that space.

It is often difficult to implement prevention recommendations and plan targeted measures to limit the spread of airborne viruses in communal spaces. To effectively accomplish this goal, it is crucial to comprehensively characterize the indoor environmental quality in the space and, from these space-specific data, draw recommendations adapted to the setting. In this context, 11 elderly care homes in Belgium were selected for a comprehensive assessment of the indoor air quality (IAQ).

Maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ) post energy retrofit is essential to ensure the health and wellbeing of building occupants. In this study, a number of indoor air pollutants were measured in a sample of Irish homes pre and post deep energy retrofit (DER). Airborne concentrations of PM2.5 and formaldehyde showed significant increases (p <0.0001) post-retrofit. A health impact assessment was conducted and the results suggest that the greatest health burden (for lung cancer and all-cause mortality) was associated with exposure to PM2.5.