Reports study of the energy consumption and ventilation requirements of typical existing public schools in New York. Electricity and fuel-oil consumption data from May 1970 to April 1973 from 19 schools were analysed.

Notes that many existing dwellings are inadequately insulated and in need of caulking and weatherstripping. Gives criteria for the selection of retrofit materials which are eligible for the Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program. Materials discussed are insulation, storm windows and doors, caulks and sealants, weatherstripping, vapour barriers, clock thermostats and replacement windows. Discusses the literature on retrofitting. Describes the different caulks and sealants available. Outlines precautions to be taken when applying different retrofit materials.

Calculations show that natural ventilation exploiting wind and specific gravity differences may reduce the need for ventilation heat. This is not done as usual by ventilation through open doors and windows but through fine porous air-permeable outside walls. The optimum thickness of the heat insulation layer is defined, giving maximum saving of total heating and ventilation energy.

Reports study of wind and rain over fifteen years and gives table of results. Reports measurements of wind pressure and driving rain on buildings. Discusses laboratory measurements of the tightness of facade elements under pressures of up to 50 Pa. and with temperature differences of -40 to +30 deg.C. across the facade. Describes pressurization of buildings and gives results of measurements in test dwellings. Discusses movement of joints in buildings and describes measurement of this movement.< Discusses permeability of both flat and sloping roofs.

Reports measurements of radon daughters in air. The daughters were collected on filters for different lengths of time. A silicon semiconductor detector and the etch foil technique were used to measure the alpha particles from the radon daughters. Finds that alpha particle concentrations in living rooms have the same variation with time as outdoors.

Reviews the ventilation requirements for residential buildings and the recently discovered contaminants of indoor air which will have an influence on the required ventilation rates. Describes methods of measuring air leakage and the rate of air infiltration. Cites work aimed at finding the correlation between air leakage and air infiltration. Outlines the role of heat recovery devices and recommends areas of further research. An appendix reports on a Canadian Mortgage and Housing Association seminar "Controlled ventilation with exhaust air heat recovery for Canadian housing".

Air quality inside buildings depends on the contamination of outside air as well as on the air pollution inside the room. The human being contaminates the air through carbon dioxide, odours, vapours and particulates. The most important sources of pollution are tobacco smoke, consumer materials (organic solvents), building materials and furniture fittings (formaldehyde) and the use of gas for cooking and heating (nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide).< Discusses these pollutants and reported levels of pollution in Swiss buildings. Discusses methods of removing pollutants from the air.

In order to reduce heating energy consumption, single glazed windows are commonly replaced by double glazing and joints tightened in Danish dwellings. Reports investigation of the influence of such tightening of dwellings on the indoor climate. 25 tightened and 25 not-tightened identical flats were investigated. Finds an improvement in thermal climate and a significant reduction in heat consumption in the retrofitted flats. Finds absolute humidity of indoor air was significantly higher in improved flats, probably due to reduced ventilation.

Measurements of vapours and gases from organic solvents (GC-MS) of formaldehyde and of odour were performed inside and outside an uninhabited experimental house with and without operating the ventilating system.< The indoor air quality is evaluated with respect to human health andwellbeing, and guidelines for the setting of hygenic standards for indoor air quality are discussed, taking into account that building materials should neither emit carcinogens, respiratory irritants nor odorous compounds.