Airbase publication

Discusses MEPA (Microcomputer Energy Programs for Architects) which has been developed in Sweden to supply energy analysis information during the early stages of design of residential and small commercial buildings, and is used inSweden, Kuwait and the US. It is designed especially for architects using microcomputers.

Describes the Computerized Instrumental Residential Audit (CIRA), a collection of programs for energy analysis and energy auditing of residential buildings. Air infiltration is modelled using the LBL infiltration model based on effective leakage. For a given budget, CIRA can also develop an optimally sequenced list of retrofits with the highest combined savings. Energy calculations compare well with those of DOE-2.1 and with measured energy consumptions from a sample of monitored houses.

Describes a detailed simulation program for estimating heat loads and room air temperatures of a residential building. Sets out the algorithms and the example simulation of a house by the program. As room surface temperaures and natural ventilation are important factors in considering the thermal environment and the heat load of the room, they are treated more rigorously than in a previously developed program.

Evaluates the intensity and acceptance of body odour as perceived by 89 male and female judges entering 2 auditoria occupied by 50-200 men. Performs 200 experiments with varied ventilation rate, space volume per occupant and temperature. Finds carbon dioxide to be a useful index of body odour intensity. Does not find any significant influence of space volume per occupant on steady-state ventilation requirements. Establishes a relationship between percentage dissatisfied and CO2 concentration.

The Fanger Comfort Equation is coupled to a building simulation model. Discusses some factors related to thermal comfort. Incorporates variables influencing comfort as subroutines in the main thermal analysis program. If the temperature calculated is significantly different from the prevailing air temperature, amelioration measures such as changes in the rate of ventilation (natural or mechanical) or conditioning of air are determined by thesubroutine CONAIR.

Summarises the sources and the effects on health of tobacco smoke and formaldehyde, and includes general information on air pollution.

Describes tests to investigate the sealing qualities of Kleeneze brushstrip (a fibrous draught-proofing strip) and the frictional forces exerted by it as the brushstrip compression is varied.

Treats pilot study where the ventilation was controlled by the carbon dioxide content in the indoor air.

States that comparison of different methods of calculating the volumes of outdoor air entering a building through the window shows that the chief deficiency of the standardised method of calculation is neglect of the importance of the relation between building dimensions, the wind profile andthe resulting pressure distribution at the building. Proposes an approximation method which significantly improves the accuracy of the calculation and also permits the calculation of flow through buildings for each possible combination of the factors determining the flow.

Describes two projects concerned with heat recovery in apartment buildings. Measures energy savings during normal operation when heat is recovered from exhaust air by a static flat-plate heat exchanger or by a heat pipe heat exchanger. Energy savings predicted during design stage are not achieved in practice because of inadequate system adjustment. Results show that energy savings can be calculated with good accuracy from individual measurements of temperature efficiency and supply air flow rates.