Airbase publication

The AIVC is preparing a series of VIP on national regulations and trends in airtightness for various countries (numbered VIP 45.XX), detailing for both building and ductwork airtightness:

(numbered VIP 45.XX), detailing for both building and ductwork airtightness:

• the national requirements and drivers (regulations, incentives, justifications and sanctions)
• whether it is taken into account in the energy performance calculations and how;
• the test protocol (testers qualifications, national guidelines, requirements on measuring devices);
• the tests already performed and whether there is a results database;
• key documents.

This presentation focuses on the airtightness trends in the Netherlands.

The AIVC is preparing a series of VIP on national regulations and trends in airtightness for various countries (numbered VIP 45.XX), detailing for both building and ductwork airtightness:

Measurements of the installed base of balanced ventilation systems in houses often show that optimal performance is not achieved. The installed base however, is a mix of various generations of units that have been developed over the years, starting in 1980. As a result, energy benefit and perceived comfort for residents is underestimated. Since 2015, improved knowledge has led to new technologies that have been implemented in the newest generation balanced ventilation units.

The installation of central mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) in renovated apartment buildings presents considerable challenges, primarily due to insufficient space for ductwork. Consequently, many renovation projects are installing decentralised MVHR units, catering to individual apartments. Many of these devices offer the option of communicating with their controllers via Modbus, BACnet, KNX, or internet APIs, provided the necessary resources are available for the connection.

The progressive digitalization is providing more and more measurement data from building operation, in particular from heating, cooling and ventilation (HVAC) systems. This work investigates the potential use of data-driven models to simulate indoor environmental conditions, i.e. temperature and CO2 concentration, for fault detection applications.

Since 2018, Renson has introduced a range of cloud-connected residential ventilation systems, including central and decentral mechanical extract ventilation (MEV), as well as fully mechanical systems with heat recovery (MVHR) (see Fig. 1). These systems incorporate smart control mechanisms that utilize different IAQ sensors (CO2, VOC, RH), to adjust the airflow rate(s) locally or centrally to the detected needs. The IAQ sensors are located at the control valves or at the central unit, but not within the rooms.

The Performance 2 project (2020-2024) is a French national research project that aims to evaluate the durability of Humidity-based Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) systems installed in two multi-family social housing buildings (Paris and Villeurbanne) over than 10 years ago. This evaluation includes the analysis of continuous measurements performed on the ventilation system (sensors located close to the air terminal devices) and two additional Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) campaigns including two other monitors placed in the “dry” rooms conducted in 13 dwellings.

This paper investigates the impact of ventilative cooling in residential buildings constructed from light-weight cross-laminated timber. Different temperature-controlled ventilative cooling concepts such as single sided ventilation, cross-ventilation and thermal stack based chimney ventilation concepts are simulated and compared in terms of impact on indoor temperature and robustness to external conditions such as the surroundings and the building orientation.

Heatwaves are extreme events that will become more frequent and intense with climate change. Maintaining a comfortable and healthy indoor environment becomes crucial during these periods. The occupants are not just passive individuals who undergo the evolution of their environment. They can act to ensure their thermal comfort, in particular by opening or closing windows in summer.