Air infiltration and building tightness measurements in passive solar residences.

Studies the airtightness of about 50 passive solar homes located through out the USA using low cost measurement techniques. Measures include pressurization tests to measure airtightness and tracer gas measurements to determine air infiltration rates. Pressure tests show a variation in airtightness of homes from 3-30 changes/hr at 50 Pa, with a median of 5-9 changes/hr.The air infiltration measurements cover a wide range from 0.05-3 changes/hr, with a median of 0.5 changes/hr. Finds that these passive solar homes are not significantly tighter than less energy-conscious houses.