Air leakage through the building envelope into the building interiors has a considerable impact on the energy loads and consequently energy demand and energy costs of buildings. This phenomenon known as infiltration happens through various openings and venues in the building envelope varying from large openings such as doors and windows to minute cracks and crevices. In addition to impacting building energy loads, infiltration impacts indoor air quality and can result in moisture accumulation problems in the building envelope. A generalized review of infiltration that includes evaluation techniques and models, quantification, and interaction with other heat transfer phenomena is presented in this article.

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The need for efficient, sustainable, and planned utilization of resources is ever more critical. Several building energy analysis tools have been developed to assess energy demands and lifecycle energy costs in buildings. Such analyses are essential for an efficient heating, ventilation, and air conditioning design that overcomes the pitfalls of an under/over-designed system. Studies have estimated air infiltration accounts for up to 50% of a building’s energy demand. This stresses the need that energy simulation engines accurately account for air infiltration. An Enhanced Model for air infiltration has been developed.

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