Experimental Air-Tightness Analysis in Mediterranean Buildings after Windows Retrofit

Alfano, Francesca Romana d’Ambrosio; Dell’Isola, Marco; Ficco, Giorgio; Palella, Boris Igor; Riccio, Giuseppe

doi:10.3390/su8100991

Cited by 24 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In particular, the pressurization and depressurization n 50 values were measured equal to 2.97 e 4.55 h −1 , respectively. The higher depressurization value is typical of rooms with inward-opening windows characterized by poor quality and poor sealing of the openings as recognized in previous papers for elder buildings/windows [50,52].…”

Section: Pressurization and Tracer Gas Decay Test Resultsmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…The experimental apparatus used to perform blower-door tests includes: (i) an airproof fan at calibrated flow rates fitted to the door by means of an extensible frame allowing the measurement of pressure differences (positive and negative); (ii) a flow rate regulation system producing indoor-outdoor pressure differences by varying the fan speed; (iii) two primary elements for the flow rate measurement; (iv) a digital micromanometer with an uncertainty of about 1 Pa, to measure the pressure difference both indoor/outdoor and up/downstream to the primary element (in order to calculate the flow rate); (v) a thermo-hygrometer for air temperature and humidity measurements, to correct flow rates at standard conditions. Further details on the BDT methodology are reported in our previous papers [50,52,53].…”

Section: Characterization Of the Air Permeability Of The Test-classromentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Effect of Ventilation Strategies on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Consumptions in Classrooms

et al. 2019

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Most of the school buildings in Italy are high energy-demanding buildings with no ad-hoc ventilation systems (i.e., naturally-ventilated buildings). Therefore, reducing the heat losses of schools represent the main aspect to be dealt with. Nonetheless, the indoor air quality of the building should be simultaneously considered. Indeed, to date, energy consumptions and air quality are considered as incompatible aspects especially in naturally-ventilated buildings. The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the effect of different ventilation and airing strategies on both indoor air quality and energy consumptions in high energy-demanding naturally-ventilated classrooms. To this purpose, an Italian test-classroom, characterized in terms of air permeability and thermophysical parameters of the envelope, was investigated by means of experimental analyses and simulations through CO2 mass balance equation during the heating season. The air quality was assessed in terms of indoor CO2 concentrations whereas the energy consumptions were evaluated through the asset rating approach. Results clearly report that not adequate indoor CO2 concentrations are measured in the classroom for free-running ventilation scenarios even in low densely populated conditions (2.2 m2 person−1), whereas scheduled airing procedures can reduce the indoor CO2 levels at the cost of higher energy need for ventilation. In particular, when airing periods leading to the air exchange rate required by standards are adopted, the CO2 concentration can decrease to values lower than 1000 ppm, but the ventilation losses increase up to 36% of the overall energy need for space heating of the classroom. On the contrary, when the same air exchange rate is applied through mechanical ventilation systems equipped with heat recovery units, the ventilation energy loss contribution decreases to 5% and the overall energy saving results higher than 30%. Such energy-saving was found even higher for occupancy scenarios characterized by more densely populated conditions of the classroom typically occurring in Italian classrooms.

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Section: Pressurization and Tracer Gas Decay Test Resultsmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Characterization Of the Air Permeability Of The Test-classromentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Ventilation Strategies on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Consumptions in Classrooms

et al. 2019

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“…Although the possibility of finding higher levels of pollutants [40,41] in more airtight dwellings is generally recognized, there are insufficient data-both qualitative and quantitative-about this behavior in the homes of southern Europe. These homes present different modes of ventilation (warm / cold period) and are generally perceived as very open dwellings [42][43][44][45]. A notable aspect is the potential relationship between different environmental parameters and species in contributing more detailed information for predictive tools.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

TVOCs and PM 2.5 in Naturally Ventilated Homes: Three Case Studies in a Mild Climate

et al. 2019

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In southern Europe, the present stock of social housing is ventilated naturally, with practice varying in the different seasons of the year. In winter, windows are kept closed most of the day with the exception of short periods for ventilation, whereas the rest of the year the windows are almost permanently open. In cold weather, air changes depend primarily on the air infiltrating across the envelope and when the temperature is warm, on the air flowing in through open windows. CO2, PM2.5, and TVOC concentration patterns were gathered over a year’s time in three social housing developments in southern Europe with different airtightness conditions and analyzed to determine possible relationships between environmental parameters and occupants’ use profiles. Correlations were found between TVOC and CO2 concentrations, for human activity was identified as the primary source of indoor contaminants: peak TVOC concentrations were related to specific household activities such as cooking or leisure. Indoor and outdoor PM2.5 concentrations were likewise observed to be correlated, although not linearly due to the presence of indoor sources. Ventilation as presently practiced in winter appears to be insufficient to dilute indoor contaminants in all three buildings, nor does summertime behavior guarantee air quality.

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“…The aim was to allow the end-user to know in which way his energy saving behaviors were affecting, positively or negatively, the indoor air temperature, which was chosen in the present experimental campaign as a simple parameter that the end-user could directly relate to his perceived thermal comfort. In this way, the user could assess if eventual changes in his behavior toward energy savings (i.e., the closure of one or more radiators, no or excessive ventilation [29]) could be related to low indoor temperatures (e.g., below 18 • C), which represents an undesirable consequence to be avoided.…”

Section: Level 1: Smart Metering and Sub-metering Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An IoT Integrated Tool to Enhance User Awareness on Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings

et al. 2019

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Unaware behaviors of occupants can affect energy consumption even more than incorrect installations and building envelope inefficiencies, with significant overconsumptions widely documented. Real time data and an effective and frequent billing of actual consumptions are required to reach an adequate awareness of energy consumption. From this point of view, the European Directive 2012/27/EU already imposed the use of metering and sub-metering systems, setting the minimum criteria for billing and related information based on real energy consumption data. To assess the ability of buildings to exploit new information and communication technologies (ICT) and sensitize both landlords and tenants to related savings, the new European Directive 2018/844/EU promotes the use of a smart readiness indicator. At the same time, basic information about indoor thermal comfort should be also gathered, aimed at avoiding that an excessive saving tendency can determine the onset of issues related to excessively low internal temperatures. In this paper, the authors address the problem of gathering, processing, and transmitting energy consumption and basic indoor air temperature data in the framework of an Internet of Things (IoT) integrated tool aimed at increasing residential user awareness through the use of consumption and benchmark indexes. Two case-studies in which thermal and electrical energy monitoring systems have been tested are presented and discussed. Finally, the suitability of the communication of energy consumption in terms of temporal, spatial, and typological aggregation has been evaluated.

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Experimental Air-Tightness Analysis in Mediterranean Buildings after Windows Retrofit

Cited by 24 publications

References 16 publications

The Effect of Ventilation Strategies on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Consumptions in Classrooms

The Effect of Ventilation Strategies on Indoor Air Quality and Energy Consumptions in Classrooms

TVOCs and PM 2.5 in Naturally Ventilated Homes: Three Case Studies in a Mild Climate

An IoT Integrated Tool to Enhance User Awareness on Energy Consumption in Residential Buildings

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