Minimum Ventilation Rates

Overview

The energy balance in buildings is influenced by interaction with the environment via radiation, heat conduction and convection. Of these three phenomena convection, and in particular infiltration, is least understood and most affected by the individual behaviour of the inhabitants.

The objectives of this task were:

• To collect background data needed for the proposal of minimum ventilation standards with regard to type and amount of activity, air quality, comfort and moisture. Special problems should be taken into account as e.g., combustion appliances inside the living area.
• To propose objective criteria for assessing and evaluating ventilation standards where sufficient knowledge is available.
• To prepare a research and development programme to resolve problems inhibiting the establishment of ventilation standards.
• From a viewpoint of energy conservation air infiltration and ventilation have to be minimised. A certain amount of fresh outside air, however, has to be supplied to a building in order to maintain healthy and comfortable conditions for the inhabitants and to avoid structural damage. The optimisation of these adverse requirements will result in guidelines for minimum ventilation rates which are just large enough to meet the indispensable fresh air demand but small enough to avoid useless waste of energy. The work which has been performed under this annex is believed to be an important step towards the establishment of objective and common criteria necessary to determine minimum ventilation rates.