Abstract

Mechanical ventilation has been the most favoured system in Swedish apartment buildings since the early 1960's. What is there to be learned from the Swedish results?

Energy audits in apartment buildings have pointed out the ventilation system as a main consumer of electrical energy. The Swedish Council of Building Research conducted a vast empirical study of 110 fan systems. The objects were chosen within 12 residential districts with different characteristics (system for ventilation, age, size, type of building etc). The ventilation systems showed to be of a very low efficiency, on the average 20 per cent. The electricity demands were high, especially for the systems with heat recovery. As a consequence, the regulations for heat recovery in buildings have been proposed to be withdrawn. The measured area-specific air-flow showed to vary a lot between different buildings and between different apartments. Economizing pos-sibilities in the 110 ventilation systems were studied. At the time for reinvestment, or when changes are motivated for other reasons, components and system designs which reduce the electrical demand up to 60 per cent, are economically motivated.

Paper

Download this paper as pdf: Paper

Panels of

Panel 2. Commercial Technologies and Buildings

Panel 1. Policy, Programs and Program Evaluation

Panel 4. The Energy-Environment Link

Panel 3. Human Dimensions of Energy-Use and Conservation

Panel 5. Transport