Post-occupancy evaluation of residential buildings in Luxembourgwith centralized and decentralized ventilation systems, focusing onindoor air quality (IAQ). Assessment by questionnaires and physicalmeasurements

in Energy and Buildings (2017), 148

tComplete knowledge about habits of the occupants, including their opinions regarding ventilation sys-tems is an important condition for reducing the consumption of natural resources and improving ... [more ▼]

tComplete knowledge about habits of the occupants, including their opinions regarding ventilation sys-tems is an important condition for reducing the consumption of natural resources and improving indoorcomfort. In addition, uncomforted occupants tend to take measures to improve their situation, whichmay increase energy consumption. Advanced thermal models for buildings can perhaps predict interac-tions between the IAQ determinants, e.g. energy consumption, ventilation and comfort, but do not takeinto account the behavior of residents. By questionnaires and physical measurements this study evalu-ated dwellings equipped partly with centralized and partly with decentralized ventilation systems withheat recovery. This field study involved two post-occupied residential buildings situated in the city ofEsch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, during spring season 2015. Thus, both the physical measurements andquestionnaires were considered. The results obtained demonstrated that more than 80% of the residentswere satisfied and the perceived IAQ was judged “normal”, “good” or even “very good”. Furthermore,the measurements performed detected in some cases malfunction of ventilation devices, wherefore theoccupants were unable. [less ▲]