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Potential effects of permeable and hygroscopic lightweight structures on thermal comfort and perceived IAQ in a cold climate
Author(s) -
Kurnitski J.,
Kalamees T.,
Palonen J.,
Eskola L.,
Seppänen O.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
indoor air
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.387
H-Index - 99
eISSN - 1600-0668
pISSN - 0905-6947
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0668.2006.00447.x
Subject(s) - indoor air quality , building envelope , environmental science , relative humidity , ventilation (architecture) , thermal comfort , moisture , air permeability specific surface , humidity , envelope (radar) , thermal , environmental engineering , architectural engineering , indoor air , materials science , atmospheric sciences , meteorology , composite material , engineering , mechanical engineering , aerospace engineering , radar , layer (electronics) , geology , physics
In this study, we simulated and measured the effect of permeable and hygroscopic lightweight structures on indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort in a cold climate. The potential effect of hygroscopic mass was assessed with the simulation of extreme cases, where permeable and hygroscopic lightweight structures with unfinished surfaces were compared with impermeable and non-hygroscopic ones. Measurements were conducted in 78 rooms of 46 newly built detached timber-framed houses and analyzed according to hygroscopic surface materials and envelope permeability. From the simulations, it was shown that permeable and hygroscopic structures considerably improved perceived air quality in summer, when a ventilation rate of 6 l/s pers. in the non-hygroscopic case corresponded roughly to 4 l/s pers. in the hygroscopic case. However, window airing and furnishing will reduce this difference in practice. Both simulated and measured results showed that permeable and hygroscopic structures significantly reduced peak indoor relative humidity levels and daily changes in relative humidity, but had no long-term effects. Measured results also indicated that completely non-hygroscopic houses did not exist in reality.