European airtightness association committee Internet Meeting 26/09/12

1. European airtightness association committeeInternet Meeting26/09/12

2. Participants Belgium: Xavier Loncour, Clarisse Mees(Observers) Czech Republic: Jiri Novak (Asociace Blower Door CZ” (A.BD.CZ)) Denmark: Walter Sebastian (Klimaskaerm) - Apologies France: RémiPelini (Syneole) - Apologies Germany: Oliver Solcher (FliB) Italy: Guenther Gantioler (ATTA) – No answer ? Sweden: Eva Sikander (Informal network in Sweden) UK: Rob Coxon, David Unwin, Tom Jones (ATTMA) TightVent: Peter Wouters, RémiCarrié, Maria Kapsalaki

3. Agenda • Review of previous action list • Information within committee • Latest documents available on website (contact list, review of applicable standards, summary of airtightness requirements) • Publication of AIVC-TightVent reports on air leakage databases and summary of March workshop • Feedback on Copenhagen conference • Information on ISO TC 163 / SC 1 / WG 10 work • Status on actions on airtightness measurements accuracy and precision / calibration • Discussion on questionnaire on competent tester schemes • Events (conferences, workshops and webinars) • AOB • Next meetings

4. New action list

5. Previous action list

6. Information within committee • Latest documents available on private area of TightVent website • http://tightvent.eu/partners/airtightness-testers-associations • Password is TVAAC2012 , please do not disclose it. • Now includes contact list, review of applicable standards, summary of airtightness requirements

7. Contact list

8. Summary of requirements

9. Review of standards

10. Publications

11. Feedback on Copenhagen conference Q4. Overall did the conference meet your expectations? Over 160 particpants Over 100 presentations Summary of airtightness track will be published in January issue of the REHVA journal and on AIVC and TightVent websites Good feedback Number of total responses=67

12. Information on ISO TC 163 / SC 1 / WG 10 • Mail from Oliver • Standards in the pipeline • ISO 9972 « Thermal performance of buildings – determination of air permeability of buildings – Fan pressurization method »: CD to be submitted as DIS (Draft International Standard). • ISO 12569 « Thermal performance of buildings – Determination of air change in buildings – Tracer gas dilution method ». FDIS was in enquiry until 16/10/2012. • ISO 14857 : « Thermal performance in the built environment – Determination of air permeance of materials ». Canada wanted to include modifications to draft document. Was foreseen to send it as FDIS for enquiry by the end of the year. • ISO 16956 : « Thermal performance in the built environment – Determination of Air flow Rate in Building applications by Field Measuring Methods ». First draft (CD) available but there are already 2 CEN standards dealing with the same subject. Draft to be revised to be consistent with CEN standard as much as possible. • Also, the group wants to work on 2 additional subjects: • Measurement of ductwork airtightness • Measurement of the airtightness of large buildings • NOTE: ATTMA notes thatwhatmakes a large building difficult to test isitsheight and/or partitions, not necessarilyits size

13. Status on actions on airtightness measurements accuracy and precision / calibration Can be an endlesswork Need to bettercharacterize the scope of the work WebExwasplannedwithTightVentpartners end of 2012 but had to becancelled => Statusidle

14. Questionnaire on competent tester scheme To befinalized by Jan 18 To befilled in by meeting attendees by Jan 31

15. Discussion on reference value used for airtightnessindicator Xavier Loncoursuggests to conduct a comparisonexercise on the same building(s) to see to whatextentdifferentinterpretations of the reference values can affect the indicator However, itisunclearwhetherthisis an international exercisesincewe know thereissignificantdiscrepancy in the values obtained by technicians in the same country (e.g., on volumes, cold surface areas, etc.)

16. Discussion on reference value used for airtightnessindicator • The uncertainty on the reference value has a direct impact on the uncertainty on the airtightnessindicator • 10% error on volume implies 10% error on n50 value • This maybe important for compliance to a givenlimit value of the airtightnessindicator • On the other hand, thisuncertaintycanbeeliminated in the energycalculationsince the energycalculationuses the total leakageflowrate • For example, assume energy use iscalculatedfrom the calculated infiltration rate and degree-days • where Einf is expressed in kWh, Vbld is the building’s volume, and DD is the number of degree-days in Kelvin days • And assume ninfcanbeestimatedwith

17. Discussion on reference value used for airtightnessindicator • Equation becomes • And therefore the building volume has no influence on the calculation of the energyuse as long as you use the same value for calculating the n50 as the one you use in the EP calculation. • The same conclusion canbedrawn if the indicatorisnormalizedwith the cold area. • In sum, • The uncertainty on the reference value to normalize the airtightnessindicator affects directly the uncertainty on the airtightnessindicator • But, as long as you use the samereference value to normalize the airtightness as the one whichisused in the EP calculation, thereshouldbe no impact on the energycalculation.

18. Events • Quality of ventilation systems in Brussels • 18-19 March 2013 • Airtightness workshop in Washington DC • 18-19 April 2013 • BUILDAIR symposium in Hannover • 7-8 June 2013 • AIVC-TightVent 2013 conference in Athens • 25-26 September 2013

19. AOB

20. Next meetings • Internet meeting • Thursday 7 March 2013, 10:00-12:00 (WebEx) • Physical meeting • At BUILDAIR symposium? • Tentative date: Thursday June 6 2013 in Hannover • Starting at 10:00? Or 09:00?