Energy efficiency in buildings demystified

Further reading

• Application Note: Insulation and Heating (4597)
• Application Note: Ventilation and air conditioning (2947)

Energy efficiency in buildings demystified

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By Roeland De Meulenaere and Bohdan Soroka

Buildings account for 40% of energy consumption in Europe, so their inherent efficiency is very important.

Efficient space heating requires a properly insulated and sealed building, together with a correctly sized heating system. The choice of system is also important; best practice includes gas-fired condensing boilers and ground-water heat pumps.

Having improved insulation and reduced air leakage, more attention has to be paid to controlled ventilation and air conditioning. In a well insulated and sealed building, ventilation represents a high proportion of the heat loss, so flow control, air distribution and heat recovery become very important.