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Experimental Air-Tightness Analysis in Mediterranean Buildings after Windows Retrofit

Author

Listed:
  • Francesca Romana D’Ambrosio Alfano

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale (DIIn), Università degli Studi di Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy)

  • Marco Dell’Isola

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Meccanica (DICEM), Università di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Via G. Di Blasio 43, 03043 Cassino, Italy)

  • Giorgio Ficco

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Meccanica (DICEM), Università di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale, Via G. Di Blasio 43, 03043 Cassino, Italy)

  • Boris Igor Palella

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale (DII), Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Vincenzo Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy)

  • Giuseppe Riccio

    (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale (DII), Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Piazzale Vincenzo Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy)

Abstract

Energy saving and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in buildings are strongly affected by air leakages. Several studies reveal that the energy loss owing to leaky windows can account for up to 40% of the total building energy demand. Furthermore, at the design stage, the possible infiltration of outdoor air through windows is not taken into account when determining the nominal outdoor airflow rate of the ventilation system. This practice may result in an oversizing of the ventilation system and consequent energy waste. Thus, the air-tightness class of a wall assembly should be assessed for each window component considering the type of material, the presence of the seal, the type of closure, the sealing and the maintenance condition. In this paper, the authors present the experimental results of air-tightness measurements carried out using the fan pressurization method in three residential buildings located in the Mediterranean region before and after a window retrofit. Two different window retrofits were investigated: the application of rubber seals on window frames and the substitution of existing windows with new certified high performance windows. The effectiveness of such retrofits was estimated also in terms of energy saving. Test results demonstrated a high variability of the building air tightness after window retrofits, despite the fact that air tight–certified windows were used.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Romana D’Ambrosio Alfano & Marco Dell’Isola & Giorgio Ficco & Boris Igor Palella & Giuseppe Riccio, 2016. "Experimental Air-Tightness Analysis in Mediterranean Buildings after Windows Retrofit," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-9, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:10:p:991-:d:79649
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Angelamaria Massimo & Marco Dell'Isola & Andrea Frattolillo & Giorgio Ficco, 2014. "Development of a Geographical Information System (GIS) for the Integration of Solar Energy in the Energy Planning of a Wide Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(9), pages 1-15, August.
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    1. Manuel J. Carretero-Ayuso & Carlos E. Rodríguez-Jiménez & David Bienvenido-Huertas & Juan Moyano, 2020. "Cataloguing of the Defects Existing in Aluminium Window Frames and Their Recurrence According to Pluvio-Climatic Zones," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-15, September.
    2. Zhiqiang Wang & Qi Tian & Jie Jia, 2021. "Numerical Study on Performance Optimization of an Energy-Saving Insulated Window," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-25, January.
    3. Mohammad Arar & Chuloh Jung, 2021. "Improving the Indoor Air Quality in Nursery Buildings in United Arab Emirates," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.
    4. Jesica Fernández-Agüera & Samuel Domínguez-Amarillo & Miguel Ángel Campano, 2019. "Characterising Draught in Mediterranean Multifamily Housing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Zezhou Wu & Lei Liu & Shenghan Li & Hao Wang, 2020. "Investigating the Crucial Aspects of Developing a Healthy Dormitory based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—A Case Study of Shenzhen," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-15, February.
    6. Jesús Feijó-Muñoz & Irene Poza-Casado & Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano & Cristina Pardal & Víctor Echarri & Rafael Assiego De Larriva & Jesica Fernández-Agüera & María Jesús Dios-Viéitez & Víctor Jos, 2018. "Methodology for the Study of the Envelope Airtightness of Residential Buildings in Spain: A Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Jesica Fernández-Agüera & Samuel Dominguez-Amarillo & Marco Fornaciari & Fabio Orlandi, 2019. "TVOCs and PM 2.5 in Naturally Ventilated Homes: Three Case Studies in a Mild Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-22, November.
    8. Esad Tombarević & Igor Vušanović & Milan Šekularac, 2023. "The Impact of Windows Replacement on Airtightness and Energy Consumption of a Single Apartment in a Multi-Family Residential Building in Montenegro: A Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-16, February.
    9. Małgorzata Fedorczak-Cisak & Elżbieta Radziszewska-Zielina & Bożena Orlik-Kożdoń & Tomasz Steidl & Tadeusz Tatara, 2020. "Analysis of the Thermal Retrofitting Potential of the External Walls of Podhale’s Historical Timber Buildings in the Aspect of the Non-Deterioration of Their Technical Condition," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-35, September.
    10. Joaquín Torres-Ramo & Purificación González-Martínez & Nerea Arriazu-Ramos & Ana Sánchez-Ostiz, 2020. "Influence of the Water Vapour Permeability of Airtight Sheets on the Behaviour of Facade," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-18, December.
    11. Alexander Martín-Garín & José Antonio Millán-García & Juan María Hidalgo-Betanzos & Rufino Javier Hernández-Minguillón & Abderrahmane Baïri, 2020. "Airtightness Analysis of the Built Heritage–Field Measurements of Nineteenth Century Buildings through Blower Door Tests," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-28, December.

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