Abstract
The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) has introduced the concept of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) specifying that by 31 December 2020 all new buildings must meet the nearly zero- energy standard, the Passive House standard has emerged as a key enabler for the Nearly Zero Energy Building standard. The combination of Passive House with renewables represents a suitable solution to move to low/zero carbon. The hypothesis in this study is that a certified passive house building with high levels of airtightness with a balanced mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) should yield lower indoor radon concentrations. This article presents results and analysis of measured radon levels in a total of 97 certified passive house dwellings using CR-393 alpha track diffusion radon gas detectors. The results support the hypothesis that certified passive house buildings present lower radon levels. A striking observation to emerge from the data shows a difference in radon distribution between upstairs and downstairs when compared against regular housing. The study is a first for Ireland and the United Kingdom and it has relevance to a much wider context with the significant growth of the passive house standard globally.
Highlights
IntroductionThe UK Parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency on 1 May 2019
This study aims to test the hypothesis that certified Passive House buildings, with the associated high levels of air tightness coupled with mechanical ventilation, will result in a reduction in indoor radon gas concentrations compared to conventional buildings
Radon measurements were completed in a total of 122 homes, 97 certified passive house buildings and 25 comparison homes
Summary
The UK Parliament became the first in the world to declare a climate emergency on 1 May 2019. The Irish government declared a climate emergency a week later, and the Northern Ireland. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2016, is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance [2]. The most recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is called the Special Report on Global Warming of. The report assesses projected impacts at a global average warming of 1.5 ◦ C and higher levels of warming. Its crux finding is that meeting a 1.5 ◦ C target is possible but will require deep emissions reductions and rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society [3]
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