Energy Retrofits in Multi-family Buildings in North-east Europe: The Impacts on Thermal Conditions

AbstractWe have conducted a project to develop a common protocol for indoor environmental quality (IEQ) assessment and to assess the effects of energy retrofits on IEQ. This paper focuses on thermal comfort, which was first assessed based on 2-month continuous monitoring in 16 multi-family buildings (94 apartments) in Finland and 20 buildings (96 apartments) in Lithuania during heating season before retrofits. In addition, corresponding data after retrofits were available from three buildings (17 apartments) from Finland and seven (30 apartments) from Lithuania. Two data loggers per apartment were placed to evaluate Tw and RHw (warm area), and Tc and RHc (coldest spot). Questionnaire data regarding housing quality and health were collected from the occupants. The results before retrofits indicated high Tw (>23°C) for a large proportion of time in Finnish apartments, whereas opposite trend was observed in Lithuania. After retrofits, proportion of time with high Tw was higher while proportion of apartments with low RHw was lower in Finland, whereas in Lithuania, about one fourth of the apartments had higher Tw and RHw, hence fulfilling the national guidelines. The average absolute humidity was higher after retrofits in both countries, especially in Lithuania (by 15%). Occupant responses indicated improved thermal comfort. Therefore, potential effects of energy retrofits on occupants’ thermal environment and satisfaction were demonstrated, and simply adjusting indoor temperature could help to save energy. Further analysis is needed to include the effects of outdoor conditions, as well as overall IEQ to the assessment

Daugiabučių pastatų energinio efektyvumo gerinimas, poveikis vidaus aplinkos kokybei ir sveikatai

Ilmestynyt suomenkielisenä nimellä Asuinkerrostalojen energiatehokkuuden parantaminen ja sen vaikutukset sisäympäristön laatuun ja terveellisyyteen (Tutkimuksesta tiiviisti 14/2016

Improving energy efficiency of multi-family buildings, impacts on indoor environmental quality and health

Ilmestynyt suomenkielisenä nimellä Asuinkerrostalojen energiatehokkuuden parantaminen ja sen vaikutukset sisäympäristön laatuun ja terveellisyyteen (Tutkimuksesta tiiviisti 14/2016

The 100 top-cited studies on vaccine: a bibliometric analysis

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the 100 most cited studies on vaccine. Methods: A comprehensive search of studies on vaccine was performed in the Web of Science Core Collection without year or language restrictions. The 100 top-cited studies were retrieved after screening abstracts or full-texts. The outcomes of bibliometric analysis included citation time, citation density, journal name, impact factor, publication year, article type, category, open access, and country of origin. Results: The citation times for the 100 top-cited studies ranged from 593 to 2406, with a median citation times of 834. The 100 top-cited studies were published in 32 journals, and the journal with the most studies was New England Journal of Medicine (n = 20). They were published between 1969 and 2012, and 4 authors published at least 2 studies as the first author. The USA contributed the most studies (n = 70), followed by Switzerland (n = 4), England (n = 4) and Finland (n = 4). Eighty-one studies were published as Article, while 19 were Review. Eleven studies were about vaccine for therapeutic and 68 studies were about vaccine for prophylactic. Conclusions: This is the first bibliometric analysis to provide a detailed list of the 100 most-cited studies on vaccine and helps to recognize the quality of the works, discoveries, and trends in the field

Impacts of energy retrofits on ventilation rates, CO2-levels and occupants' satisfaction with indoor air quality

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Indoor thermal environment, air exchange rates, and carbon dioxide concentrations before and after energy retro fits in Finnish and Lithuanian multi-family buildings

Impacts of energy retrofits on indoor thermal environment, i.e. temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), as well as ventilation rates and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, were assessed in 46 Finnish and 20 Lithuanian multi-family buildings, including 39 retrofitted case buildings in Finland and 15 in Lithuania (the remaining buildings were control buildings with no retrofits). In the Finnish buildings, high indoor T along with low RH levels was commonly observed both before and after the retrofits. Ventilation rates (l/s per person) were higher after the retrofits in buildings with mechanical exhaust ventilation than the corresponding values before the retrofits. Measured CO2 levels were low in vast majority of buildings. In Lithuania, average indoor T levels were low before the retrofits and there was a significant increase in the average T after the retrofits. In addition, average ventilation rate was lower and CO2 levels were higher after the retrofits in the case buildings (N = 15), both in apartments with natural and mixed ventilation. Based on the results, assessment of thermal conditions and ventilation rates after energy retrofits is crucial for optimal indoor environmental quality and energy use.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe