Managing professional jurisdiction and domestic energy use

Professionals involved in organizing and undertaking domestic works, such as extensions, maintenance and refurbishment, have an important role in influencing how homes are configured and how occupants live within them. Despite this, the professional identities of these actors, and their impact on domestic energy use, is often overlooked. In response, this paper argues that one useful way of examining their influence is to consider how professional identities shape everyday working practices in relation to clients. Data from two UK interview and observation studies are combined: one with heating installers and the other with architects. The data are analysed using concepts from Abbott’s ‘system of professions’ framework that focuses on how the routine working practices of professional groups are born of how they see themselves and the tasks for which they are responsible. This comparison provides insights into how these two groups manage their professional ‘jurisdictions’ during their client interactions and what this means for policy-makers and industry representatives hoping to influence their work in pursuit of less carbon-intensive living. It also points to the value of further in-depth studies that explore how the routine management of professional jurisdiction impacts upon domestic energy use in a range of contexts

Measurement of the wall thermal resistance in existing buildings

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań doświadczalnych, których celem było określenie możliwości i warunków koniecznych jakie muszą być spełnione przy diagnostyce ilościowej przegród budowlanych w warunkach rzeczywistych.Results of the experimental measurements of the walls in real climate conditions are presented. The aim of testing was to precise the possibilities and the necessary conditions for quantitative thermal diagnostics of the walls in the non-stationary boundary conditions

Compound transparent insulation

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki polowych badań doświadczalnych kapilarnej izolacji transparentnej Sto Therm Solar. Na podstawie uśrednionych wartości miesięcznych danych pomirowych, oszacowano wielkość zysków energertycznych. Sformułowane zostały podstawowe wnioski dotyczące sensu stosowania izolacji tego typu w polskim budownictwie.Resulds of field measurement of the transparent capillary insulation Sto Therm Solar were presented. On the basis of the weekly averaged data, archieved energy gain has been evaluated. Main conclusions regarding use of the compound transparent insulation in Polish buildings have been reported

Thermal imaging diagnostics in nonstationary boundry conditions

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań doświadczalnych, których głównym celem jest określenie możliwości i warunków koniecznych jakie muszą być spełnione przy termowizyjnej diagnostyce ilościowej przegród budowlanych w warunkach rzeczywistych.Results of the experimental testing of the walls in climatic chamber are presented. The main aim of conducted testing is to precise the chances and the necessary conditions for quantitative thermal imaging diagnostics in the non- stationary boundary conditions

Evaluation of the thermal and damp properties of a slotted flat roof over a swimming pool, based on a practical example

Hale krytych basenów są obiektami, w których panuje wysoka temperatura i wilgotność względna powietrza wewnętrznego. Takie warunki stawiają wysokie wymagania przy projektowaniu przegród zewnętrznych tego rodzaju obiektów, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem stropodachów. W artykule przeanalizowano błędy projektowe w przykładowym zrealizowanym stropodachu, który wykazał problemy eksploatacyjne już w pierwszych miesiącach funkcjonowania obiektu.Indoor swimming pool buildings are subject to high temperatures and relative humidity of the air in their interior. These conditions entail stringent requirements for the design of the external partitions of such buildings, particularly their flat roofs. This article contains an analysis of design errors based on the example of a roof which suffered operational problems only months after the facility was opened

Internal particulate matter pollution in educational building

The authors undertook research on the proper strategy of operation of educational building with gravitational ventilation in historic city center with high concentration of particulate matter PM10 and PM 2.5. In this facility the momentary increase in carbon dioxide concentration is often very high, and at the same time health requirements regarding atmospheric aerosol should be absolutely met. That is why long-term measurements of PM concentration outside and inside, as well as carbon dioxide concentration inside were carried out. CO2 was used also as a tracer gas for measurement of air change intensity. The article presents the first results of these tests and a correlation that occurs between the external and internal concentration of particulate matter PM 10 and PM 2.5. Due to a significant filtration effect of the external building envelope and particle deposition a potential conflict between required gravitational ventilation intensity and internal air pollution with particulate matters was partially reduced

Assessment of the actual heat loss through building walls by means of thermal imaging

Prawo budowlane nakłada od 1 stycznia 2009 roku obowiązek certyfikacji energetycznej budynków i mieszkań. Certyfikat winien opisywać aktualną efektywność energetyczną budynku. Do ilościowego określenia rzeczywistych własności cieplnych przegród budowlanych można zastosować termografię. Wykorzystanie badań termograficznych jest ograniczone jednak pewnymi warunkami, które muszą być spełnione, aby w wyniku badań można było wyznaczyć prawdziwą wartość izolacyjności cieplnej przegrody. Budynek musi być zamknięty i ogrzewany. Temperatura powietrza na zewnątrz budynku powinna być znacznie niższa od temperatury wewnątrz budynku. Warunki atmosferyczne przed i w czasie pomiaru powinny zapewniać z wystarczającą dokładnością przepływ ciepła zbliżony do ustalonego, a pomiar termograficzny musi być dokonywany od wnętrza budynku. Określenie strat ciepła poprzez przegrody wymaga nie tylko znajomości parametrów cieplnych ściany, ale i wielkości powierzchni odpowiadającej określonej wartości izolacyjności cieplnej. Wykonane termogramy powinny być, zatem zmontowane w jedną mapę rozkładu temperatury na powierzchni badanej przegrody. Do tego celu można wykorzystać stosowane w fotogrametrii programy do przetwarzania rzutowego. W artykule prezentowane są wyniki badań przeprowadzonych z wykorzystaniem kamery TermaCAM firmy FLIR. Na mapach termograficznych badanych ścian widoczne są zarówno mostki cieplne konstrukcyjne jak i spowodowane błędami wykonania. Straty ciepła obliczono jako sumę iloczynów elementarnych powierzchni izotermicznych i przyporządkowanych do nich strumieni ciepła. Stwierdzono, że rzeczywiste straty ciepła przez zewnętrzne ściany budynków są nawet prawie dwukrotnie większe niż wynikałoby to z projektuAccording to the new Polish regulations in force as of 1 January 2009, the energy performance certificate will be required on the construction, sale or rent of buildings and dwellings. The certificate should describe the actual energy performance of the building and should provide information regarding, i.a., thermal resistance of the building shell and air exchange. Calculations based only on a building design - if it exists - may lead to unrealistic results due to changes introduced during construction process, a faulty construction or to insulation ageing. Thermography may be used for quantitative investigation of actual thermal features of a building. To assess the real thermal resistance of the wall, a few vital conditions have to be met. The building examined has to be closed and heated. The indoor air temperature should be significantly higher than the temperature outside. Weather conditions before and during the examination should be stable enough to approximate stationary heat flow through the building shell. Thermal inspection must be done inside the building. It is possible To calculate the total heat loss, it is necessary to know both the wall thermal characteristics (surface temperature distribution or heat transfer coefficient) and the wall area. Thermal images have to be set up into a single temperature distribution map. Computer programmes applied in photogrammetry for projective transformation may be used to draw up the temperature distribution maps. The examples of the actual heat loss assessment for walls of different building systems by means of thermal imaging are presented. The analysis was performed with the ThermaCAM S60 camera and FLIR software. Thermal images of the walls examined revealed not only the presence of structural thermal bridges, but also showed defects due to poor workmanship. Total heat losses were calculated as the sum of the products of the elementary isothermal areas and assigned heat flows. It was shown that the real heat losses through the building outer shell may be even two times higher than the values put forth in the designs

The Indoor Thermal Environment in Fencing Halls: Assessment of the Environmental Conditions Through an Objective and Subjective Approach

As the importance of sport practice is currently growing, the evaluation of the environmental parameters and especially of the thermal conditions in sport halls is particularly relevant, since they can affect the health and perfor-mance of the athletes. In particular, as a lack of studies has been detected and current standards are missing a scientific base for the determination of the environmental parameters, a methodology for assessing the indoor thermal environment in fencing halls has been provided, starting from a case study. This research leads also to preliminary results obtained through objective and subjective measurements and lays the groundwork for future studies