HeatCheck

Heating and Temperature Characteristics in Irish Buildings

Key Information:

Start of the project: 1/1/2020

End of project: 31/12/2023

Source of Funding: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) (Grant No. RDD/492)

Partners: University of Galway, Galway City Council

Description:

Ireland has been subject to meet the requirements of EPDBD which requires the mandatory introduction of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEBs). Importantly though, despite the efforts of the government towards energy efficiency in buildings, it has been reported that often new and renovated buildings do not reach the planned energy performance. This is due to the lack considering the occupant behaviour, energy use, internal environmental quality (IEQ) together. In this regard, this project aims to investigate the relationships between the energy consumption and internal environment quality (IEQ) profiles of residential buildings, the people occupying the buildings and the materials used in construction/retrofit of the Irish residential and educational/office buildings with the overarching aim to improve the energy audit procedure for the DEAP and NEAP energy compliance tools. Primarily, this will be achieved by monitoring occupant energy demand behaviours and IEQ profiles of domestic and non-domestic Irish buildings. This will allow comparison to standard assumptions made in steady state building energy performance compliance procedures DEAP, NEAP and PHPP.

The HEAT CHECK project will make use of data already collected as part of 3 field studies which includes data on 22 existing residential buildings which underwent energy efficiency retrofit works and an existing educational/office wing of a University building. Further data will be collected in new field studies involving 100 new and existing residential buildings, a new educational/office building and an existing educational/office building to deliver the project aims.

Objectives:

The HEAT CHECK project aims to investigate the relation between energy consumption, indoor environmental quality, occupant behaviour and construction materials through physical monitoring and simulations of buildings, leading to improvements in the energy audit procedure for the DEAP and NEAP energy compliance tools and consequently to comfortable, energy efficient buildings with high performance renewable solutions.

People Involved:

Prof Jamie Goggins,  Dr Paul Moran, Dr Asit Kumar Mishra, Dr Syed Muslim Jameel, Masoud AzimiSechoghaei.‌