VALIDATE – What is the VALIDATE project?

This is a new project which will measure environmental parameters and pollutants to assess the indoor air quality in Irish homes that are energy efficient. This project is sponsored by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and is expected to be completed during 2021.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the quality of indoor air within homes that have ‘A’ rated Building Energy Rating (BER) certification, which are homes with the highest energy efficiency standard. The VALIDATE research team will measure levels in indoor air of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and radon, as well as environmental measurements (temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2) to evaluate the thermal comfort within BER ‘A’ rated residential dwellings. Concentrations of VOCs, radon and environmental measurements will be collected using a remote sensor and continuously monitored within the home for 18 months. This data will be used to estimate human exposure to these VOCs, radon and the impact of thermal environment.

There are three aspects to the study;

  • Measurement of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
  • Measurement of radon
  • Assessment of the thermal comfort of ‘A’ rated residential dwellings and
  • Measurement of Carbon Dioxide levels within the home.

Recruitment of ‘A’ rated homes to participate in the study will involve remotely measuring environmental and pollutant parameters and is expected to start in March 2019.

Interested in participating in the study? Contact Us...