Sustainable construction today means the design and realization of buildings offering a high standard of comfort to the user, alongside durability and only the minimum of energy demands.
This means:
/ high thermal comfort,
/ ample daylight,
/ good sound protection against external as well as internal sources of noise,
/ good room acoustics,
/ no problems of condensation and mould growth,
/ a low enough energy demand that softer and more effi cient methods can be used to cover it.
To fulfi l all these requirements seems diffi cult, at least at fi rst sight. The many textbooks on building physics and on HVAC systems now on the market, together with the many EN standards, can create more confusion than clarifi cation for the practitioner.
For this reason, the authors present here the critical aspects of sustainable construction, with the necessary formulae and tables, illustrated by examples.
The fundamental laws and equations are universal. The calculations, examples, standard values and climate data given here, however, mostly use Swiss values and standards. The examples demonstrate how the equations can be used, and the reader can substitute countryspecific data.
This book does not replace textbooks and published standards, but is intended to help designers with a background in this fi eld to work more effi ciently, by focusing on the most relevant points.
In addition there are software tools available on www.pinpoint-online.ch, such as the Energy Design Guide. Their use will help optimize energy effi ciency even in the early phases of building design.
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