The article presents results of long-term experimental study of hygrothermal performance of envelope assemblies in a passive house located in Boruszowice (Southern Poland). The building was constructed in 2010 using prefabricated, lightweight technology. The construction of the walls and roof had been carefully planned to test both traditional solutions with higher thermal insulation and modified ones to improve the hygrothermal performance. Altogether, eight different walls and two roof constructions were integrated into the building structure and tested from the beginning of 2011 to the end of 2015 under real climate and usage conditions. In all assemblies, temperature was measured in three and relative humidity in four points at the surface and inside. Inner climate was measured by thermohygrometers installed in the rooms and outer climate was recorded by a weather station located near the building. Theoretical calculations were made using WUFI^® Plus software. Based on experimental and calculation results, the main hygrothermal phenomena depending on construction specifics and used materials are presented.

The aim of the research were measurements and an attempt to model the indoor air quality (IAQ) within a studio apartment with a mechanical exhaust system, manually controlled by the occupants. The authors based the modelling on the occupancy schedule of the family members and the recorded operation duration of the ventilation system. The purpose of the performed analysis was to answer the question if it is possible and to what extent to reflect numerically the conditions within the tested object. The authors studied also the carbon dioxide level in the context of controlling the system by the residents. The simulations were carried out using the CONTAM software, developed by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology).

As a result of conducted air quality policy, including recent legal regulations (the local anti-smog resolution), the number of individual solid fuel heating devices in Cracow (Poland) gradually decreased. Reports on air quality in the city indicate that the concentration of pollutants in Cracow’s air shows a downward trend. However, a similar tendency in terms of improving air quality is also observed in the entire voivodeship, where, as a result of analogous although less radical measures, the number of individual solid fuel heating devices is also decreasing. The paper discusses the impact of legal regulations in Cracow on the improvement of air quality in the context of changes taking place in nearby cities. Trends in changes in PM10 and BaP (PM10) concentrations are analyzed. The rate of decline of the analyzed pollutants concentrations is estimated with the use of nonparametric linear regression. Analysis showed that the rate of decline in the average annual concentrations of PM10 and BaP (PM10) in Cracow is always higher than for the analyzed cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship. The difference is more pronounced with regard to the months of the heating season. The rate of changes for the average annual BaP (PM10) concentrations in Cracow, compared to other analyzed cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship, is more intensive than in the case of PM10 concentrations (1.5 times stronger with regard to the months of the heating season). Since the concentration of BaP (PM10) is a better indicator of the effects of liquidation of high-emission furnaces than the concentration of PM10, it can be concluded that the impact of actions related to the improvement of air quality in Cracow in the context of changes taking place in selected cities of the Malopolskie Voivodeship is more visible.

Application of the AHP Method in Environmental Engineering: Three Case Studies | InTechOpen, Published on: 2016-08-31. Authors: Tomasz Stypka, Agnieszka Flaga-Maryańczyk and Jacek Schnotale

Measurements and simulation of CO2 concentration in a bedroom of a passive house