1. PU Europe (European Polyurethane Insulation Producers Association) Oliver LOEBEL, Shpresa KOTAJI Brussels Polyurethane Passive House: Long-Term Monitoring of Indoor Air Quality and Energy Use Does energy efficiency rhyme with comfort and sustainability?

2. Who we are PU Europe is the European association representing the PU (PUR/PIR) insulation industry; Products: Insulation boards, sandwich panels, spray foam, insulation cores for building blocks, technical insulation, SIPs, district heating pipes; PU is the high performance insulant particularly suited for nearly zero energy buildings.

3. Starting point House designed as nearly zero energy house: - high-performance building fabric; - extensive generation of renewable energy; - pre-fabricated roofing elements; Exclusive use of PU insulation to reduce weight and thickness of elements and keep VOC emissions low; House inhabited by a family of seven; Third-party monitoring by KU Leuven and Certech. ISO 16000 - TVOC reference room concentrations of different insulation materials (28 days) – HFD = wood fibre insulation, MMF = man- made mineral fibres (S – stone, G – glass) Source: FA Nachwachsende Rohstoffe (BPBericht BBHB 01/2008)

4. Method Co-heating test to confirm performance of building envelope; Additional power meter (energy use of heat pump); Sensors to measure VOC concentrations (incl. aldehydes), mould spores, yeast and bacteria (living room, bed rooms, kitchen, bathrooms); CO 2 sensors in different rooms (several times per year); IAQ measurements several times per hour (relative humidity, temperature ); Registering outdoor weather conditions (temperature, humidity, wind) to determine the impact of external factors on energy consumption and IAQ across all seasons. Co-heating test: the measurement equipment installed in the PU Passive house

5. One-Year Results: Co-heating test Result: Building fabric meets the calculated performance levels; Overall heat transfer coefficient of the building fabric (walls, roofs, ground floor, doors, windows): U=0.17 W/(m 2 K); Confirmation for quality of the fabric design, material choices and installation. Schematic summary of the results of the co- heating test Envelope surface (excluding ground floor): +- 360m 2 Infiltration heat loss assumed: 0 W/K U avg = +- 0.17 W / (m 2 K)

6. One-Year Results: Energy consumption Passive House requirement: Max. 15 kWh/m 2 for space heating net energy demand / year; One-year result: About 1 kWh/m 2 of monthly gross energy consumption even in winter; Net energy demand should be lower; Positive energy balance in warmer months; Over the whole one-year period: net zero energy home. Comparison of monthly thermal energy use of the heating system and supply by the heat pump and solar panels (solar panels only until December)

7. Passive House requirement: Max. 120 kWh/m 2 total primary energy use (incl. heating, domestic hot water and domestic electricity per year); One-year result: In this case, the energy use should not exceed 50 kWh/m 2. Requirement should be met, as primary energy use totals about 30 kWh/m² for the entire occupied period of eight months (including the heating season). Monthly measured electrical energy use and primary energy use (Includes the electricity use of the fans, the tap water pump, the solar panels pump and the pump of the living room floor heating – except for the last 4 months, where the solar panels pump is excluded as its energy use was not measured.)

8. One-Year Results: Indoor air quality Temperatures and relative humidity: Little variation and in the comfort range (short peaks in bathroom); Largely disconnected from outdoor weather conditions; Temperature distribution in dwelling relatively uniform Temperature profile of a typical week Relative humidity profile of a typical week

9. CO 2 : Concentrations largely in the range of good or excellent air quality; Peaks typically at the end of the night (ventilation system off). VOCs/SVOCs Concentrations very low compared to exposure limits with no abnormal values; Concentrations of yeast, mould and bacteria extremely low, (except mesophilic mould in non-inhabited attic section (wood)). Fluctuations in CO 2 concentrations in four rooms

10. Cost considerations No prices / costs available for this project; Developer data show effects of learning curve; Pay-back period estimated at 5 and 10 years. Organizer: Number of passive houses built by Bostoen versus additional costs compared to regulatory requirements

11. Conclusions GENERAL: Building to nZEB standards demands optimised design, high- performance products and excellent workmanship; Long-term roadmaps required to allow industry to develop solutions and upgrade skills; Additional investment in nZEB pays back; NZEBs offer high level of comfort (attention to ventilation). POLYURETHANE PASSIVE HOUSE: Meets all performance requirements; Achieves quasi zero energy demand; Offers comfortable living conditions with low fluctuations in temperatures and relative humidity levels; Guarantees very good IAQ despite high number of inhabitants.

12. Thank you for your attention www.pu-europe.eu www.excellence-in-insulation.eu Disclaimer: While all the information and recommendations in this publication are to the best of our knowledge, information and belief accurate at the date of publication, nothing herein is to be construed as a warranty, express or otherwise. In all cases, it is the responsibility of the user to determine the applicability of such information. @OliverLoebel