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The purpose of this study was to evaluate house owners’ experience and satisfaction with the first Danish detached low-energy single-family houses, built according to energy class 2015 before these supplementary requirements became standard for all new dwellings. A questionnaire survey was carried out among owners of newly built energy class 2015 houses. The paper presents the house owners answers to questions on their overall satisfaction, their heat consumption, and their satisfaction with the indoor environment (temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight). There is a focus on issues related to having a mechanical ventilation system, i.e. satisfaction with the air quality, does the air feel dry in winter, and does the ventilation system make noise and how the airing behaviour is in winter. As many as 370 out of 869 house owners, corresponding to a response rate of 43%, answered the questionnaire. There was an overall satisfaction with the new low-energy houses. More than 90% of the house owners perceived the indoor environment as satisfactory. The energy consumption was as low as expected by 59%, while only 7% answered that it was higher than expected. Compared with previous similar studies, problems with technical installations have decreased. However, there is a need for continued focus on the commissioning of new and not necessarily thoroughly tested, high-performance installations and new designs. Based on the survey a series of recommendations are given that might help to achieve both a low energy consumption and satisfied occupants of new low-energy dwellings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate house owners’ experience and satisfaction with the first Danish detached low-energy single-family houses, built according to energy class 2015 before these supplementary requirements became standard for all new dwellings. A questionnaire survey was carried out among owners of newly built energy class 2015 houses. The paper presents the house owners answers to questions on their overall satisfaction, their heat consumption, and their satisfaction with the indoor environment (temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight). There is a focus on issues related to having a mechanical ventilation system, i.e. satisfaction with the air quality, does the air feel dry in winter, and does the ventilation system make noise and how the airing behaviour is in winter. As many as 370 out of 869 house owners, corresponding to a response rate of 43%, answered the questionnaire. There was an overall satisfaction with the new low-energy houses. More than 90% of the house owners perceived the indoor environment as satisfactory. The energy consumption was as low as expected by 59%, while only 7% answered that it was higher than expected. Compared with previous similar studies, problems with technical installations have decreased. However, there is a need for continued focus on the commissioning of new and not necessarily thoroughly tested, high-performance installations and new designs. Based on the survey a series of recommendations are given that might help to achieve both a low energy consumption and satisfied occupants of new low-energy dwellings.

The purpose of the present study was, among other things, to evaluate how tenants perceived the indoor environment in renovated and energy-retrofitted social housing erected in the 1960s. Tenants answered a questionnaire to quantify problems and satisfaction with the indoor environment before and after the renovation work. A majority of tenants perceived the indoor environment improved for all parameters: temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight, after the renovation work. In particular, the tenants experienced fewer problems with too low temperature and draught during the winter, noise from outside and too little daylight. The evaluation shows that it is possible to achieve a win-win situation, with both energy savings and improved perceived indoor environment. The evaluation also reveals that careful attention is needed to avoid introducing annoying noise from new technical installations. The purpose of the present study was, among other things, to evaluate how tenants perceived the indoor environment in renovated and energy-retrofitted social housing erected in the 1960s. Tenants answered a questionnaire to quantify problems and satisfaction with the indoor environment before and after the renovation work. A majority of tenants perceived the indoor environment improved for all parameters: temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight, after the renovation work. In particular, the tenants experienced fewer problems with too low temperature and draught during the winter, noise from outside and too little daylight. The evaluation shows that it is possible to achieve a win-win situation, with both energy savings and improved perceived indoor environment. The evaluation also reveals that careful attention is needed to avoid introducing annoying noise from new technical installations.

The need for energy retrofitting of the Danish single-family houses is massive, especially for the high proportion of single-family houses built in the 1960s and 1970s. But even though the potential benefits are many, only few families embark on a major energy retrofit. There may be many reasons for this. An obvious one may be limited knowledge of non-energy benefits, e.g. in relation to the indoor climate. The objective of this study was to explain this limited effort to save energy by identifying barriers and incentives among house owners in relation to energy retrofitting of one’s own house. Moreover, it was investigated among house owners, who had carried out energy retrofitting, whether a number of factors, including the perceived indoor climate, became better or worse after retrofitting. A questionnaire survey was carried out among 1,990 house owners in a municipality north of Copenhagen. It was found that energy consumption and indoor climate are ever more in focus when buying a house and important drivers for house owners’ motivation for retrofitting their existing house. Energy retrofitting is complicated and it is also experienced as such by many house owners. There is uncertainty as regards choice of solutions, economic savings and financing. Nonetheless, most house owners, who have carried out energy retrofitting, have had a positive experience both in relation to energy consumption and perceived indoor climate, e.g. by more comfortable room temperature, less draught nuisances and less risk of mould growth. Hence a strategy to increase the number of house owners who embark on energy retrofitting of their house should include the communication of non-energy benefits like improved indoor climate. In addition, the strategy must include help for the house owners to overcome barriers by helping them find the retrofitting solutions appropriate for their house and their economy.

The need for renovation and energy savings in Danish residential buildings is massive, especially for the large proportion built in the 1960s and 1970s. The potential benefits of a building renovation with a strong focus on the reduction of energy consumption are many, but not yet thoroughly studied and verified. The objective of the present project was to evaluate tenants’ experiences and satisfaction with renovated and energy retrofitted social housing. A questionnaire was developed that included questions about perceived indoor climate, possible co-benefits, the renovation process, various construction-related measures as well as questions on changed habits after the renovation. The questionnaire was distributed in two large settlements of social housing erected in the 1960s, one representing a case of comprehensive renovation and another representing a case of more moderate renovation. The evaluations show that it is possible to implement a comprehensive renovation with focus on energy savings in older building stock and at the same time add value for tenants in the form of i.a. improved perceived indoor climate. The need for renovation and energy savings in Danish residential buildings is massive, especially for the large proportion built in the 1960s and 1970s. The potential benefits of a building renovation with a strong focus on the reduction of energy consumption are many, but not yet thoroughly studied and verified. The objective of the present project was to evaluate tenants’ experiences and satisfaction with renovated and energy retrofitted social housing. A questionnaire was developed that included questions about perceived indoor climate, possible co-benefits, the renovation process, various construction-related measures as well as questions on changed habits after the renovation. The questionnaire was distributed in two large settlements of social housing erected in the 1960s, one representing a case of comprehensive renovation and another representing a case of more moderate renovation. The evaluations show that it is possible to implement a comprehensive renovation with focus on energy savings in older building stock and at the same time add value for tenants in the form of i.a. improved perceived indoor climate.

This paper focuses on the indoor climate in new Danish low-energy houses and discusses the issue of overheating in relation to evaluation methods and user satisfaction. The user satisfaction has been evaluated among 370 owners of new low-energy class 2015 detached single-family houses based on a questionnaire survey. The survey evaluated overall satisfaction, and more specifically satisfaction with the indoor climate parameters temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight, and also technical installations of the house. The survey showed satisfaction with living in new low-energy houses and more than 90% perceived the indoor environment as satisfactory both in summer and winter. The majority perceived the various indoor climate parameters to be better in their new low-energy house compared to conditions in their former house. Compared with earlier studies on previous generations of low-energy houses, problems with overheating seem to have decreased, as only 12% found temperature conditions to be unsatisfactory in summer.

The purpose of this study was to identify experience and satisfaction with new Danish detached low-energy single-family houses. A questionnaire survey was carried out in the autumn of 2013 among owners of newly built energy class 2015 houses. It included i.a. questions on their overall satisfaction, and more specifically their satisfaction with the indoor climate (temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight), and their experience with technical installations and heat consumption. The questionnaire was answered by 370 of 869 house owners corresponding to a response rate of 43%. The survey showed an overall satisfaction with the new low-energy houses, as 93% of the house owners would recommend living in such houses to others. The high rate of satisfaction may, among other things, be due to the fact that more than 90% of the house owners perceived the indoor environment as satisfactory both in summer and winter. The energy consumption was found to be as low as expected by 59%, while only 7% answered that it was higher than expected. Compared with previous similar studies, problems with technical installations and design have decreased. However, there is a need for continued focus on the commissioning of new, and not necessarily thoroughly tested, high-performance installations and new designs to achieve both low energy consumption and satisfied house owners.

The need for renovation and energy retrofitting of Danish social housing from the 1960s and 1970s is substantial. Such energy retrofits often include the installation of mechanical ventilation systems with heat recovery to fulfil the current standards for energy efficiency. These systems typically ensure a more constant and higher ventilation rate than previous systems. Therefore, there is potential for residents to perceive a higher air quality and a reduction in problems due to condensation on cold surfaces and mould growth after retrofits. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate if this potential is realised for residents in social housing complexes. A questionnaire survey was performed among residents in dwellings with ventilation categorised within one of the five ventilation principles: natural ventilation, bathroom fan, exhaust fans in the kitchen and bath, decentralized balanced mechanical ventilation and centralized balanced mechanical ventilation. Compared with residents without balanced mechanical ventilation, residents having such systems perceived less often problems with unpleasant odour from their own apartment and less visible mould, but more often perceived the air as dry. Residents with decentralized mechanical ventilation tended to experience more often problems with noise from their ventilation system. However, results show that nuisance are avoidable with correctly designed decentralized ventilation. The purpose of the present study was, among other things, to evaluate how tenants perceived the indoor environment in renovated and energy-retrofitted social housing erected in the 1960s. Tenants answered a questionnaire to quantify problems and satisfaction with the indoor environment before and after the renovation work. A majority of tenants perceived the indoor environment improved for all parameters: temperature, draught, air quality, noise and daylight, after the renovation work. In particular, the tenants experienced fewer problems with too low temperature and draught during the winter, noise from outside and too little daylight. The evaluation shows that it is possible to achieve a win-win situation, with both energy savings and improved perceived indoor environment. The evaluation also reveals that careful attention is needed to avoid introducing annoying noise from new technical installations.