Better building operation, maintenance and well-being in apartments with smart indoor climate meters

Abstract

The justification of energy consumption in dwellings is to maintain comfortable and healthy indoor climate. Sufficient air exchange and comfortable temperatures protect building structures against mould growth caused by high relative humidity and improve comfort and health among occupants. This project investigated a new way of heat accounting based on indoor climate meters logging temperature, humidity and CO2 concentrations in apartments every 5 minutes. The logged values permitted calculation of payments according to ability to maintain an indoor climate with moderate temperatures, low CO2 concentrations and low relative humidity of the indoor air. The results show less variation in payments between dwellings than for the traditional heat consumption based billing. In addition, an apparent increased interest in maintaining temperatures, humidity and carbon dioxide concentrations at recommended levels was noted among tenants.