Infiltration rate performance of buildings in the historic centre of Oporto

Abstract

This work is part of a major investigation the authors are undertaking aiming to evaluate the energy performance of different retrofitting strategies for housing buildings, in order to establish preferential criteria of intervention according to its climate zone location, morphology, constructive features and patrimonial values. In the historic centre of Oporto, one of the major actions resides on a significant reduction in the heating loads of these distinctive buildings by decreasing the windows infiltration rate. To be able to accurate this potential for energy savings, in situ measurements of the infiltration rate of this houses at present were required, previous to a possible intervention. This article presents the data obtained using a fan pressurization method in two non-refurbished characteristic buildings of the Oporto's Historic Centre, and analyses the results obtained for both a typical sash window and a casement window. Some relations between these infiltration rates and the buildings morphological and typological characteristics are considered.