Major discrepancies are found between countries regarding both the building and ductwork airtightness trends, primarily due to varying national policies, construction practices, and climates. In some countries, minimum airtightness requirements for buildings are included in regulations, such as in U.S. states that have adopted the IECC energy code, which mandates testing to justify airtightness in residential buildings. In Estonia and Germany, achieving high airtightness in the building envelope is encouraged by disadvantageous default values for Energy Performance calculations.

Regarding ductwork airtightness, although the negative impact of leaky ventilation systems on energy consumption and indoor air quality is well-documented, awareness of this issue is growing slowly in most countries, including Germany. The U.S. stands out as an exception, where heating and cooling through air distribution is common. Estonia is also among the few countries promoting airtight ductwork with national requirements.

The AIVC is releasing a series of Ventilation Information Papers (VIP 45.X) to highlight national trends and regulations on building and ductwork airtightness, with 13 papers already published. The purpose of this webinar is to share the current situation in three countries based on these VIPs: Estonia, Germany, and the U.S.

This webinar is organised with the support of the AIVC and TightVent Europe. Both initiatives are facilitated by INIVE.

Agenda (CET)

• 15:30 | Introduction: Presentation of the series of AIVC VIPs on building and ductwork airtightness regulations, Nolwenn Hurel (Cerema, France)
• 15:35 | Building and ductwork airtightness in Estonia: national trends and requirements, Jaanus Hallik (Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia)
• 15:50 | Questions and answers
• 16:00 | Building and ductwork airtightness in Germany: national trends and requirements, Oliver Solcher (FLiB, Germany)
• 16:15 | Questions and answers
• 16:25 | Building and ductwork airtightness in the U.S.: national trends and requirements, Andrew K. Persily (NIST, USA)
• 16:40 | Questions and answers
• 17:00 | End of the webinar

Participation to the webinar is FREE but prior registration is required.

For further information please download the flyer.