Towards healthy and energy efficient new homes: current issues and future directions

Modern low energy buildings are design experiments that are only truly verified when energy and environmental performance is monitored and evaluated in practice. In the UK, increasingly stringent energy requirements and fabric performance standards have improved airtightness but with a consequence that there is an increased reliance placed on designed ventilation provision. Concerns about the effectiveness of this have been raised by professionals and researchers alike regarding the risk of inadequate ventilation, poor indoor air quality and overheating in contemporary homes. Whilst the practice of housebuilding has seen considerable improvements over the last decade, there remains a number of common unintended consequences that need to be addressed. This paper discusses the inherent trade-offs between energy, comfort and health in housing while exploring key challenges of achieving real energy and environmental performance in practice, building on the outcomes of the HEMAC (Health Effects of Modern Airtight Construction) multidisciplinary network. An outline of the network structure and activities is presented, along with a summary of the key outcomes. A research agenda is presented, highlighting key gaps in the knowledge and future directions for research in this field.