EPIQR and IEQ: indoor environment quality in European apartment buildings

In the frame work of the European project EPIQR (energy performance, indoor air quality, retrofit), European apartment buildings were investigated with a newly developed tool called EPIQR. This tool is aimed at assessing information on refurbishment and retrofitting needs of apartment buildings. This package is, however, not only meant to identify the possible refurbishment/retrofitting needs but also to identify the possible improvements that can be made to result in a better indoor environment and a lower energy consumption. As part of the EPIQR tool (a user-friendly software programme), procedures and methods were developed to be able to investigate indoor environment quality (IEQ) in apartment buildings. Among others a questionnaire was developed. In this paper the methods and instruments related to IEQ developed for EPIQR are described and the results of the field study in the apartment buildings are reported and analyzed.
The EPIQR software package, which was established under the aegis of the EPIQR (Energy, Performance, Indoor air Quality, Retrofit) project, provides a new tool for the assessment of the indoor environmental quality of European apartment buildings. Although EPIQR was developed as a tool to assist in the assessment of information on the refurbishment and retrofitting of apartment buildings, the system is also capable of identifying potential improvements that can provide for improved indoor environmental quality and reduced energy consumption. Issues considered during development of a questionnaire used to help identify problem areas within specific buildings are detailed. Findings from a field implementation of the EPIQR approach are discussed.