The influence of air transport in and around the building envelope on energy efficiency of the building

Air movement in and through the building envelope often plays a leading role in the transport of moisture and heat into the building. It is caused by pressure and temperature variations around the building envelope. Pressure changes are caused not only by the weather conditions, but also by the ventilation system, the distribution of air leakages, building geometry, occupant activities, etc. In order to predict the influence of the air movement on the building performance, it is necessary to make an analysis of the building as a system. This paper presents such system analysis, taking into account the interaction between the building components and indoor and outdoor climate, both in terms of air leakage and heat and mass transfer to and from the building components.