Experimental estimation of air leakage level in a building as commissioning tool of HVAC/R systems

This article presents the results of the experimental study performed to estimate the air leakage in a commercial building in Brussels during winter time. The problem: During wintertime, the occupants of the building consider to feel uncomfortable air flow during the building occupancy period. The infiltration flow rate was measured using two techniques “tracer gas” and “blowing door” according to international standards. This information is very useful for thermal load estimation during the building commissioning process.