Simulation of Air Infiltration of Australian Housing and its Impact on Energy Consumption

Abstract To evaluate potential air infiltration model improvement for AccuRate, a benchmark housing energy star rating tool widely used in Australia, three different infiltration models have been developed. This paper presents a comparison of the calculated air infiltration rates and building energy performance using the three models. Case studies for eight houses in Melbourne, Australia, show there are up to 37% and 13% differences in the calculated average infiltration rates and modelled heating and cooling energy demand respectively between these three models.