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Impacts of energy efficiency retrofitting measures on indoor PM concentrations across different income groups in England: a modelling study

Shrubsole, C; Taylor, J; Das, P; Davies, M; Hamilton, IG; Oikonomou, E; (2015) Impacts of energy efficiency retrofitting measures on indoor PM concentrations across different income groups in England: a modelling study. Advances in Building Energy Research 10.1080/17512549.2015.1014844. Green open access

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Abstract

As part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions in the UK, policies encouraging the energy-efficient retrofit of domestic properties are being implemented. Typical retrofits, including installation of insulation and double glazing can cause tightening of the building envelope which may affect indoor air quality (IAQ) impacting occupant health. Using the example of PM (an airborne pollutant with known health impacts), this study considers the influence of energy-efficient retrofits on indoor PM concentrations in domestic properties both above and below the low-income threshold (LIT) for a range of tenancies across England. Simulations using EnergyPlus and its integrated Generic Contaminant model are employed to predict indoor PM exposures from both indoor and outdoor sources in building archetypes representative of (i) the existing housing stock and (ii) a retrofitted English housing stock. The exposures of occupants for buildings occupied by groups above and below the LIT are then estimated under current conditions and following retrofits. One-way ANOVA tests were applied to clarify results and investigate differences between the various income and tenure groups. Results indicate that all tenures below the LIT experience greater indoor PM concentrations than those above, suggesting possible social inequalities driven by housing, leading to consequences for health.

Type: Article
Title: Impacts of energy efficiency retrofitting measures on indoor PM concentrations across different income groups in England: a modelling study
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1080/17512549.2015.1014844
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17512549.2015.1014844
Additional information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Advances in Building Energy Research, 2015, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/17512549.2015.1014844
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > Bartlett School Env, Energy and Resources
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1461248
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