v. 10/98

This report argues that unnecessary air leakage of buildings leads to occupant discomfort and higher energy consumption. A key factor in providing energy efficient, comfortable buildings is specification of an acceptable rate of air leakage and subsequent air tightness testing to ensure compliance. The text points out that the air linkage of standard UK buildings is generally poor, leaving considerable scope for improvement. Finally, it defines relevant terminology, discusses performance spedifications, describes the test procedure and explains the data processing technique applied.