Evaluation of a Low-energy Residence for Users with Functional Disorders

A building for users with functional disorders has been built with the aim of being a low-energy residence, based on the criteria and technology applicable to passive houses. This new application of the passive house concept in a Nordic climate has shown that challenges must be met when producing buildings with a low energy demand while also fulfilling the requirements for a good indoor climate. The residents in this building have higher comfort demands than normal, which in turn may have an influence on the energy use. An evaluation of both the energy performance and indoor comfort was carried out over a period of nearly two years after commissioning the HVAC systems. The results show that the building's energy performance meets the requirements set by the local municipality, which were 30% stricter than the Swedish building regulations, and the indoor climate was deemed acceptable.