COADY Architects is currently analysing Post Occupancy Evaluations relating to regulated and unregulated energy use and indoor air quality specifically CO2 levels, relative humidity and overheating in 13 homes at Kilbride Court. The data was collected over one year and is currently being analysed in collaboration with Oliver Kinnane and Sawsan Bassalat at UCD’s College of Engineering and Architecture under their Masters Linked Research Project and  Ian Pyburn, project lead from IES on the SEAI AMBER research project.  This will critically determine compliance with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Climate Challenge targets 2025 and 2030 on operational energy at 60kWh/m2, overheating  for 1% of occupied hours and CO2 levels at < 900 PPM.  These are targets based on actual delivered performance, as distinct from designed performance. 

In addition COADY Architects are collaborating with Shane Colclough from University College Dublin under their joint SEAI research project MacAirH completing Building Use Surveys on the same 13 homes. These qualitative IAQ surveys will report on best practice for future AWHP optimisation.

We have included a sneak peak of the initial energy figures in the featured table. 

For the unit shown, the energy consumption was slightly above the average of all units due to the higher number of occupants, but still in compliance with the RIAI current benchmark of <60 kWh/m2/yr.  The occupant expressed great satisfaction with the home’s thermal comfort and energy performance.  Further IAQ analysis showed compliance with the RIAI 2030 target to reduce overheating to <1% of occupied hours with a result of 0.87% > 25 °C & 0.0% > 28 °C.

Our preliminary analysis revealed some interesting findings regarding indoor CO2 levels and the occupants’ behavioural analysis.  We will share the results in our upcoming report, which also forms part of the final evidence to be submitted for verification and auditing to Irish Green Building Council under our current Home Performance Index V2.1.1 Gold Certificate.

So far Jeff Colley from Passive House Plus and Michael Goan from The Land Development Agency and Hareth Pochee from MAX FORDHAM CONSULTING LIMITED and Low Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI),  Hugh Whiriskey from Partel and Benen McDonagh at Technical University of the Shannon have expressed interest in the results.  Anyone else interested in the results, please email skeogh@coady.ie or scarter@coady.ie