Preliminary Investigation on the Use of Exhaust Fans in Dwellings and Their Impact on Energy Balance

• Main Authors: Jean Rouleau, Louis Gosselin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: Proceedings
• Subjects: exhaust devices; ventilation; occupant behavior; energy balance; residential buildings
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3900/23/1/8

Exhaust fans in residential buildings generate energy consumption first by the electricity that they require when operating, but also by extracting heat outside of the building. Nonetheless, these appliances are essential to ensure good indoor air quality. It is thus important to study how occupants in residential buildings use exhaust fans and to assess their impact on the energy performance of buildings. In this paper, a preliminary analysis on these two topics is made based on measured data recorded from a multi-residential building located in Quebec City, Canada. Data show that the use of exhaust fans is variable from a household to another. It was estimated that exhaust devices accounted for approximately 14% of the energy demand of the monitored building.