High quality indoor environments with clean air, comfortable warmth, good sound environment and sufficient daylighting are important for well-being and health. At the same time, we face societal challenges, which means that buildings and the systems that regulate indoor environments should be as energy-efficient as possible. In the PEIRE project, we study how good indoor environment and high energy efficiency can be combined. Our focus is on rented apartments in residential areas built in 1950 - 1970. It is a common form of housing in Sweden. Many of these houses are now being renovated, both because they are relatively worn and to increase energy efficiency.

We have applied a holistic perspective where we include the building, the technical systems that regulate the indoor environment and the people who live in the apartment in order to understand the complex system that an indoor environment in an apartments is. The residents are those who are ultimately affected by the indoor environment, but they also affect the environment themself. Their lifestyle, and hence habits and behaviour, are of great importance. Cooking, shower habits, the use of candles, and window weathering are examples of activities that influences indoor environment and energy use. Lifestyle and habits differ from individual to individual.

Within the PEIRE project, we have followed 10 apartments before and after renovation in the residential area Linero in Lund. Right now, follow-up measurements of the indoor environment and interviews with the tenants are ongoing. As a complement, during spring we will carry out a questionnaire survey in the area and focus group interviews in other corresponding areas. All collected data will be analysed with a holistic perspective.

PEIRE is currently hosting two research funded projects:

Sustainable indoor environment in multi-family housing after renovation - a holistic approach on building performance, energy, indoor environment quality, and residents´ behaviour and well-being – Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning FORMAS2016 – 2020

The interaction of energy system, indoor environment and tenants - holistic approach to improve energy efficiency in the renovation of multi-family buildings – Swedish Energy Agency 2016 – 2020