Virpi Leivo

Assessment of quality and maturity level of R&D

Abstract The strategic importance of R&D will be emphasised even more in the future. Continuous improvement of the effectiveness of R&D requires an adequate and comprehensive assessment and measurement system. The present method for assessing the quality and maturity of R&D examines R&D from six viewpoints: R&D as part of business strategy, R&D as part of product and technology strategy, strategic implementation of R&D, R&D as a business section, R&D outputs, and implementation of R&D-projects. Procedures in each of the six viewpoints are assessed and scored by five maturity levels. The quality maturity method (QMM) method has been lightly tested in about 50 companies which have had development projects in national technology programmes. The deeper piloting of the method is under way or will begin in six companies and two research institutes. The testing of the preliminary QMM method in pilot-companies has shown that the viewpoints used in the assessment describe factors pertaining to the quality and maturity of R&D quite well, and they indicate central development needs. Development needs mainly concentrate on the development of procedure definitions and/or the development of practical implementation based on existing definitions. Future research will test the applicability of the method to different types of companies and analyse the background variables (such as the nature of R&D in organisation). The real challenge in improving the effectiveness of R&D is linking the project-level R&D objective to company-level business strategies. Effectively collected feedback information from R&D-projects should be utilised in strategic planning, and the desired objectives for R&D should be defined clearly in the strategies.

Measurement of the quality and maturity of the innovation process: methodology and case of a medium sized Finnish company

Continuous improvement of the effectiveness of R&D requires an adequate and comprehensive assessment and measurement system. The present method, quality and maturity method (QMM), for assessing the quality and maturity of R&D, examines R&D from six viewpoints: R&D as part of business strategy, R&D as part of product and technology strategy, strategic implementation of R&D, R&D as a business section, R&D outputs, and implementation of R&D projects. Procedures for each of the six viewpoints are assessed and scored by five maturity levels. The verifying of the preliminary QMM method in four pilot companies has shown that the viewpoints used in the assessment describe factors pertaining to the quality and maturity of R&D quite well, and indicate central development needs.

Thermal and Moisture Conditions of Coarse-Grained Fill Layer under a Slab-on-Ground Structure in Cold Climate

This paper presents the results of a research program concerning the thermal and moisture conditions of coarse-grained fill layer underneath a slabon-ground structure in Finnish climate. Conditions were studied by laboratory tests and long-term in situ surveys. Results showed that the temperature behavior of the fill layer underneath a heated building is strongly diverged. The effect of the outdoor seasonal temperature variation has a major effect on the edge of the fill layer, but under the center part of the slab the temperature remains almost constant throughout the year. The measured moisture contents of the fill at the survey building were close to the hygroscopic equilibrium moisture content of coarsegrained materials in relative humidity RH 1/4 100% in prevailing temperatures. The temperature and moisture conditions of the fill material were such that the water vapor diffusion flow is directed from the subsoil towards the drier indoor air.

Indoor thermal environment, air exchange rates, and carbon dioxide concentrations before and after energy retro fits in Finnish and Lithuanian multi-family buildings

Impacts of energy retrofits on indoor thermal environment, i.e. temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH), as well as ventilation rates and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations, were assessed in 46 Finnish and 20 Lithuanian multi-family buildings, including 39 retrofitted case buildings in Finland and 15 in Lithuania (the remaining buildings were control buildings with no retrofits). In the Finnish buildings, high indoor T along with low RH levels was commonly observed both before and after the retrofits. Ventilation rates (l/s per person) were higher after the retrofits in buildings with mechanical exhaust ventilation than the corresponding values before the retrofits. Measured CO2 levels were low in vast majority of buildings. In Lithuania, average indoor T levels were low before the retrofits and there was a significant increase in the average T after the retrofits. In addition, average ventilation rate was lower and CO2 levels were higher after the retrofits in the case buildings (N=15), both in apartments with natural and mixed ventilation. Based on the results, assessment of thermal conditions and ventilation rates after energy retrofits is crucial for optimal indoor environmental quality and energy use.

Heat, Air, and Moisture Control in Slab-on-ground Structures

The objective of this research is to determine the heat, air, and moisture conditions of slab-on-ground of a heated building. Measurements show that the coarse-grained fill or drainage layers beneath heated slab-on-ground structures are warm and moist throughout the year. Moisture migration: gravitational water, ground water table, capillary action and diffusion, keep these layer moist throughout the year. The water vapor content of the warm and moist fill layer is usually higher than the content of the indoor air. Thus, the diffusion flow is directed into the indoor air, despite the existing heat flow into the opposite direction, and the ground is a moisture source for the structures above. Therefore, thermal and moisture conditions of the fill layers have the major effect on the overall moisture behavior of ground slabs: on the drying times of the fresh in situ cast concrete slab, and on the thermal and moisture behavior of the structure in normal long-term conditions. These conditions are also favorable for microbe growth, which is very common in fill layers. Fungal or bacterial growth was detected in 98% of the test specimens taken beneath the ground slabs of heated buildings. These conditions: warm fill layers, high moisture level (RH near 100%) and microbe growth, are the normal conditions for the well functioning slab-on-ground structure. They are not a sign of moisture damage, but the existing boundary conditions for the design of ground slabs. Therefore, it is important to prevent air infiltration between the ground and the indoor air, as effective as possible. The adequate sealing of the joints and lead-ins of the floor assure that the impurities do not penetrate the indoor air.

Effect of massive outer leaf of an insulated cavity brick wall on heat loss

The availability of coherent long-term measured data on climatic variables and building parameters forms the basis for predicting, analyzing, and simulating the heating or cooling energy demand on buildings. This article analyzes measured 4-year data considering the test building with an insulated cavity brick wall with a massive outer brick leaf. The results show that the solar radiation and the thermal inertia of massive outer leaf of a wall have a significant effect on the heat loss and energy consumption of the buildings throughout Finland and Scandinavia. Based on the average outdoor air temperatures, the nominal calculated heat losses could be overestimated. For more accurate heat losses, the outdoor surface temperature should be applied as a boundary condition. The measured results were verified with finite element method.

Seasonal Changes in Water Content of Subsoil Beneath Old Slab-on-ground Structures in Finland:

The objective of this study is to determine the normal level of water content of the subsoil beneath old slab-on-ground structures and discuss the impact of the thermal and moisture conditions. According to measurements, the water content of subsoil beneath a slab-on-ground structure equals or exceeds the hygroscopic equilibrium moisture content of the material in RH 100%. The high water vapor content with warm subsoil temperature can cause moisture damages to the floor covering. In fine-grained soils where capillary action is possible often some excess capillary water is detected at the samples. The amount of capillary bound water and risk for damage is dependent on distance from the ground water table.

Analysis of hygrothermal parameters in Finnish and Lithuanian multi-family buildings before and after energy retrofits:

This study focuses on analyzing temperature- and moisture-related parameters based on data from 45 Finnish and 20 Lithuanian multi-family buildings. The data consist of two rounds of 2-month data-logging (1-h interval) of indoor temperature and relative humidity at two locations: one representing average occupied zone and the other one nearby the coldest spot of the building envelope. Between the two rounds of data-logging, 37 buildings from Finland and 15 buildings from Lithuania underwent retrofits, aiming to improve their energy efficiency. Measurement data were coupled with outdoor data from national weather stations, based on which a temperature factor (fc) and excess indoor moisture content (Δv) were calculated. Based on the results, fc was significantly higher in Lithuanian case buildings after the retrofits, whereas no significant differences were observed in Finnish buildings. In addition, Δv was significantly lower in Finnish case buildings after retrofits, whereas an opposite trend was seen in the Lithuanian buildings.

Occupant satisfaction with indoor environmental quality and health after energy retrofits of multi-family buildings: Results from INSULAtE-project

BACKGROUND Driven by climate change mitigation, EU countries are committed to improve energy efficiency of their building stock by implementing the energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD). Should higher energy efficiency result in better indoor environmental quality (IEQ), this policy could also be seen as an opportunity to improve public health across Europe. OBJECTIVES This paper focuses on the assessment of the effects of energy retrofits on occupant satisfaction with IEQ and health in multifamily buildings. METHODS Data on occupant satisfaction with IEQ and health were collected from the occupants of 39 Finnish and 15 Lithuanian multifamily buildings (an average of five apartments per building, one adult per apartment) both before and after energy retrofits (such as improving thermal insulation, windows, heating and/or ventilation systems). Parallel to the data collected from the occupants, data on several IEQ parameters, including temperature, temperature factor, and air change rate, were collected from their apartments. Moreover, data from seven Finnish and five Lithuanian non-retrofitted control buildings were collected according to the same protocol. RESULTS Occupant satisfaction regarding indoor temperature was associated with both retrofit status (OR 5.3, 95% CI 2.6-11.0) and measured IEQ parameters (indoor temperature OR 1.4 per 1 °C increase, temperature factor OR 1.1 per 1% increase, and air change rate OR 5.6 per 1/h increase). Additional positive associations were found between retrofit status and occupants reporting absence of upper respiratory symptoms (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.9) as well as not missing work or school due to respiratory infections (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.2-13.8), however, these associations were independent of the measured IEQ parameters. CONCLUSIONS There seems to be a strong subjective component related to the observed changes in occupant satisfaction with IEQ and health as a result of energy retrofitting in buildings. Further studies are needed to verify the actual mechanisms, as well as possible long term effects.