Room usage

The utility function, room type, room function, and occupancy level of the room are used to define the design temperatures.

Use

 HL BS CL EPG
The use represents the combination of one or more buildings on a parcel or stand which have the same utility function and which form a utility unity, in accordance with the definition from the Dutch Building Code, Article 1.1, part 3. The design temperatures and flow rates for ventilation are determined based on this utility function. A choice should be made from the following list:

•      Dwelling is a utility function for living;

•      Dwelling for elderly is a utility function for living which is especially focused on elderly, e.g. a retirement home or nursing home. This utility function has higher design temperatures as guidelines compared to dwelling;

•      Office is a utility function for administration;

•      Education is a function used for teaching;

•      Health care is a function used for medical research, nursing, care, or treatment, such as a hospital;

•      Retail is a utility function for the marketing of materials, goods, or services;

•      Assembly is a utility function for the gathering of people for art, culture, religion, communication, child care, providing drinks for consumption on the premises, and watching sports;

•      Sports function is a utility function for practicing sports;

•      Temporary accommodation is a utility function for providing recreational residence or temporary accommodation to people;

•      Detention is a utility function for compulsory stay of people;

•      Industry is a utility function for the commercial processing or storage of materials and goods, or for agricultural purposes;

•      Other is none of the above activities and the stay of people plays a minor role.

Room type

 HL BS CL EPG
The room type is important as it contributes to the determination of design temperatures and flow rates for ventilation. The following room types can be chosen:

•      Habitable space is a room for the occupation of people, or a room in which activities take place which are characteristic of a living space [EPG];

•      Habitable space with cooking facility is a room for the occupation of people, or a room in which activities take place which are characteristic for the a habitable room take place, and in which a cooking facility is present [EPG];

•      Habitable room is a room for the occupation of people, or a room in which activities take place which are characteristic of a living space;

•      Habitable room with cooking facility is a room for the occupation of people, or a room in which activities take place which are characteristic for the a habitable room take place, and in which a cooking facility is present;

•      Circulation room is a room used as a thoroughfare between other areas of a building A circulation room is not a habitable room, a toilet compartment, bathroom, or a technical room;

•      Common circulation room is a circulation area that is open to the general public.

•      Building service room is a room for placing the equipment which is necessary for the running of a building. This includes e.g. a meter cupboard, an elevator room, and a boiler room;

•      Toilet compartment is a room in which a toilet is located which is connected to a water supply;

•      Bathroom is a room containing a bath or shower, or sink are, with appropriate water supply and disposal facilities;

•      Meter room is a room with the central switching-, distributing-, and measuring equipment for electricity, gas, water, telecommunications signals, and district heating if applicable;

•      Elevator is a room with a system for vertical transport of people or goods;

•      Conservatory is an extension on the ground floor of a house which consists mainly of glass;

•      Strongly ventilated space is a space which is strongly ventilated with outside air.

•      Parking of motor vehicles is a space for parking of motorized vehicles which require strong ventilation.

•      Waste storage is a space for storing waste which requires strong ventilation.

•      Other is an unnamed room type in which the stay of people plays a minor role.

Specific use

 HL BS CL EPG
The specific use is the main activity characterizing the room. If multiple options are possible, the most characteristic function should be selected. The flow rate for ventilation is calculated partially based on the room function. The following options can be chosen from:

•      Other space (all utility functions except dwelling, office, and other) is a room function which is not characterized by any of the functions below. Other space is the default room function within the utility functions in which people are present.

•      Indoor-air polluting activities (all utility functions except dwelling, office, and other) is a room function in which the inside air is polluted strongly due to a pollution source such as fibres, microbiological factors, fungi, or chemical agents.

•      Child care is a function which includes the establishment of public, private, individual, or collective facilities. These facilities meet the needs of children and parents (Recommendation 92/241/EEC of 03.31.92, OJ L 123). This is the utility function ‘Assembly function for child care’ for the energy performance calculation EPG.

•      Alcohol use (assembly) is a function in which primarily the need of consuming liquor is met;

•      Watching sports (assembly)

•      Bed-ridden patients (health care) is the utility function 'Health care function with bed room’ for the energy performance calculation EPG.

•      Space for shopping public (retail)

•      Sports practice (sports function)

•      Sports practice, moderately heated (sports function). This is the utility function 'Sport function, moderately heated' for the energy performance calculation EPG.

•      Temporary accommodation in a building for temporary accommodation (temporary accommodation), utility function located in an accommodation building (e.g. a hotel).

•      Temporary accommodation not in a building for temporary accommodation (temporary accommodation), utility function located in housing (e.g. a holiday apartment)

•      (Non-) continuous accommodation (with/without) toilet (detention)

•      Visitors (detention and health care)

Occupancy level

 HL
This occupancy includes an occupancy level of usable area per person and the occupancy level of floor area per person. This level is given by a set of classes in accordance with Table13 from the Dutch Building Code 2003, article 1.1, part 6.
The occupancy level is not taken into account in the heat loss calculations if the Dutch Building Code 2012 is applied, which is indicated in the building template Building requirements.

Table13: Occupancy level classes

Recommended values:

•      Schools, primary- and secondary education, 30 students + 1 teacher per room of 50 m²: class B3;

•      Special education, 15 students and 2 teachers per classroom: class B3;

•      Offices, one person per 8 square metres: class B5.