Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
This <i>Archive</i> is a collection of data on the environment of dwellings. They were monitored by a number of different organizations at different times, but have been brought together under a common file specification and record format to enable a wide circle of researchers and other users to have access to a valuable source of information on the environment of dwellings.
Main Topics:
Variables The main variables monitored were Internal Temperatures, External Temperatures, Solar Radiation, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Heating System Operation, Hot Water Consumption and Energy Consumption. The first data-sets to be incorporated into the <i>Archive</i> came from the Department of the Environment's 'Better Insulated Housing Programme.' Between 1973 and 1982 the Department of the Environment commissioned a series of projects under this programme with the aim of assessing the effects of higher standards of thermal insulation in houses. All of these projects related to Local Authority housing. Data were monitored in 'Test' and 'Control' houses, the former having higher standards of insulation than the latter. These houses were in groups of 20 to 30 and of similar built form both for 'Test' and Control' groups. The <i>Archive</i> originally consisted of eight projects from this programme plus one further project, - namely the 'Energy Improvement Kit' (EIK) project undertaken by the City of Birmingham Polytechnic. This latter study covered a sample of 25 houses, deliberately chosen as representative of 25 different types, with measurements taken before and after insulation rather than concurrently on 'Test' andControl' houses. The data were physical rather than sociological. An attempt has been made in the printed project appendices to present supplementary information which might be needed by a user to interpret the variables held on computer files. In this context many will be particularly interested in the supplementary information which can be generally described as sociological, - details of occupancy, social status and income of householder etc. As stated above, the main content of the <i>Archive</i> is physical rather and sociological data, but there is often a call to relate the two and something may be done in the future to meet this requirement. It is intended that other datasets will be added to the <i>Archive</i> in the future both from the Better Insulated Housing programme and from other sources. There are several directions in which the <i>Archive</i> might usefully be expanded. In particular it would be helpful to add datasets on non-public sector housing.
No sampling (total universe)
Environmental measurements
