An evaluation of three different methods for energy efficient indoor climate control in Skokloster Castle

Climate change is expected to result in a warmer and more humid climate in northern Europe. Historic buildings with none or primitive climate control will face higher risk of bio-deterioration – mainly due to mould, rot and insects. There is a lack of experience of how different methods for energy efficient indoor climate control compare to each other in practical applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the relative performance of conservation heating, dehumidification and adaptive ventilation in a historic building. The investigation was carried out during three years at Skokloster, an unheated Baroque castle in Sweden suffering from problems due to high indoor relative humidity. The results show that the initial draught proofing of the rooms had a positive effect on the indoor climate which reduced the need for active climate control. Dehumidification was the most energy efficient method