Application of thermal comfort assessment models to indoor areas near glazed walls – experimental evaluation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7764/RDLC.20.1.106Keywords:
glazing, on site measurements, thermal comfort asessment modelsAbstract
In this paper, some of the results of an experimental study are presented. Its purpose was to better understand the impact of glazing on thermal comfort of users of indoor spaces (living and working), especially in the areas near glazed walls. Glazed elements, such as windows and glazed doors, allow visual access to the outdoor environment and the entrance of natural light and solar heat gains but they are often the cause of unwanted heat losses and gains and are disturbing elements in obtaining thermal comfort, both in global terms and in what concerns local discomfort due to radiant asymmetries and/or air draughts. Furthermore, solar radiation directly affecting users in the vicinity of glazing can also cause discomfort. These disturbances are recognized by users, both on cold winter days and on hot summer days. To assess thermal comfort or thermal neutrality of a person in a particular indoor space, it is important to know their location within that space. Thus, in order to adequately assess thermal comfort in the areas near the glazing, the indoor thermal environment must be characterized for this specific location. In this study, two indoor spaces (a classroom and an office-room) of a school building were monitored at different periods of the year. The measurements of the environmental parameters were performed both in the center of the rooms and in the areas near the glazing. Five models of thermal comfort assessment were then applied to the results, in order to compare the comfort conditions between the two studied locations and to evaluate the applicability of these models to the areas close to glazed walls. It was observed there was clearly a greater variability of comfort conditions in the vicinity of the glazed walls when compared to the center of the rooms. The application of thermal comfort assessment models to the two studied rooms was able to reveal the differences between the two compared locations within each space. It was also possible to show the effect of incoming solar radiation and the influence of the geometry of the spaces and of the ratio between glazed area and floor area by comparing the results for both spaces. The assessment model proposed by LNEC (Portuguese National Laboratory of Civil Engineering) proved to be the most adapted to Portuguese users’ habits.
Downloads
References
ANSI/ASHRAE 55 (2010). Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy. American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers. [American National Standard]. Atlanta.
Arens, E., Hoyt, T., Zhou, X., Huang, L., Zhang, H., & Schiavon, S. (2015). Modeling the comfort effects of short-wave solar radiation indoors. Building and Environment, 88, 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.09.004
Augusto, L. D., Giacomet, B., & Mendes, N. (2007). Numerical Method for Calculating View Factor Between Two Surfaces. Proceedings: Building Simulation 2007, 269-274. http://www.ibpsa.org/proceedings/BS2007/p757_final.pdf
Bessoudo, M., Tzempelikos, A., Athienitis, A., & Zmeureanu, R. (2007). Simulation of Thermal Comfort Conditions in Highly Glazed Perimeter Zones with Shading Devices. 2nd Canadian Solar Buildings Conference, Concordia University, Calgary, Canada, June 10-14, 2007.
Bessoudo, M., Tzempelikos, A., Athienitis, A., & Zmeureanu, R. (2010). Indoor Thermal Environmental Conditions Near Glazed Façades with Shading Devices - Part I: Experiments and Building Thermal Model. Building and environment, 45, 2506–1506. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2010.05.013
Carlucci, S., Bai, L., de Dear, R., & Yang, L. (2018). Review of adaptive thermal comfort models in built environmental regulatory documents. Building and Environment, 137, 73-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.03.053
de Dear, R., Brager, G., & Cooper, D. (1997). Developing an Adaptive Model of Thermal Comfort and Preference. Final Report, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, ASHRAE RP-884.
DGEG/ADENE (Direção Geral de Energia e Geologia/ Agência para a Energia). (2020). Energia em Números. Direção de Serviços de Planeamento Energético e Estatística da DGEG e Agência para a Energia, Unidade de Informação, Lisbon. https://www.dgeg.gov.pt/media/43zf5nvd/energia-em-números-edição-2020.pdf
EN ISO 7726. (2001). Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment. Instruments for Measuring Physical Quantities. CEN (European Committee for Standardization). Geneva.
EN ISO 7730. (2005). Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment. Analytical Determination and Interpretation of Thermal Comfort Using Calculation of the PMV and PPD Indices and Local Thermal Comfort Criteria. CEN (European Committee for Standardization). Geneva.
EN 15251. (2007). Indoor Environmental Input Parameters for Design and Assessment of Energy Performance of Buildings. Addressing Indoor Air Quality, Thermal Environment, Lighting and Acoustic. CEN (European Committee for Standardization). Geneva.
Fanger, P. O. (1970). Thermal comfort: Analysis and Applications in Environmental Engineering. Danish Technical Press.
Huizenga, C., Zhang, H., Mattelaer, P., Yu, T., Arens, E., & Lyons, P. (2006). Windows Performance for Human Comfort – Final Report to National Fenestration Rating Council. Center for the Built Environment, University of California, Berkeley, United States. Available on: http://www.healthyheating.com /HH_Integrated_Design/Week1/WINDOWPERFORMANCEFORThermalcomfort.pdf
La Gennusa, M., Nucara, A., Pietrafesa, M., & Rizzo, G. (2007). A Model for Managing and Evaluating Solar Radiation for Indoor Thermal Comfort. Solar Energy, 81, 594–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2006.09.005
La Gennusa, M., Nucara, A., Rizzo, G., & Scaccianoce, G. (2005). The Calculation of the Mean Radiant Temperature of a Subject Exposed to the Solar Radiation - A Generalised Algorithm. Building and Environment, 40, 367–375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2004.06.019
Matias, L. M. (2010). Desenvolvimento de um Modelo Adaptativo para Definição das Condições de Conforto Térmico em Portugal. Coleção Teses e Programas de Investigação do LNEC (TPI), TPI 65, Lisbon.
Matias, L. M, & Pina dos Santos, C. (2013). Adaptive thermal comfort in the residential setor in Portugal. Congesso Internacional da Habitação no Espaço Lusófono. 2º CIHEL, LNEC, Lisbon, 13 - 15 March, 2013. DOI: 10.13140/2.1.4471.4881
Nicol, J. F., & Humphreys M. A. (2009). New Standards for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings. Building Research & Information, 37(1), 68-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210802611041
Nicol, J. F., & Humphreys, M. A. (2010). Derivation of the Adaptive Equations for Thermal Comfort in Free-running Buildings in European standard EN15251. Building and Environment, 45, 11-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2008.12.013
Oliveira, A. M. (2016). Vãos Envidraçados, Desempenho Térmico e Conforto Térmico Humano, Modelo Simplificado de Seleção (PhD Thesis). Disponível em FEUP – Tese. (https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/handle/10216/102588).
Poirazis, H. (2008). Single and Double Skin Glazed Office Buildings: Analyses of Energy Use and Indoor Climate (PhD Thesis). Lund University, Sweden. Available on: https://vpp.sbuf.se/Public/Documents/ProjectDocuments/C015EF6E-22C6-4CA0-9B42-6A052F615F52/FinalReport/SBUF11247LicentiateThesis.pdf
Serra, V., Zanghirella, F., & Perino, M. (2010). Experimental Evaluation of a Climate Façade: Energy Efficiency and Thermal Comfort Performance. Energy and Buildings, 42, 50–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2009.07.010
Singh, M.C., Garg, S.N., & Jha, R. (2008). Different Glazing Systems and their Impact on Human Thermal Comfort - Indian Scenario. Building and Environment, 43, 1596–1602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2007.10.004
Tzempelikos, A., Bessoudo, M., Athienitis, A., & Zmeureanu, R. (2007). The Impact of Shading on Thermal Comfort Conditions in Perimeter Zones with Glass Facades. 2nd PALENC Conference and 28th AIVC Conference on Building Low Energy Cooling and Advanced Ventilation Technologies in the 21st Century, Crete Island, Greece, September, 2007.
Tzempelikos, A., Bessoudo, M., Athienitis, A., & Zmeureanu, R. (2010). Indoor Thermal Environmental Conditions Near Glazed Façades with Shading Devices - Part II: Thermal Comfort Simulation and Impact of Glazing and Shading Properties. Building and environment, 45, 2517–1525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2010.05.014
Zhang, H. (2003). Human thermal sensation and comfort in transient and non-uniform thermal environments (PhD Thesis). University of California, Berkeley. Available on: https://escholarship.org/content/qt11m0n1wt/qt11m0n1wt.pdf.
Zhang, H., Yang, R., You, S., Zheng, W., Zheng, X., & Ye, T. (2018). The CPMV index for evaluating indoor thermal comfort in buildings with solar radiation. Building and Environment, 134, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.02.037
