Evaluation of vernacular and new housing indoor comfort conditions in cold climate – a field survey in eastern Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-226
Author(s):  
Fatma Kürüm Varolgüneş
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Mechanical Systems ◽  
General Information ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Occupant Satisfaction

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare vernacular and new houses in terms of indoor occupant satisfaction and thermal and visual comfort in a region with cold climatic conditions. In line with the data obtained, the contribution of passive design techniques to comfort in housing indoor will be revealed. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the comfort conditions to be provided in a residence were determined and evaluated in Bingol with the help of questionnaires applied on vernacular and new houses. The information gathered from the occupants and the survey study was mainly designed for three purposes: (i) acquiring general information about houses; (ii) acquiring general information about occupants; and (iii) inquiring about the physical comfort satisfaction of the occupants (thermal comfort and visual comfort). Findings Although the average occupant satisfaction in terms of thermal performance in vernacular houses in summer and winter is 3.91, this average is 2.01 for new houses. The average of the general visual comfort of occupants in vernacular houses is 3.59, whereas this rate is 2.63 in new houses. According to the data obtained, occupant satisfaction was higher in vernacular houses than in new houses. In general, the new settlement area is designed and positioned independently of climate and environmental conditions. This situation increases the need to use mechanical systems to provide indoor thermal comfort conditions. The increase in the need for mechanical systems leads to a significant increase in energy expenditures, as well as deterioration of health conditions in places. Research limitations/implications To ensure occupant satisfaction, indoor thermal comfort conditions and healthy environments, vernacular houses should be an example for the design and building of new houses in terms of orientation, environment relations, space dimensions and space usage in accordance with the character of the region and material selection. Originality/value There has not been a serious research on bioclimatic, socioeconomic and cultural sustainability of the vernacular architecture of Bingol. Therefore, this region has been preferred as the study area.

Materials consumption, indoor thermal comfort and associated energy flows of urban residential buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Peng ◽  
Wu Deng ◽  
Yuanda Hong
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Insulating Materials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Comfort Levels ◽  
Energy Flows

Purpose From the 2000s onward, construction practices of urban residential buildings in China have shown a material transformation from clay brick to aerated concrete block. Moreover, the consumption of insulating materials for buildings has been increasing due to the new requirements in building energy-saving standards. This transformation and the increased consumption of insulating materials might have a vital impact on a building’s thermal comfort and its associated energy flows. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the indoor thermal performance of urban residential buildings built with different materials and further discuss the correlations between indoor thermal comfort and the associated energy input. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated four residential buildings selected from four residential communities located in the cold climate zone of China. The Integrated Environment Solutions program was used to evaluate the thermal comfort levels and to quantify the operational energy consumption of the case study buildings. Additionally, the University of Bath’s Inventory of Carbon and Energy database was used to estimate the embodied energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Findings The study found that materials transition and increasing consumption did not necessarily improve indoor thermal comfort. However, the materials transition has significantly decreased the embodied energy consumption of urban residential buildings. Furthermore, the increased utilization of insulating materials has also decreased the heating and cooling energy consumption. Therefore, overall, the environmental impacts of urban residential buildings have been reduced significantly. Practical implications In the future, residential buildings completed in the 1990s will need regular maintenance, such as adding insulation. Residential buildings completed based on the latest energy-saving requirements should optimize their ventilation design, for example, by increasing the ventilation rate and by reducing solar heat gains in the summer. Originality/value This paper investigates the effects of the materials change on thermal comfort levels and the environmental impacts of urban residential buildings in the cold climate zone of China, as these have not been the focus of many previous studies.

scholarly journals Optimization of Window Design for Daylight and Thermal Comfort in Cold Climate Conditions

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 8013
Author(s):  
Tony-Andreas Arntsen ◽  
Bozena Dorota Hrynyszyn
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
National Level ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Window Design

Window design affects the overall performance of a building. It is important to include window design during the initial stages of a project since it influences the performance of daylight and thermal comfort as well as the energy demand for heating and cooling. The Norwegian building code facilitates two alternative methods for achieving a sufficient daylight, and only guidelines for adequate indoor thermal comfort. In this study, a typical Norwegian residential building was modeled to investigate whether the criteria and methods facilitate consistent and good performance through different scenario changes and furthermore, how the national regulations compare to European standards. A better insulated and more air-tight building has usually a lower annual heating demand, with only a marginal decrease in the daylight performance when the window design is unchanged. A more air-tight construction increases the risk of overheating, even in cold climates. This study confirms that a revision of the window design improves the overall performance of a building, which highlights the importance of proper window design. The pursuit of lower energy demand should not be at the expense of indoor thermal comfort considering the anticipated future weather conditions. This study indicates that criteria for thermal comfort and daylight, if clearly defined, can affect the energy demand for heating and cooling, as well as the indoor climate positively, and should be taken into account at the national level. A comparison between the national regulations and the European standards was made, and this study found that the results are not consistent.

Evaluation of occupant's adaptive thermal comfort behaviour in naturally ventilated courtyard houses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiman Pilechiha ◽  
Alireza Norouziasas ◽  
Hoorieh Ghorbani Naeini ◽  
Kasmir Jolma
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
Hourly Basis

PurposeIn vernacular buildings, many climatic and passive solutions have been used to create indoor thermal comfort. Seasonal occupant movement is an example of a traditional response to increasing thermal comfort. This article investigates the influence of these user behaviours on thermal comfort in courtyard houses.Design/methodology/approachParametric models of three different scenarios of courtyard houses are simulated. The courtyard houses are located in Shiraz, Iran, and share the same orientation and construction materials. To enhance the accuracy of the study, the indoor adaptive thermal comfort (ATC) analysis is performed with three different window-to-wall ratios (WWR) of 25, 50 and 75%. The ACT analysis is performed on an hourly basis for summer and winter scenarios.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the indoor ATC is 8.3% higher in winter than in the summer in the seasonal zones. During the summer, the amount of ATC is relatively sustained in all zones. Unlike common beliefs, seasonal movement can enhance the ATC, especially during winter, specifically in the northern part of the courtyard. In northern zones, the seasonal movement of occupants improves the indoor ATC from 10.1 to 23.7%, and in southern zones, the improvement is from 2.2 to 4.8%.Originality/valueThis research presents a new numerical investigation into occupants' seasonal movements in courtyard houses during summer and winter. It provides a precise pattern to show how much this seasonal movement can affect the habitant's ATC.

Optimizing window size by integrating energy and lighting analyses considering occupants’ visual satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayda Montaser Koohsari ◽  
Shahin Heidari
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Fitness Function ◽  
Thermal Analyses ◽  
Minimum Energy ◽  
Window Size ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Minimum Energy Consumption ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the approximate window-to-wall ratio (WWR), window width-to-height ratio (WHR) and sill level for a room in Rasht–Gilan province and to present an optimal window in each of the WWR ranges providing the minimum energy consumption by integrating artificial lighting and thermal analyses, whilst maintaining internal comfort conditions using dynamic evaluation.Design/methodology/approachThe process of modelling has four main steps: 1 – defining the building's features and requirements, 2 – validating input weather file data by on-site measurement, 3 – determining input parameters for the lighting and thermal analysis and 4 – clarifying variable parameters and fitness function for the optimization algorithm. Also, the survey study is performed in a daylit office room, in which 30 employees are employed to answer the questions in three different times of a day. In this process, the impact of daylight on their visual comfort is surveyed in 1,350 different illuminance levels which are manually recorded.FindingsThe range of useful daylight illuminance (UDI) values is determined as 200–1,000 lux. The optimum range of WWRs in the case study is 15%–25%. Also, due to the appropriate window height, electric lighting could be decreased by 40%.Originality/valueThermal and lighting performance in buildings is the relation of facade characteristics to environmental sustainability. Recent studies focussed on optimizing WWR and window characteristics considering thermal comfort and energy analyses. However, architects need freedom for designing façade and making decisions in their first sketches. Thus a guideline for optimum window conditions in each WWR is required. Also, considering occupants' behaviour in practical buildings, the visual comfort investigation is a gap in WWR optimization.

Effect of retrofit scenarios on energy performance and indoor thermal comfort of a typical single family house in different climates of Morocco

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-57
Author(s):  
Sobhy Issam ◽  
Brakez Abderrahim ◽  
Brahim Benhamou
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Needs ◽  
The One ◽  
Group B ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Family House

Abstract This paper aims at identifying the impact of three retrofit scenarios of a typical single family house on its energy performance and its indoor thermal comfort in several climates. Two of these scenarios are based on the Moroccan Thermal Regulation in Constructions (RTCM) while the third is the one proposed in this study. The climates, which range from group B to group C of the Köppen climate classification. The results show that the proposed renovation scenario allows reducing the heating load by 19-42% and the cooling load by 29-60% depending on the climate. Furthermore, the RTCM retrofit scenario leads to summer overheating in all climates. One of the main reason of this overheating is the insulation of the slab-on-grade floor as this insulation increases the annual heating/cooling energy needs of the house by 6%-10%. Moreover, the cavity wall technique was found to be the best option for external walls, instead of using high thermal insulting material, in the hot climates. The analysis of the energy performance, the thermal comfort indices and the payback periods for each retrofit scenario shows that the proposed scenario presents the best thermal performance, except for the Cold climate where the RTCM scenario is the most favorable.

Tri-optimization of building shape and envelope properties using Taguchi and constraint limit method

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaolin Lin ◽  
Wei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Design ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Optimization Approach ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
Building Shape ◽  
Design Solutions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a tri-optimization approach to optimize design solutions regarding the building shape and envelope properties considering their implications on thermal comfort, visual comfort and building energy consumption (EN). The optimization approach has been applied to obtain the optimal design solutions in five typical cities across all climatic regions of China.Design/methodology/approachThe method comprises a tri-optimization process with nine main steps to optimize the three objectives (thermal comfort, visual comfort and building EN). The design variables considered are four types of building shape (pyramid, rectangular, cylindrical and dome shape) and different envelope properties (insulation thickness [INS] of external walls/roof, window type [WT] and window-to-envelop surface area ratio [WESR]). The optimization is performed by using the Taguchi and constraint limit method.FindingsThe results show that the optimal design solutions for all climatic regions favor cylindrical shape and triple-layer low-E glazing window. The highest insulation level of 150 mm is preferred in three climatic regions, and the INS of 90 mm is preferred in the other two climate regions. In total, 10% WESR is preferred in all climatic regions, except the mild region. When the constraint limit of lighting intensity requirement by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is applied, the rectangular shape building is the optimal solution for those with 10% WESR.Research limitations/implicationsThe method proposed in the paper is innovative in that it optimizes three different objectives simultaneously in building design with better accuracy and calculation speed.Practical implicationsBuilding designers can easily follow the proposed design guide in their practice which effectively bridges the gap between theory and practice. The optimal design solutions can provide a more comfortable living environment and yet less EN, which can help achieve the sustainability requirement of green buildings.Social implicationsThe solutions presented in the paper can serve as a useful guide for practical building designers which creates economic and commercial impact. In addition, the theory and practical examples of the study can be used by building regulators to improve the energy-efficient building design standard in China.Originality/valueThe research is the first attempt that adopts tri-optimization approach to generate the optimal solutions for building shape and envelope design. The tri-optimization approach can be used by building designers to generate satisfactory design solutions from the architectural viewpoint and meanwhile to find combinations of the building shape and envelope properties that lead to design solutions with optimal building performance.

Investigating the Impact of Ornamental Plants Correlated with Indoor Thermal Comfort and Eco-Energy

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Sugiono Sugiono ◽  
Suluh E. Swara ◽  
Wisnu Wijanarko ◽  
Dwi H. Sulistyarini
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
The Impact

SETING ALAMI SEBAGAI SARANA ANAK UNTUK MENGATASI TEKANAN LINGKUNGAN DI KAMPUNG KOTA

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Sativa Sativa ◽  
Bakti Setiawan ◽  
Djoko Wijono ◽  
MG Adiyanti
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
School Age ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Visual Comfort ◽  
Environmental Press ◽  
Settlement Area

Abstract: Nowadays, the majority of Indonesian people live in the dense urban kampungs. Some of those kampungs laid on the riverside, as a marginal area -- due to their low economic value of the land. They have specific conditions especially on the limitation of infrastructures and facilities for children activities in the settlement area. This research is a part of my dissertation paper, which aims to gain how children (mainly school-age children) coping with such condition. This study is a qualitative exploratory research, meanwhile, observation and interview were used as collecting data methods. Kampung Ngampilan in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was chosen as a case area, because of its unique characteristics: located on the riverside of Winongo River, had a high density, and most people have low economics. As the result, this study found that natural setting, especially river area and its surrounding vegetation, is a focus location for children to release live stress in their settlement, due to two space aspects: thermal comfort and visual comfort. This condition was triggered by the limited area of their house so that the children prefer to go out from their house especially after attending school in the afternoon. This results will be useful as a reference for urban kampung planning, especially in riverfront area.Keywords: children, kampung, environmental press, natural settingAbstrak: Mayoritas penduduk kota Indonesia tinggal di kampung berkepadatan tinggi. Sebagian dari kampung -kampung berada di bantaran sungai sebagai salah satu area kota yang dianggap marginal karena nilai ekonomi lahan rendah. Kampung-kampung umumnya berkondisi khas dan memiliki keterbatasan infrastruktur termasuk fasilitas untuk kegiatan anak-anak di permukiman. Studi ini merupakan bagian dari disertasi penulis, yang bertujuan mengetahui bagaimana anak-anak (terutama anak usia sekolah dasar) menghadapi tekanan lingkungan. Kampung Ngampilan dipilih karena merupakan kampung kota yang sangat padat, terletak di tepi sungai, berkontur curam, dan warganya termasuk kelompok ekonomi menengah ke bawah. Kajian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif eksploratif, dan penggalian data dilakukan dengan metode observasi lapangan dan wawancara. Penelitian menemukan, seting alami kampung, khususnya sungai dan vegetasi di sekitarnya, merupakan area pilihan utama anak bermain, karena memiliki dua aspek kenyamanan, yaitu kenyamanan termal dan kenyamanan visual. Pilihan anak-anak dipicu oleh kondisi rumah mereka yang sempit, sehingga mereka lebih memilih keluar rumah sepulang sekolah atau sore hari. Temuan ini dapat menjadi acuan bagi pengembangan kampung kota Indonesia yang lebih kondusif untuk anak, khususnya kampung tepi sungai.Kata kunci: seting alami, tekanan lingkungan, kampung kota, anak

Expected maintenance waste reduction benefits after implementation of Just in Time (JIT) philosophy in maintenance (a statistical analysis)

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Phogat ◽  
Anil Kumar Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Data Interpretation ◽  
General Information ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Great Saving ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose The maintenance department of today, like many other departments, is under sustained pressure to slash costs, show outcome and support the assignment of the organization, as it is a commonsensical prospect from the business perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine expected maintenance waste reduction benefits in the maintenance of organizations after the implementation of just-in-time (JIT) managerial philosophy. For this, a structured questionnaire was designed and sent to the 421 industries in India. Design/methodology/approach The designed questionnaire was divided into two sections A and B to assist data interpretation. The aim of the section A was to build general information of participants, type of organization, number of employees, annual turnover of the organization, etc. Section B was also a structured questionnaire developed based on a five-point Likert scale. The identified critical elements of the JIT were included in the questionnaire to identify the maintenance waste reduction benefits in the maintenance of organizations. Findings On the basis of the 133 responses, hypothesis testing was done with the help of Z-test, and it was found out that in maintenance, we can reduce a large inventory of spare parts and also shorten the excessive maintenance activities due to the implementation of JIT philosophy. All the four wastes: waste of processing; waste of rejects/rework/scrap in case of poor maintenance; waste of the transport of spares, and waste of motion, have approximately equal weightage in their reduction. Waste of waiting for spares got the last rank, which showed that there are little bit chances in the reduction of waiting for spares after the implementation of JIT philosophy in maintenance. Practical implications The implication of the research findings for maintenance of organizations is that if maintenance practitioners implement elements of JIT philosophy in maintenance then there will be a great reduction in the maintenance wastes. Originality/value This paper will be abundantly useful for the maintenance professionals, researchers and others concerned with maintenance to understand the significance of JIT philosophy implementation to get the expected reduction benefits in maintenance wastes of organizations which will be helpful in the great saving of maintenance cost and time side by side great increment in the availability of machines.

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