scholarly journals A Field Study on Thermal Comfort and Cooling Load Demand Optimization in a Tropical Climate

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12425
Author(s):  
Masoud Esfandiari ◽  
Suzaini Mohamed Zaid ◽  
Muhammad Azzam Ismail ◽  
Mohammad Reza Hafezi ◽  
Iman Asadi ◽  
...  

Energy consumption to cool an indoor environment is a substantial part of total energy end-use, particularly in a tropical climate with high energy demand for cooling. To improve energy efficiency, cooling systems can be optimized using a variety of neutral indoor temperatures to maintain a balance between an occupant’s thermal comfort and cooling energy demand. This explanatory study investigated the thermal quality and cooling energy demand of a Platinum-certified office building in the tropical climate of Malaysia. The investigation aimed to suggest a balance between occupant thermal comfort and cooling energy demand. The thermal investigation includes an objective field measurement that implements environmental equipment to monitor thermal quality and a subjective occupant’s thermal feedback using a questionnaire survey. To calculate cooling energy demand, the total equivalent temperature difference method (TETD) is applied. The results suggested an occupant’s cooling sensation of around 24 °C, with no significant difference concerning age and gender. Cooling load calculation indicated a 36% energy reduction by increasing air temperature to 26 °C, for occupants to feel thermally comfortable in a tropical climate. These findings contribute to improving sustainable energy policies, sustainable construction, and thermal comfort improvement for a tropical climate.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelrahman Muhsen ◽  
Abu Toasin Oakil

The transport sector has always had high energy demand and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change. To improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions, Riyadh is introducing an integrated public transport system. Per capita energy consumption is much lower for public transport than for private vehicles, such as cars and taxis. This study investigates the potential impact of Riyadh’s proposed public transport system on car and taxi trips.


2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Jerz ◽  
František Simančík ◽  
Jaroslav Kováčik ◽  
Peter Oslanec Sr.

The high energy efficiency of buildings can be achieved if energy needs are almost entirely covered by the supply of renewable energy sources obtained directly on the building or in its immediate vicinity. The technology providing efficient storage of the heat at a time of excessive sunlight is necessary if a returns of investment for the construction of small houses with zero energy balance should be less than 10 years. The regular alternation of day and night cycle resulting in continuously changing amount of sunshine falling on the building roof causes even though a small but very well usable potential. The concept presented in this contribution is based on the storage of energy obtained through the aluminium foam roof and facade cladding, which are capable of absorbing the desired, or even take away the excess energy to the surroundings if necessary. The energy effectively generated by this way is by means of piping system distributed by heating liquid medium/coolant to interior ceiling heat exchangers made of aluminium foam enabling due to filling by <span style="text-decoration: underline;">P</span>hase <span style="text-decoration: underline;">C</span>hange <span style="text-decoration: underline;">M</span>aterial<span style="text-decoration: underline;">s</span> (PCMs) to store the energy required for heating/cooling for a period of at least several hours. This progressive technology, therefore, contributes significantly to reducing of energy demand and thus also the prices of future not only large buildings but also small family houses that are able to achieve the optimal thermal comfort by extremely low costs. Possibility to manufacture facade, as well as the interior panels of aluminium foam, is a good prerequisite for ensuring that these structural components could be in the nearest future made from fully recyclable aluminium alloys. This fact indicates large potential chance for long-term sustainable further development of above-mentioned advanced technologies.


2018 ◽  
Vol 57 ◽  
pp. 04001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Al Touma ◽  
Djamel Ouahrani

Al-Majlis is the living space in residential buildings of the Arabian Gulf, and is where occupants spend most of their time. For this reason, the human thermal comfort in this space is of extreme importance and is often compromised due to hot outdoor weather conditions. In contrast with many thermal discomfort mitigation methods in outdoor environments, which become unadvisable in indoor spaces, this study investigates the effect of adding PCM-enhanced tiles to portions of the indoor envelope on the occupant’s thermal comfort and the space cooling energy demand. A simulation model of a space with tight building envelope in Qatar was developed on EnergyPlus with and without the addition of PCM-enhanced tiles. The selected country is a representative location of the Arabian Gulf. Considering different occupant’s positions, the addition of the tiles with PCM on their back was found to moderate the mean radiant temperature, operative temperature, Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD), all of which signify an improvement in the human thermal comfort. Lastly, this change in the indoor envelope was found to save 3.3% of the space daily thermal cooling energy demand during one harsh summer representative day.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1182-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baghdad Science Journal

Pregnancy is a stressful condition in which many physiological and metabolic functions are altered to a considerable extent . Pregnancy is a physiological state accompanied by a high-energy demand and an increased oxygen requirement. The present study aim to study selenium ,zinc cupper in the first trimester of pregnancy. The study group comprised of Fourty five pregnant women and twenty six non pregnant women as control . The samples were taken from pregnant women who come to several heath center in Baghdad city to cheak up. Laboratory investigations including Cupper, Ceruloplasmin, Total Antioxidant (TAA), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), Zinc, Uric acid, and Selenium had been measured in pregnant women and control . There were significant difference in Cupper, Selenium, Ceruloplasmin, TAA, Zinc, GSH, and MDA, in the pregnant women whene compared to control group. In this study, a significantly positive association was observed between zinc [mg/dl] with ceruloplasmin [mg/dl] (R = 0.47 p< 0.01 ) and TAA [mmol/l] (R= 0.42 p< 0.05) , and negative association was observed between zinc [mg/dl]and cupper [mg/dl] (R = 0.602, p< 0.01) , a significantly negative association between ceruloplasmin [mg/dl] with cupper [mg/dl] (R = 0.754, p< 0.01) ,and positive with TAA [mmol/l]( R = 0.562 p


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 5979
Author(s):  
Ikram Merini ◽  
Angel Molina-García ◽  
M. Socorro García-Cascales ◽  
Mustapha Mahdaoui ◽  
Mohamed Ahachad

The trend in energy consumption, with a particular focus on heating and cooling demand, is an issue that is relevant to the promotion of new energy policies and more efficient energy systems. Moreover, heating and cooling energy demand is expected to rise in the next several decades, mainly due to climate change as well as increasing incomes in developing countries. In this context, the building sector is currently a relevant energy-intensive economic sector in Morocco; it accounts for 33% of the country’s total energy demand (as the sector with the second highest energy demand, after the transport sector), with the residential sector accounting for 25% and the tertiary sector accounting for 8%. Aiming to reduce energy dependence and promote sustainable development, the Moroccan government recently issued a comprehensive plan to increase the share of renewables and improve energy efficiency. This strategy includes novel thermal building regulations promoted by the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency. This paper analyzes the thermal behavior and heating-cooling energy demand of a residential building located in Tangier (Morocco) as a case example, based on the country’s new thermal regulations and considering specific climatological conditions. A comparison with common Moroccan residential buildings as well as with those in nearby countries with similar meteorological conditions but significant differences in terms of energy demand regulation and requirements, such as Spain, is also included. Simulations were carried out using the DesingBuilder and EnergyPlus Software packages. According to the results, the last building thermal regulation requirements in Morocco need to be revised and extended in order to achieve the energy efficiency objectives established by the Moroccan government for 2030.


Buildings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dodoo ◽  
Ayarkwa

This study presents an analysis of the impacts of climate change on thermal comfort and energy performance of residential buildings in Ghana, in sub-Saharan Africa, and explores mitigation as well as adaptation strategies to improve buildings’ performance under climate change conditions. The performances of the buildings are analyzed for both recent and projected future climates for the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions of Ghana, using the IDA-ICE dynamic simulation software, with climate data from the Meteonorm global climate database. The results suggest that climate change will significantly influence energy performance and indoor comfort conditions of buildings in Ghana. However, effective building design strategies could significantly improve buildings’ energy and indoor climate performances under both current and future climate conditions. The simulations show that the cooling energy demand of the analyzed building in the Greater Accra region is 113.9 kWh/m2 for the recent climate, and this increases by 31% and 50% for the projected climates for 2030 and 2050, respectively. For the analyzed building in the Ashanti region, the cooling energy demand is 104.4 kWh/m2 for the recent climate, and this increases by 6% and 15% for the 2030 and 2050 climates, respectively. Furthermore, indoor climate and comfort deteriorate under the climate change conditions, in contrast to the recent conditions.


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