Thermal comfort assessment of the first residential Passivhaus in Latin America

Moreno-Rangel, Alejandro; Sharpe, Tim; McGill, Grainne; Musau, Filbert

doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103081

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…Similarly, concerning levels of overheating have been measured previously in Scotland, and are not always limited to the non-heating season [22]. However, Passivhaus homes in Scotland [23] and other countries [24][25][26] have been found to be within acceptable temperature ranges, particularly when incorporating passive techniques to regulate indoor temperatures [27,28].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Environment Assessment of Scottish Homes with Different Building Fabrics

et al. 2023

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The ongoing climate change and policies around it are changing how we design and build homes to meet national carbon emission targets. Some countries such as Scotland are adopting higher-energy-efficient buildings as minimum requirements in the building regulations. While net zero homes might be more energy-efficient and emit fewer operational carbon emissions, we have yet to fully understand the influence on the indoor environment, particularly on indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort. This study compares the IAQ of three homes in Scotland with equal internal layouts and designs but different building fabrics. The homes represent the minimum Scottish building regulations (2015), the Passivhaus standard and the Scottish ‘Gold Standard’. Temperature, relative humidity, PM2.5 and total volatile organic compounds (tVOC) were measured at five-minute intervals for seven months and compared to occupants’ subjective responses to the IAQ. All three homes had temperatures above the recommended thresholds for overheating. Measured hygrothermal conditions were within the ideal range 66.4% of the time in the Passivhaus, 56.4% in the Gold Standard home and 62.7% in the control home. Measured IAQ was better in homes with higher energy efficiency, particularly tVOC. For instance, indoor PM2.5 in the Passivhaus were 78.0% of the time below the threshold, while in the standard home the figure was 51.5%, with a weak correlation with outdoor PM2.5 (Passivhaus: B rs = 0.167, K rs = 0.306 and L rs = 0.163 (p < 0.001); Gold: B rs = −0.157, K rs = 0.322 and L rs = 0.340 (p < 0.001); Control: B rs = −0.111, K rs = 0.235 and L rs = 0.235 (p < 0.001)). TVOCs in the Passivhaus were 81.3%, while in the control home they were 55.0%. While the results cannot be generalised, due to the small sample, this study has significant policy implications, particularly in Scotland, exhibiting the importance of IAQ in current building legislation and sustainable assessment methods.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 56%

Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Environment Assessment of Scottish Homes with Different Building Fabrics

et al. 2023

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“…One of the most significant benefits of natural materials, such as fibers derived from plant sources or animal fibers such as wool, is that their production and distribution require less carbon dioxide and energy. Additionally, they may act as a humidity buffer, reduce moisture, and enhance interior air quality, enabling the structure to "breathe" [25]. Environmental and health impacts of natural materials are similarly negligible, provided they can be bound into thermal insulation boards without the use of chemical adhesives, as in the case of agro-waste [26][27][28] and other unconventional resources [29].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Study of the Impact of Bio-Sourced and Recycled Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency in Office Buildings in Burkina Faso

Zoure

Genovese

2023

Sustainability

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This research presents a comparative study of different bio-sourced and recycled insulation materials and their impact on energy consumption of office buildings located in Ouagadougou, a city with a dry hot climate. A thorough assessment of the country’s meteorological and urban development data from 2004 to 2018 was conducted for climatic data. EnergyPlus was used for thermal comfort based on the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers Standard (ASHRAE) 55 adaptive comfort model and energy analysis by calculating and comparing the yearly energy consumption, heat transfer through the building envelope, and discomfort degree hours. A four-story “H”-shaped office building made of cement blocks with a fixed north–south orientation and a 30% window-to-wall ratio served as the base case for this study to perform two rounds of multiple simulations and evaluate the most effective insulation material. First, exterior walls were insulated, and then the roof and inner floors were insulated using the best material from the first round. The findings confirmed hemp wool as the best performing bio-sourced insulation material, which reduces by 25.8% and 17.7% the annual cooling energy demand at 114,495 kWh and the annual energy consumption at 203,598 kWh, respectively, contributing to saving up to 43,852 kWh in annual energy consumption. Hemp wool impacted wall, roof, and internal floor heat transfer by reducing them by 90.86% at 12,583 kWh, 85.1% at 6666 kWh, and 88.1% at −2664 kWh, respectively, while the discomfort degree hours were reduced by 17.6% at 9720.12. The outcomes provide patterns, explanations, and inferences that may be generalized to other projects in Burkina Faso, especially, and sub-Saharan African countries, in general, where most buildings are not well insulated. The availability of these bio-based and recycled insulation materials may also serve as proof to foster a circular economy in the Burkina Faso construction industry.

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“…Thermal conditions outdoors are likely to experience enormous upheavals in built up areas due to the effect of human-induced climate change, including the increased temperatures and the heat weaves in summertime [8][9][10]. As a result of these facts, a variety of sciences have been gathered in order to enhance the urban microclimate and maximize thermal comfort in outdoor places [11][12][13]. Hence, a variety of mitigation and adaptation strategies have been created, such as urban vegetation, urban geometry, and high albedo materials [14][15][16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor Thermal Comfort Optimization through Vegetation Parameterization: Species and Tree Layout

Sayad¹,

Alkama²,

Rebhi³

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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The optimization of outdoor thermal comfort has become the keystone to guarantee the healthy and comfortable use of outdoor spaces. This study aims to optimize the outdoor thermal comfort through vegetation parameterization in a boulevard located in Guelma city, Algeria during summertime. However, two main parameters were investigated, species and tree layout, through a numerical simulation. We first collected microclimate data of a sunny summer day. Second, we used real microclimate data in different simulations using the Envi-met atmospheric model. The findings reveal that Ficus Nitida is the most significant species to intercept solar radiation and provide shade over the day in Souidani Boudjemaa Boulevard, with a maximum reduction of Ta = 0.3 °C and UTCI = 2.6 °C at 13:00 p.m. Tree layout is a determining parameter in the creation of shaded paths, based on the quality of the shadows cast by the trees, namely, their size. Thereby, planting the washingtonia palm trees along the center of the boulevard is the best option to maximize the shaded area within the boulevard, with maximum reduction of Ta = 1.8 °C and UTCI = 3.5 °C at 16:00 p.m.

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Thermal comfort assessment of the first residential Passivhaus in Latin America

Cited by 8 publications

References 39 publications

Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Environment Assessment of Scottish Homes with Different Building Fabrics

Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Environment Assessment of Scottish Homes with Different Building Fabrics

Comparative Study of the Impact of Bio-Sourced and Recycled Insulation Materials on Energy Efficiency in Office Buildings in Burkina Faso

Outdoor Thermal Comfort Optimization through Vegetation Parameterization: Species and Tree Layout

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