Towards Passive Design Strategies for Improving Thermal Comfort Performance in a Naturally Ventilated Residence

Abstract

Passive design integrates a wide range of climate-based strategies to increase occupant thermal comfort and minimise the need for mechanical systems for heating and cooling. The aim of this study was to improve the thermal comfort performance in a naturally ventilated residence through the identification and evaluation of the best set of passive design strategies. A two-storey residence located in Washington, United States with a temperate climate was selected as the case study residence. A reference simulation model was developed by replicating only the orientation and massing of the case study residence, while certain assumptions were made for other building characteristics. Thermal comfort performance analysis was conducted in the DesignBuilder software. A set of design strategies were introduced as interventions followed by simulation runs to efficiently track progress. From the reference simulation model to the final intervention model, a 50% reduction in the annual discomfort hours was anticipated in the five selected zones of the residence. Following the integration of four major interventions, the target discomfort hours were met in three zones—library, bedroom 1 and bedroom 2, with 53.03%, 60.42% and 58.94% reduction in discomfort hours, respectively. The two remaining zones—living and lounge also had a notable improvement with a reduction of 43.93% and 45.99%, respectively. The successful design strategies included—incorporation of triple glazed, low-emissivity and argon filled openings with wooden frames; integration of overhangs in south-facing windows, minor reduction of openings in the east and west façade, and addition of blinds for window shading; and use of an energy code standard construction for the building components and further addition of insulation in the building envelope. The most effective intervention was the customisation of the window operation schedule based on seasonal air temperature differences to optimise natural ventilation. This study demonstrated that occupant thermal comfort can be significantly improved throughout the year with the appropriate use of passive heating and cooling strategies, thereby reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of buildings.

Thermal Comfort in Buildings: Scientometric Analysis and Systematic Review

“…Several studies have explored passive strategies to minimise energy use, namely; building orientation (Rana, 2021), thermal mass (Kuczyński and Staszczuk, 2020), advanced building envelope (Mao et al, 2017;Lotfabadi and Hançer, 2019;Acar, Kaska and Tokgoz, 2021;Homod et al, 2021), window to wall ratio (Lakhdari, Sriti and Painter, 2021) and shading equipment (Stazi et al, 2014;Martinopoulos et al, 2018). These factors are determined in the preliminary design stage (Méndez Echenagucia et al, 2015).…”

Roles of stakeholders for adopting sustainable design in buildings

“…This is achieved by applying 'passive' principles in various architectural and structural design methodologies that exploit the design and properties of the building envelope to reduce energy demand, and maximize or minimize heat losses and heat gains [8]. Such passive design is associated with longer life spans or durability, lower life cycle costs, and higher benefits in energy saving [9,10] that can reduce energy consumption of up to 50%-60% [11][12][13]. Despite such benefits, the knowledge and awareness of construction stakeholders about SusD appears to be limited.…”

Characterization of a Wall System with Dynamic Thermal Insulation—Experimental Campaign and Numerical Simulation

“…Thus, in order to tackle overheating, minimize the amount of energy required for space cooling, and prepare buildings for future climate scenarios, it is crucial to value passive design strategies to optimize heat transfer towards the indoor environment, which includes adopting measures such as shading, building components with heavy thermal mass, and enabling natural ventilation or night-time cooling whenever the outdoor temperature is lower than the indoor temperature and the humidity conditions are favorable [16,17].…”

“…Green façades and roofs are also possible solutions, as they restrict heat flow to the interior environment by 70% to 90% in summer [18]. Several authors also refer to the use of special glass, such as double or triple glazing or a low-E glass coating to control solar heat gains [16,19]. Cool roofs are also pointed out as a possible passive design strategy that minimizes solar heat gains [20].…”