Operative air temperature data for different measures applied on a building envelope in warm climate

Area of Science:

• Building Science
• Sustainable Architecture
• Energy Efficiency

Background:

• Designing energy-efficient buildings in warm climates often relies on HVAC systems.
• Optimizing building envelopes can significantly reduce cooling loads and energy consumption.
• This research focuses on passive design strategies to minimize reliance on active systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate technical combinations for high energy performance buildings in warm climates.
• To optimize building envelope design through a step-by-step thermal modeling approach.
• To avoid the use of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a sequential search technique for methodological approach.
• Performed dynamic simulations using TRNSYS 17 software.
• Evaluated building components including walls, floors, roofs, shading, and windows sequentially.

Main Results:

• Operative Air Temperature (TOP) trends were plotted for 17 different building configurations.
• The study simulated a 9-room building model in Brindisi, Italy (1083 degree days, Climate Zone C).
• Results demonstrate the impact of various envelope design measures on thermal performance.

Conclusions:

• Step-by-step simulation and component evaluation are effective for envelope optimization.
• Passive design strategies can achieve high energy performance in warm climates.
• Optimized building envelopes reduce the need for HVAC systems, leading to energy savings.