Utilising Passive Design Strategies for Analysing Thermal Comfort Levels Inside an Office Room Using PMV-PPD Models

Abstract

Energy efficiency and conservation measures in buildings are the focus in today’s design and construction practices. One of the major reasons for energy consumption in buildings is maintaining thermal comfort. Providing a thermally comfortable environment with an energy efficient design will not only lead to energy and cost savings, but will also have other intangible benefits, such as enhanced productivity, and health and well-being of the occupants. Studies have reported that buildings have 50–60% energy saving potential by means of an efficient design. This study aims at utilizing passive design strategies, such as provision of insulation and window glazing, to analyse their effects on thermal comfort of the occupants inside an office room. Measurements of indoor environmental quality parameters was done for the room, and Predicted Mean Vote and Percentage People Dissatisfied models, given in ASHRAE Standard 55, have been used in this study to assess the existing comfort levels of the occupants. A parametric study to examine their influence on the thermal environment using these models has been done using IDA ICE Beta 4.7 software. It was observed that application of the passive techniques although enhanced the thermal environment of the room, the comfort levels were still not within the ideal range specified by ASHRAE. The study concluded that more passive strategies can be employed to enhance the comfort levels. This would help in reducing the need for alternate methods of space conditioning, hence, leading to energy conservation.