Using natural ventilation in office buildings under subtropical climate: A case Study in Shenzhen

Abstract

Although thermal comfort standards indicate that in hot climates natural ventilation can offset the temperature above which air conditioning becomes necessary, actual applications remain scarce. This paper details the results of the post-occupancy evaluation of an office building in the subtropical Chinese city of Shenzhen, which uses natural ventilation through user-controlled windows to reduce yearly air-conditioning time by 35 %. Investigation of the indoor environment and thermal comfort of occupants showed overall satisfaction. Electricity consumption of the office part of the building was found to be 60.2 kWh/m2.a, which is below the standard deviation band of a statistical sample of 57 Shenzhen office buildings. These results support the feasibility of using natural ventilation in mixed-mode buildings in subtropical climates for increased energy efficiency. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.