Abstract
Energy consumption to cool an indoor environment is a substantial part of total energy end-use, particularly in a tropical climate with high energy demand for cooling. To improve energy efficiency, cooling systems can be optimized using a variety of neutral indoor temperatures to maintain a balance between an occupant’s thermal comfort and cooling energy demand. This explanatory study investigated the thermal quality and cooling energy demand of a Platinum-certified office building in the tropical climate of Malaysia. The investigation aimed to suggest a balance between occupant thermal comfort and cooling energy demand. The thermal investigation includes an objective field measurement that implements environmental equipment to monitor thermal quality and a subjective occupant’s thermal feedback using a questionnaire survey. To calculate cooling energy demand, the total equivalent temperature difference method (TETD) is applied. The results suggested an occupant’s cooling sensation of around 24 °C, with no significant difference concerning age and gender. Cooling load calculation indicated a 36% energy reduction by increasing air temperature to 26 °C, for occupants to feel thermally comfortable in a tropical climate. These findings contribute to improving sustainable energy policies, sustainable construction, and thermal comfort improvement for a tropical climate.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilCooling the indoor environment is essential in tropical climates to provide thermal comfort
This study included an investigation of thermal sensation vote (TSV), thermal quality effect on occupant’s satisfaction, occupant’s characteristic effect on thermal satisfaction for gender, age, location, and type of office, and thermal quality effect on perceived productivity
The case study was selected based on several criteria: being an office building, Platinum green building index (GBI) certificate, located in Kuala Lumpur, and in an operational phase for a minimum of two (2) years
Summary
Introduction published maps and institutional affilCooling the indoor environment is essential in tropical climates to provide thermal comfort. The power reduction in tropical climates is necessary for buildings to reduce electricity cost [2] This can bring complications between providing thermal comfort and energy efficiency [3], for green buildings aiming to reduce cooling energy demand. Thermal comfort has a direct impact on energy consumption of any building, as any occupant discomfort leads to a modification of controls to non-optimal levels [4,5]. To overcome this challenge, natural ventilation is proposed as an alternative solution [6,7]. Sex, Years of working in the building, Type of the working office, Sitting near a window Thermal comfort.
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