A pathway towards healthy and naturally ventilated indoor built environment through phase change material and insulation techniques for office buildings in India

Abstract

The thermal comfort of occupants is a necessary requirement for any building. The present pandemic demands us to opt for natural ventilation over air-conditioned spaces to reduce the spread of the infection. This work aims to prevent air-conditioner usage in a commercial building in India during daytime office hours while simultaneously enhancing the thermal comfort of the building occupants through natural ventilation/Phase Change Material (PCM)/insulation techniques. Four building configurations, such as Building A (conventional building with no PCM and no insulation), Building B (building-integrated with PCM), Building C (building-integrated with insulation) and Building D (building-integrated with PCM and insulation) were analysed for various locations using DesignBuilder software. From the results, it is understood that insulation integration is recommended for locations with average nighttime temperatures greater than 27°C, while PCM integration is recommended for locations with an average nighttime temperature less than 27°C during the summer season. Also, nighttime cooling of the building through an air-conditioner is necessary for all locations during summer to maintain adequate thermal comfort with natural ventilation in the daytime. Finally, an appropriate PCM/insulation technique is recommended for an office building located in each location that falls under each type of climate. Hence, the selection of PCM/insulation technique is to be made based on the specific site conditions.