An integrative approach for indoor environment quality assessment of large glazed air-conditioned airport terminal in the tropics

Abstract

The indoor environment quality in large glazed space such as airport terminals affects its users in many ways. The indoor environment quality assessment of such a building was typically conducted objective measurement using measurement and subjective assessment using questionnaire survey. However, limited resources and measurement period imply that would be incomplete and cannot provide accurate results. Computer modelling is thus an additional tool in the integrative approach for indoor environment quality assessment and analysis to improve its comfort and energy performance.Field measurement on the objective variables defined the environment quality and energy consumption, as well as questionnaire survey on the subjective judgment defined the indoor comfort. While the computer modelling was assessed across the air temperature, indoor glazed roof surface temperatures, mean radiant temperatures, operative temperatures and illuminance, to examine the building energy performance across the annual cooling load in 2010.The inner surface temperature over glazed roof were recorded as 56°C due to high level solar penetration, even when the indoor air temperatures over the floor level remain stable within the standard comfort zone. This rose the mean radiant temperature and was considered as main cause for indoor discomfort revealed by the survey. The survey found the employees to be slightly uncomfortable and dissatisfied, particularly in summer. The total energy consumption in 2010 was very high compared against the energy benchmarking. This study confirms that the large proportion of glazed roof is the cause for both overheating and thermal discomfort even with excessive use of the cooling system. In addition, recommendation was made to improve the thermal comfort condition in the large glazed air-conditioned terminal.