Abstract
Several building energy simulation programs have been developed to evaluate the indoor conditions and energy performance of buildings. As a fundamental component of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning loads, each building energy modeling tool calculates the heat and moisture exchange among the outdoor environment, building envelope, and indoor environments. This paper presents a simplified heat and moisture transfer model of the building envelope, and case studies for building performance obtained by different heat and moisture transfer models are conducted to investigate the contribution of the proposed steady-state moisture flux (SSMF) method. For the analysis, three representative humid locations in the United States are considered: Miami, Atlanta, and Chicago. The results show that the SSMF model effectively complements the latent heat transfer calculation in conduction transfer function (CTF) and effective moisture penetration depth (EMPD) models during the cooling season. In addition, it is found that the ceiling part of a building largely constitutes the latent heat generated by the SSMF model.
Highlights
IntroductionThe heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in buildings uses a large portion of the total building energy, i.e., ~40% [1]
At present, the issue of energy consumption reduction in buildings is increasing.The heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in buildings uses a large portion of the total building energy, i.e., ~40% [1]
The comparison in this study is conducted with other models based on the heat and moisture transfer (HAMT) model and verified by two benchmark conducted with other models[36,37]
Summary
The heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system in buildings uses a large portion of the total building energy, i.e., ~40% [1]. For saving building energy consumption, the demand for high-insulation and airtight buildings with highly efficient windows, such as passive houses, is increasing. This change in envelopes makes temperature and humidity in buildings impact the energy consumption. Wholebuilding simulation can be used to predict the amount of sensible and latent load required to maintain the temperature and humidity set-points under fluctuating external and internal environment conditions. The heat flux generated from the internal surface of the building envelope largely affects the cooling and heating loads. Most of the evaluated models for building energy consumption that consider indoor conditions and air conditioning system requirements often neglect the transport and storage of moisture in porous building materials [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
