Abstract
In this study, the natural ventilation potential of residential buildings was numerically investigated based on a typical single-story house in the three most populous climate zones in Australia. Simulations using the commercial simulation software TRNSYS (Transient System Simulation Tool) were performed for all seasons in three representative cities, i.e., Darwin for the hot humid summer and warm winter zone, Sydney for the mild temperate zone, and Melbourne for the cool temperate zone. A natural ventilation control strategy was generated by the rule-based decision-tree method based on the local climates. Natural ventilation hour (NVH) and satisfied natural ventilation hour (SNVH) were employed to evaluate the potential of natural ventilation in each city considering local climate and local indoor thermal comfort requirements, respectively. The numerical results revealed that natural ventilation potential was related to the local climate. The greatest natural ventilation potential for the case study building was observed in Darwin with an annual 4141 SNVH out of 4728 NVH, while the least natural ventilation potential was found in the Melbourne case. Moreover, summer and transition seasons (spring and autumn) were found to be the optimal periods to sustain indoor thermal comfort by utilising natural ventilation in Sydney and Melbourne. By contrast, natural ventilation was found applicable over the whole year in Darwin. In addition, the indoor operative temperature results demonstrated that indoor thermal comfort can be maintained only by utilising natural ventilation for all cases during the whole year, except for the non-natural ventilation periods in summer in Darwin and winter in Melbourne. These findings could improve the understanding of natural ventilation potential in different climates, and are beneficial for the climate-conscious design of residential buildings in Australia.
Highlights
Rapid urbanisation has led to a significant increase in building energy usage, which accounts for nearly one third of the total primary energy consumption worldwide [1]
The greatest natural ventilation potential for the case study building was observed in Darwin with an annual 4141 satisfied natural ventilation hour (SNVH) out of 4728 Natural ventilation hour (NVH), while the least natural ventilation potential was found in the Melbourne case
The NVH of the studied residential building in the three representative cities were simulated by the proposed TRNSYS simulation approach
Summary
Rapid urbanisation has led to a significant increase in building energy usage, which accounts for nearly one third of the total primary energy consumption worldwide [1]. As a key solution to the efficient operation of buildings, natural ventilation plays a significant role in maintaining an acceptable indoor environment [2,3]. The benefits of natural ventilation include, but are not limited to, improved indoor thermal comfort, reductions in occupant illness associated with indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and increased work productivity with low energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [4,5,6]. Natural ventilation potential was defined to evaluate the possibility of ensuring an acceptable indoor air quality and thermal comfort naturally [7]. Determined by both the indoor and outdoor environment, natural ventilation potential can be influenced by local climate, urban form and building.
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