Abstract
In Europe, buildings are responsible for 40% of the energy consumption and 36% of the CO2 emissions. Space heating largely contributes to these energy and climate impacts. Passive solar heating systems, as sunspaces, can contribute to increase solar heat gains, reducing space heating energy demand and the related use of fossil fuels. Careful design and local climatic considerations are essential to optimize the performance of sunspaces. In this study experimental field monitoring, dynamic modelling and steady-state methods are applied to analyse the thermal behaviour of an attached sunspace in an Italian existing building, as well as its potential contribution to the building’s energy balance. Design modifications for improved thermal performance of the sunspace are investigated. The results show overall agreement between the dynamic modellings and experimental monitoring of the sunspace and indicate that the sunspace’s indoor air temperature and hence solar energy gains are significantly increased with the design modifications, in contrast to the existing configuration. Maximum temperatures between 44 and 48 °C were observed for the existing and a modified alternative of the analysed sunspace. The dynamic simulation model and design modifications presented in this study can serve as basis for assessment and optimal configurations of sunspaces in their design stage.
Highlights
There is growing emphasis on shifting from fossil to renewable fuels in the ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change [1]
We explore the thermal behaviour of an attached sunspace under dynamic operation conditions and propose design modifications to improve the thermal performance of the sunspace
The monitored air temperature values show a consistent trend between outdoor, sunspace and adjacent room
Summary
There is growing emphasis on shifting from fossil to renewable fuels in the ongoing efforts to mitigate climate change [1]. Fossil fuels currently represent 78% and 81% of the total primary energy use in the European Union (EU) [2] and worldwide [3], respectively. The Italian national energy strategy [6], aims to reduce the share of fossil fuels in the total national primary energy from 86% in 2010 to 76% by 2020. Further the Italian strategy includes increasing the share of renewable resources in the energy mix to 28% by 2030 and reducing total primary energy use and CO2 emission by 24% and 34% by 2030, respectively, compared with baseline of 2010 [7]
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