Abstract
Appropriate insulation materials, with unique physical properties and of moderate thickness, are essential for energy savings in residential buildings. However, the impact of thermal insulation on indoor thermal comfort with floor heating systems has not been studied extensively. In this study, simulations of a typical Japanese detached house were conducted with four different thicknesses of insulation material in the walls, ceiling, and floor to estimate the mean air temperature (MAT), mean radiant temperature (MRT), floor temperature, predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD). The results showed that increasing the thickness of thermal insulation increased the MAT and MRT by 1.4 – 4.0 ℃ and 1.3 – 4.4 ℃, respectively. Moreover, as the thickness of the thermal insulation increased, the floor temperature rose and exhibited smaller fluctuations. Finally, it was found that increasing the thickness of thermal insulation improved the indoor thermal comfort environment, as evidenced by an increase in the PMV from –1.0 to 0.3, and a decrease in the PPD from 25.1% to 9.5%.
Highlights
With the advantages of high thermal comfort, decreased energy consumption, quiet operation, space saving, and more [1], use of radiant heating (RH) systems has been increasing widely in recent years, in residential and in non-residential buildings worldwide [2]
operative temperature (OT) is defined as the outside and the floor average of the mean radiant temperature (MRT) and heating system was installed in the room and in rooms to ambient temperatures weighted by their respective heat its left and right and directly below
These results show that both mean air temperature (MAT) and MRT in the rooms can be raised by increasing the thickness of the insulation material to some degree
Summary
With the advantages of high thermal comfort, decreased energy consumption, quiet operation, space saving, and more [1], use of radiant heating (RH) systems has been increasing widely in recent years, in residential and in non-residential buildings worldwide [2]. A third of total energy consumption arises in the building sector (both residential and commercial) in most countries [16]. The total energy consumption is even higher in countries with hot, humid climate, among which approximately 40–60% of consumption is incurred by air-conditioning systems [17]. It is of enormous significance that, by changing insulation properties to adjust the heat exchange between indoor and outdoor spaces, heating and cooling loads of air-conditioning systems can be reduced and a more comfortable indoor environment can be provided.
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