Investigation of Energy Consumption in Office Building using Thermal And Hygrothermal Simulation Models

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the differences in humidity and energy consumption results between thermal and hygrothermal simulation models. A prototype city hall building in Thailand (which has hot humid climate) is simulated by EnergyPlus software. Different exterior wall types are compared for their effects on humidity and energy consumption of the building. In addition, advantage and disadvantage of different air conditioning operation measures during lunch hour are investigated. Results indicate that hygrothermal model calculates cooling energy consumption lower than that of thermal-only model ranging from 4.04% - 7.45%; aerated concrete walls consume less cooling energy than one and twolayered brick walls; when air conditioners are turned off during lunch hour, opening windows consumes more energy than closing windows.