Abstract
Buildings exhibit a high energy consumption compared with other economic sectors. While percentages vary from country to country, buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of the global energy demand. Most of this is consumed for achieving human thermal comfort. In Colombia, the government promotes policies for the adoption of efficient energy strategies in this sector. The earth to air heat exchanger (EAHE) can be used to reduce the cooling load of a building. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the energy savings that can be obtained by installing an EAHE in a tropical climate in Colombia. To do so, a mathematical model is implemented in TRNSYS (Transient System Simulation Tool) to predict the thermal performance and the cooling capacity of the EAHE. The system is modeled as a function of pipe length, diameter, material, thickness and air mass flow. Moreover, soil, local atmospheric conditions and building features are taken into account. It is found that the air leaves the EAHE at temperatures between 20.9 °C and 24.1 °C, which are approximately 3 °C below ambient temperature. Furthermore, the economic feasibility of the project is verified. Thereby, it is demonstrated that the EAHE can be a competitive alternative to current HVAC systems.
Highlights
Buildings 2021, 11, 219. https://Energy supply is fundamental for the economic development and the well-being of the population of any country
The present study focuses on the simulation of an earth to air heat exchanger (EAHE) system designed to improve thermal comfort in a laboratory room
The heat exchange of the ground surface with the ambient is due for the present study, the EAHE would be buried at 1.5 m depth
Summary
Energy supply is fundamental for the economic development and the well-being of the population of any country. Energy consumption has increased considerably due to growing needs to ensure thermal comfort conditions inside buildings [1]. For this reason, the achievement of indoor thermal comfort while minimizing energy consumption in buildings is a crucial aim around the world. In Colombia, about 70% of energy generation is obtained from hydropower. During 2015 and 2016, the droughts suffered in this country as a result of the natural phenomenon called “El Niño” were close to causing a blackout due to the drop in the electricity generation of the hydroelectric plants [6]
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