Abstract
Traditional HVAC systems provide a uniform indoor climate for the whole building or space, whereas the occupants each have their own comfort preferences. The result is suboptimal comfort for the occupants on the one hand, with at best up to 5 % of dissatisfied, and energy losses due to control on the safe side by the building operators. Personalised conditioning systems (PCS) do not aim to heat, cool or ventilate the space but to deliver the heat, cold and fresh air directly to the occupant. This paper provides a systematic assessment about the energy saving potential and potential comfort gains that can be achieved by implementing localized and personal HVAC systems in home environments. Using the Human Thermal Module software that allows to study the thermal sensation and thermoregulation under transient and asymmetric environmental conditions, the energy saving potential was evaluated in TRNSYS, and for a case study with different user behavior patterns it was shown that comfortable micro-climates can be achieved by means of heated chairs for an air temperature as low as 17°C, and the total annual energy savings amount to 30% in winter conditions and 70% in summer conditions.
Highlights
The energy use in the built environment accounts for nearly 40% of the total energy use in the western Europe
Using the Human Thermal Module software from Thermo Analytics, which provides a comprehensive simulation of human thermal sensation and thermoregulation under transient and asymmetric environmental conditions, the energy saving potential was evaluated in TRNSYS
Transient simulations show a direct link between temperature exposure and the occurrence of discomfort.Heated chairs and clothing could both provide a comfortable micro-climate for temperatures down to 17°C
Summary
The energy use in the built environment accounts for nearly 40% of the total energy use in the western Europe. Ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems use a very large portion, over 60%, of total buildings energy [1]. Highly insulated buildings in combination with new efficient installation (e.g. heat pumps) are well established. Despite the large energy expenditure for building climatization, the main goal of HVAC systems — creating a comfortable indoor climate — is not completely fulfilled [3]. This because traditional HVAC systems provide a uniform indoor climate for the whole building or space. The building industry nowadays is facing two https://doi.org/10.10 51/matecconf /201928202098 major challenges: the increased concern for energy reduction and the growing need for comfort improvements [4]
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