Towards finding the optimal location of a ventilation inlet in a roof monitor skylight, using visual and thermal performance criteria, for dwellings in a Mediterranean climate

Abstract

The main aim of this work is to study the influence of a roof monitor skylight on comfort criteria. The roof monitor skylight simultaneously provides lighting and outdoor ventilation air for a living room or a master bedroom in a house with an underfloor heating/cooling system. The air is introduced into the room through an air inlet in the carpentry of the opening in the roof monitor skylight and located – for the purposes of this study – in different positions in the carpentry. To evaluate the comfort variations caused by this change of position, a series of lighting and thermal numerical indicators are applied to a set of simulation models, generating a complete analysis to determine optimal positions for the air inlet. These models are designed for the context of a Mediterranean climate, with extreme calculation conditions (overcast sky in winter and clear sky in summer). The simulation tools Daylight Visualizer 2.5 and Design Builder 2.42 have been selected to generate the models. This work concludes that the optimal position for the air inlet is in the side of the carpentry of the roof monitor skylight opening, ensuring the maximization of both lighting and thermal comfort conditions.