English

This article compares the thermal performance and comfort levels produced by dry and wet roofponds monitored during the summer of 2011 in Las Vegas, NV.  The measured data shows that under typical summer conditions, a dry roofpond with a depth of 15.24 cm. installed over typical U.S. residential construction is able to keep the maximum indoor operative temperature approximately 5.1 C° below the maximum outdoor air temperature, with the minimum indoor operative temperature remaining approximately 1.8 C° above the minimum outdoor air temperature.

The present paper aims to explore the current energy performance of the existing housing stock of Greece while also examining the energy performance of buildings that have undergone refurbishment since the passing of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in 2010. A literature review of energy performance legislation and previous surveys are compared to data obtained from 400 dwellings with Energy Performance Certificates for the Thessaloniki and Naousa cities.

Climate changes have progressively produced an increase of outdoors temperature resulting in tangible warmer summers even in cold climate regions. An increased interest for passive cooling strategies is rising in order to overcome the newly low energy buildings’ overheating issue. The growing level of air-tightness plays in low-energy buildings a double-acting role: reduction of energy demand and lack of adequate infiltration rate.

The synergistic effects between summertime ventilation behaviour, indoor temperature and air pollutant concentration in relation to energy retrofit and climate change have been under-investigated to date. This paper explores such interactions in a social housing setting. The case study flat is located on a mid-floor of a high-rise council tower block in central London. Dwellings of this type are likely to be occupied by vulnerable individuals (elderly people or people suffering from ill health or mobility impairment).

This article presents the results of a thermal comfort investigation carried out in a residential gated community located in a hot-humid climate.  The study comprises of real-time field monitoring of thermal comfort in representative apartment units and assessment of the utility and cooling energy consumption in these residences.  Utility energy consumption data of the residences for one year period was obtained and a survey was administered to identify the trend of air-conditioner use.  The results are summarized and used to validate a simulation model.

In order to know the thermal comfort of bedrooms, we have measured the air temperature and relative humidity in the 27 bedrooms of 11 houses. We have also conducted a thermal comfort survey, quality of sleep and occupant behaviour survey with the residents. Residents are highly satisfied with the thermal condition of the houses, using various thermal adjustments such as fans, clothing modifications, etc.

In Nordic countries overheating and cooling systems have not been the issue in apartment buildings. Historically and even in the beginning of 2000 there were not indicated such problems. New architecture with larger windows and strict energy performance requirements has changed the situation. If adequate measures are not used, new buildings may be easily overheated.

This study was undertaken to investigate comfort temperatures and adaptive model in Japanese homes. We measured temperatures in the living rooms and bedrooms, and a thermal comfort survey of residents over a three year in Kanto region of Japan. The residents were found to be highly satisfied with the thermal environment of their houses. Significant seasonal differences were found in their comfort temperatures. The results showed that comfort temperature varied with changes in both the indoor and outdoor climate.

Energy and indoor environmental performance of buildings are highly influenced by outdoor/indoor climate, by building characteristics, and by occupants’ behaviour. Building simulation tools cannot precisely replicate the actual performance of buildings because the simulations are based on a number of basic assumptions that affect the results. Therefore, the calculated energy performance may differ significantly from the real energy consumption.

In order to decrease the concentration of indoor pollutants, sorptive building materials have been used. Giving the construction materials themselves the property of reducing the concentration of indoor pollutants has been reported as simple and effective, because it is highly effective without requiring the operation of special equipment. Concentration reduction performance of indoor air pollutants by sorptive building materials depend significantly on air exchange rate, loading factor, mass transfer coefficients etc.