Natural ventilation or mixed mode? an investigation using simulation

This paper decribes a research project to compare, using simulation, the summertime comfort and energy use of naturally ventilated and mixed-mode (limited cooling) UK office buildings. A large number of simulations were run to investigate the effects of different design factors, on four facades. Various novel graphical methods, and regression equations, are used to present the results. It was found that without cooling, comfort could only be achieved by using several passive features to reduce internal temperatures. A wider range of mixed mode designs were shown to be low energy than natural ventilation designs, with better daylighting compensating for the cooling energy.