Long-term measurement of indoor thermal environment and energy performance in a detached wooden house with passive solar systems
The indoor thermal environment, energy performance and energy consumption for a detached wooden house equipped with two passive solar systems, were investigated over a period of three years. The house with a floor area of 188 m{sup 2} was constructed in the autumn of 1993 in Sendai, Japan; and was well insulated and very airtight compared with other houses in Japan. There are six occupants. Heating equipment is comprises of a thermal storage space heater using night-time electricity and a vented firewood furnace on the first floor. Each room is ventilated all day by a central ventilation system. Two passive solar systems were incorporated: a concrete floor in the southern perimeter of the living room as a direct gain system, and an earth tube embedded around the circumference of the house to supply fresh air. The principal results obtained are as follows: (1) The indoor environment during the heating season was more thermally comfortable, compared with that or ordinary houses in Japan. (2) The concrete floor played a role of thermal storage, which absorbed and released heat for decreasing the fluctuation of room temperature. (3) The earth tube supplied air with lower temperature in the summer and higher temperature in the winter to the room, that the outdoor air temperature. This thermal performance did not decrease in spite of the long-term use. (4) The annual amount of energy consumption of this house was less than that of ordinary houses in the northern part of Japan.
- Research Organization:
- Tohoku Inst. of Tech., Sendai (JP)
- OSTI ID:
- 20001825
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-980815-; TRN: IM0001%%262
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1998 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Pacific Grove, CA (US), 08/23/1998--08/28/1998; Other Information: 10 volume set available for $200.00; PBD: 1998; Related Information: In: 1998 ACEEE summer study on energy efficiency in buildings: Proceedings, [3100] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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